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How high when low?

Author: Contra
Date: 2004-11-04 02:00

Last week, I was given a bari sax part for The Nutcracker that went higher than my contra-alto can go. Or higher than it has ever successfully gone. I started thinking that it might have a leak or something, so it's in the shop now. The question I'm about to ask is what is the highest notes lower clarinets should be able to successfully play? I've been able to play much higher on a bass clarinet than I could on contra. Is it just because of how one is designed over the other?

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Re: How high when low?

Author: GBK
Date: 2004-11-04 03:15

Contra wrote:

> Last week, I was given a bari sax part for The Nutcracker that
> went higher than my contra-alto can go

Tchaikovsky never could fully understand how to write for bari sax [wink]

...GBK

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Re: How high when low?

Author: Wayne Thompson
Date: 2004-11-04 05:59

Search some more on this, Contra. I believe I have read old discussions from contra players that the Leblanc Contra Alto played better in the altissimo than the Contra Bass. I am the newest contra bass player in the world, probably, and I can play to C above the staff but the altissimo is near impossible.

Wayne

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Re: How high when low?

Author: Alphie
Date: 2004-11-04 14:14

I've only been playing symphonic music on the BBb contra and it has taken me up to F above the staff. F6 that would be according to this BB's language. Last time was last week playing Salonen: "Wing on wing", inspired by and written for the opening of the new Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. Here he's writing up to Eb-E above the staff.
I've always been ok using the "throut"-fingerings, meaning L1-F# for high C#, open g for high D up to thumb-and-L1/Bb for high F.

I guess you could sit down to find harmonics that would take you higher, ever as high as you want to go if you took the time to find them. I never took the time myself so far. Does anybody know if someone has published a fingering chart for these notes using harmonics in a book?

Alphie

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