 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: woodchuck
Date: 2005-02-05 15:45
Greetings~
I expressed this in the body of a previous post, but would like to address it specifically here.
How common are ring key alto's vs. plateau key?
I suspect that I (not having an alto at all yet but having played a few) would prefer a ring key, as note bending will be easier from my finger's point of view.
Thoughts???
Thanks,
Peter T.
Somewhere between the classical
and the blues, is the flower
of the indigenous.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2005-02-05 17:10
I noticed your ref to alto cl in the other thread, but thot it was more curiousity than a desire to play our "ugly stepchild", I like it but some call me et al "nerds" !! Unless you have large hands/fingers to cover the wider-spaced, larger holes on the "OLDER" altos, I'd suggest a plateau, and my choice of a number of altos is the Selmer-Paris, expensive, yes, but IMHO much better toned/tuned for concert band/ classical playing. Try several before purchasing any. Yes, I use sax reeds on basses and altos, more available, slightly wider, sometimes better on refaced mps. Luck, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Steve Epstein
Date: 2005-02-05 17:24
I question how much you can bend a note with your fingers on a clarinet with ring keys, like on an open-holed flute. I've seen and heard Eastern European folk players do "pops" and other ornaments with their fingers but not the kind of note bends you hear on an Irish flute. I just get squeeks and noise when I try to half-hole a key, which of course may be a testament to my lack of skill and knowledge of how to do it, but I still wonder. Specifically, what kind of effects are you trying to produce?
Steve Epstein
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Author: Bob A
Date: 2005-02-05 18:09
IMHO, and very limited experience, I would consider using a more open mpc and a softer reed and training your embrochure rather than trying to consider sliding your fingers.
Bob A
Post Edited (2005-02-05 19:07)
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Author: jArius
Date: 2005-02-05 20:04
I second Bob. Make sure you can play the beast well before you try any fancy tricks
Jeremy Bruins
Proud member of the too-much-time-on-my-hands club.
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Author: woodchuck
Date: 2005-02-05 23:12
Hi Don,
The ugly stepchild indeed. Sounds like the one for me! I have a student Bundy I'm playing at the moment, in my hands until I sell it for someone, and it's ring key, and then I tried a plateau, and I would much rather have a ring key. I have no trouble covering the holes, not particularly large hands, but somewhat long spatula shaped fingers.
Thanks!
Peter.
Somewhere between the classical
and the blues, is the flower
of the indigenous.
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Author: woodchuck
Date: 2005-02-05 23:20
Hi Steve,
What I'm doing currently is simply learning the fingerings and such, but with my scanty knowledge of the lower range, if I rock my finger on and off the tone holes on this student Bundy alto I have on loan, I can bend notes to any microtone 1/2 to 1/4 step above whatever note it would be closed, depnding on where I am on the horn. It's not quite as pronounced as the bends I'm starting to get on the Bb Albert clarinet I just bought, but similar.
Thanks,
Peter T.
Somewhere between the classical
and the blues, is the flower
of the indigenous.
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Author: woodchuck
Date: 2005-02-05 23:25
Hi Bob,
Well I'm all ready sliding my fingers! I do note bending of this sort with my ebrochure all the time on a sax, and intend to on clarinet as well as soon as I get my set-up and skills up to snuff. I'm also learning Duduk, Armenian Oboe, which is all about finger (and mouth!) technique on a seemingly simple instrument. I would like to develope both skills as much as I can, and if something works, I'll utilize it!
Thanks,
Peter.
Somewhere between the classical
and the blues, is the flower
of the indigenous.
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Author: woodchuck
Date: 2005-02-06 00:10
Hmmmm..... I see this as part of learning to play the beast well.
Somewhere between the classical
and the blues, is the flower
of the indigenous.
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Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2005-02-06 14:59
With the relative difficulty of control of the air column in the larger and longer alto bore, I'd opt for the plateau version each and every time. (And, I'm the guy with the ham sized hands that don't fit well on the Bb soprano, remember.)
I've played both styles when it was necessary back in the days of my misspent youth, and although the overall control was always within my grasp, there were many notes on the ring horns that were only approached carefully. I'd not say that I ever really lost control, but I was always concous of the problem and of the need to keep it under control.
The only advantage of having the open holes on the horn are some improvement in tone (so-so) and projection (maybe 30% or so). Given the marginal need for either (those alto clarinet parts are so prevalent in music...), and given the fact that most players are in the schools, most are young, and a significant number are female with smaller proportions to their hands, I'd not buy one for a music program without the plateau keys in place.
It is odd that the alto saxophone is the lyric voice of the family, while the alto clarinet is...well, you figure it out...
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2005-02-06 16:42
Very well said, T S, on all subjects, pretty well expresses my thots. Wish I could work in more Alto cl playing! Had more to say, but deleted, needed to ask re: RadioMusicSource, now just below, I think! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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