 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2005-10-05 18:41
I've got to defend my right to play the first clarinet parts in our community orchestra next Tuesday.
We'll have to play the first clarinet part in Waltz of the Flowers. Our parts are transcribed from the original for A-clarinet (F-major, one flat) for Bb Clarinet (E-major, four sharps).
For the last 40+ years, I've been playing a full Boehm Buffet that is in a UPS truck coming back here from North Carolina after reincarnation.
A colleague loaned me his Yamaha student grade plastic horn, and it plays very, very well --better intonation and eveness of scale than my pre-op Buffet.
BUT it doesn't have the left hand Eb/D# key, and the blasted Valse is right in the middle of the woodpile. I was startled --and now very worried-- to find that I use the left hand D# as my preferred fingering. I'm having a terrible time getting around the notes and have a week to get really, really good so that I can play the music instead of just poking at the notes.
SIGH, Boofy is due back on audition day.
I could borrow an A and transpose the music back to F-major. That seems like cheating on my colleague, though.
I'll probably spend the week marking fingering sequences and trying to work up to tempo. SIGH.
Bob Phillips
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Author: johng ★2017
Date: 2005-10-05 19:50
What is it about playing the piece on the correct instrument that is cheating? Couldn't your colleague claim that playing on an instrument with a left hand Eb is cheating if he/she doesn't have one? I would say go for the transposed part!
johng
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Author: Grant
Date: 2005-10-06 03:12
Play it on the A. I used to live in Sandpoint, that was 40 years ago.Glad to hear there is a community orchestra.Good luck.
Peace on Earth and May You always have a reed that PLAYS.
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Author: clarinetwife
Date: 2005-10-06 03:24
Bob, you have a printed part that is transposed for Bb? When I didn't have an A or access to an A, I still got an A part and transposed the other way.
Barb
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Author: allencole
Date: 2005-10-06 15:21
This points out the biggest problem with LH Eb/Ab keys, articulated G#'s etc. You still need to be ready to play the piece on a horn that is not so equipped--or pray that your own instrument is never lost, stolen or in need of repair.
I have this problem with kids who are playing on school bass clarinets (Selmer 67's !!??) but who don't have regular clarinets. While it's good that they explore the possibilities of having 5 or 6 keys for each pinkie, it's dangerous if the proper default fingerings are not set, and they have to turn around and do something on a Bundy.
I sympathize with your situation, Bob, but it you have to woodshed something, I can't think of a more pleasant piece. I may try that myself, just to see what kind of mayhem it produces.
Allen Cole
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2005-10-06 15:21
That's a goofy transcription! Part of the "beauty" of that excerpt is how it lays on the Clarinet - the "right Clarinet".
Pitch is nice, but to me it's more important for it to "lay properly".
A "C Scale" on the A Clarinet sounds very different than a "B scale" on the Bb Clarinet no matter who plays it.
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2005-10-06 17:18
Thanks, folks, for your comments.
When I retired and had time to practice a lot, I pulled the old full Boehm out and hated it. Decided that I'd probably buy a new instrument and determined to play everything without using the extra keys.
Then, I started experimenting with mouthpiece alternatives and found one that brought the old horn to life. So, I went back to using all it facilities.
One habit that playing on the Yamaha exposed is my tendency to use my left pinkie for all of the B-naturals. This bypasses the occasional accidental "flipping inside out" of my right pinky.
Another lesson from this experience is that the articulated G# enables a wonderfully useful fingering for Bb/Eb.
Thumb closed
Forefinger Down
Middle Finger Up
Ring Finger Down
G# Key Pressed
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Right hand fingers up
This makes it really easy to move from G# to A# and C#/Db to Eb --just raise the left hand middle finger.
SO, I've gotta use trill key Eb, (mostly) right hand B4; and practice a bunch, and I may be ok --but the throat tones of the Bb don't do justice to the work.
thanks,
again
bob
Bob Phillips
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