 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Amy
Date: 1999-03-02 01:45
We are getting ready to play the musical West Side Story, and my director wants me to play "the hardest part", meaning the part with the most runs and highest notes. I haven't had a chance to look at the music very much yet, its a pretty new version, made out on a computer, not manuscript. The reed 2 book has bass clarinet, Eb, and Bb parts. I think this is probably the toughest clarinet part. I'm not sure though, does anyone who has played this recently know? Plus, this is the very first time in my entire career I will be playing the Eb (if I can get a find one soon), and I would love any advice on how to get the best sound out of the instrument and any other tips.(I've heard plenty of Eb players with some pretty funky sounds, so I'd like to avoid playing like that)
TIA
Amy
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Author: Katherine Pincock
Date: 1999-03-02 01:53
Can't help you about the part, but as for playing the Eb, I do have some suggestions: first of all, it's really, REALLY easy to bite on Eb, so try very hard to avoid that--it'll make you sharp, which you'll be anyway, and it'll make the tone pinched. Which brings me to the next thing: be prepared to be a lot sharper on Eb clarinet. Try to do some real work with it before you play it seriously, to get used to the tuning. Make sure that you get reeds that really fit the mouthpiece--some people use Eb specific reeds, other people cut the butt end of a Bb reed down. Otherwise, just try to work with it as much as you can to get used to the feel, and you'll find you adjust to it pretty quickly. Have fun!
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Author: Mark P.
Date: 1999-03-02 13:03
I've played the Reed 2 book in WWS and what I did was to transpose the E flat part onto B flat, as I recall it went up to about A or B flat but was very playable on B flat.. At that time I did not have access to an E flat.
The bass clarinet part is on the Reed 4 book, which I also played in another production. That book is tenor sax, bari sax, clarinet, and bass clarinet. There are a couple beautiful bass clarinet solos in that book.
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Author: Kylene
Date: 1999-03-03 02:10
My old HS is doing this show, and a good friend of mine is playing the same part as you are. The part is the most challenging of the clarinet parts, but the most fun!
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