 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: rgames
Date: 2006-07-19 01:18
I cracked myself up today so I thought I'd share this story -
While setting up for a lesson today I was chatting a bit and not paying much attention to the usually mundane process of assembling my clarinets. We finally got down to business and I played a few warmup notes on the Bb and began with a portion of the candenza from the Copland concerto. However, the reed just was not agreeing with me - it felt like a bad case of "high humidity reed syndrome" (not unexpected given the heat and humidity in DC this week). The response was poor and the throat tones were fairly flat, so I dutifully swapped reeds, twice, but the problem persisted.
To make a long story short, I learned an intersting fact in my lesson today: the upper joint from an A fits just fine on the lower joint from a Bb.
(Not only have I never done that before, I never thought about the fact that it could happen! So beware...)
rgames
____________________________
Richard G. Ames
Composer - Arranger - Producer
www.rgamesmusic.com
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Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2006-07-19 13:40
...and that, dear children, is the reason that that prominent letter "A" is stamped on there under the logo...
One set of horns that I've owned over the years had exterior diameters and sockets that were identical at the center. The only noticeable swelling that was different was between the top and barrel and the bell and bottom, and even then it was not pronounced.
If you look at the joints "in isolation" of an assembled clarinet, most will notice that there's something just not "right" about the appearance of the ones for the A horn. Subtle clues like the hole spacing and the way that the brille operated key at the top of the lower joint are what give it away.
What's really fun is to try and pick the right horn between a standard A clarinet and a full Boehm Bb one. Same length (natürlich), but everything is in a different location. I had this problem with my first A clarinet, and only really resolved it when I managed to pick up a Series 9 A horn that matched my older Series 9 Bb.
I've always felt that this was the reason the manufacturers offered the full Boehm option (including the bass clarinet like low Eb extension key) on both the Bb horn (where it allows for the full A transposition) and on the A (where it serves little real purpose for serious clarinet literature). After all, there aren't many Ab clarinet parts around to transpose...
leader of Houston's Sounds Of The South Dance Orchestra
info@sotsdo.com
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2006-07-19 14:22
Rgames,
I have this fear that I will go on a gig and have left the reeds, MP, or other part for one of my instruments at home. Since I do a lot of doubles, I have as many as five instruments being "warmed up" at home prior to the job. And then if it is a show or concert and not a jazz gig, there is the possibility of a critical piece of music being left on the stand in my study.
The point is the same as what you have learned "when we rush, we can make some pretty silly mistakes if we are not careful." I'll bet Terry has this same fear as well.
HRL
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Author: William
Date: 2006-07-19 15:41
That reminds me of the graduate clarinet major, back when I an undergrad, who came onto the recital stage, tuned up with the pianist..........and realized he had left his music back in the warm-up room--in another building.
That grad student returned, finally, with his music and played a supurb graduate recital............and in later years, became a college instructor and ICA President.
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2006-07-19 16:01
William,
That sounds so typical of someone that is just over-focused/stressed.
In my professional pilot/CFI career, it was not uncommon have someone become so consummed with a simulated emergency (in a sim was best) that suddenly, no-one was flying the airplane (or watching which section of which clarinet was used).
As I age, I have found that I need a pre-travel checklist (wallet -with money and credit cards-, passport, address book, flash drive memory unit, extra keys, e-ticket receipts, laptop power unit, etc.) We overload ourselves so something has got to suffer.
HRL
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Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2006-07-20 00:02
There was the time that my lead alto player played a whole job with a coat hanger twisted up into a neck strap...
Since that time, I've added three Hyman sax straps (two alto/tenor, one baritone) to the "gig box", a filing container that carries all of the little crap that you might need when the downbeat is given. Boxes of reeds for the clarinets and all four saxes that we use (even soprano makes the occasional appearance), spare mutes, five bow ties (we had three people show up without one time; luckily it was a weeknight and there was a formal wear place five minutes away in the shopping mall attached to the hotel we were working).
Every job, there's one more minor thing that needs to be added or modified. We even stock some cheap...er..."hosiery" for some of the vocalists who might suffer a runner.
(How's that for non-gender specific language, Mark?)
It's the last box to be loaded, the first off the truck, and more or less a central coordination location at the jobs.
leader of Houston's Sounds Of The South Dance Orchestra
info@sotsdo.com
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