 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: chinaboy61
Date: 2007-03-20 01:47
My band director has just told me that I can play Eb clarinet in band as long as I buy one. What is a good Eb clarinet out there? What is a good model? Should I get a R-13 Eb or a E11 Eb from buffet or should I try getting a selmer, leblanc or yamaha Eb? What is a good price for a student who wants to enroll in music his whole life? Should I get a Eb or a A first?
Post Edited (2007-03-20 05:24)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-03-20 09:40
You're best getting an A clarinet first and borrowing an Eb for the time being.
Unless you have enough to buy both, buy a pro A clarinet and a good wooden Eb such as the E11.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Mags1957
Date: 2007-03-20 13:36
I just got a Buffet E-11 for my school, and I must say it's surprisingly nice. I'm confident that a good E-11 could take you well into college, perhaps beyond. It helps that I got an Eb mouthpiece from Richard Hawkins a while back - it really matches well with the E-11. I would absolutely play the E-11 in a semi-pro orchestra if needed. The students had previously playing an older Noblet - there's no comparison - the E-11 seems like an entry level pro horn to me. Odd, because I don't think the E-11 Bb falls into the same category. JMO.
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Author: D
Date: 2007-03-20 19:16
I think the band director is being a bit cheeky. What he means to say is, 'the band doesn't have one but we need one for this piece'.
He is not doing you a favour.
If you are going to buy one anyway for your own enjoyment and will have an outlet in band then great, buy it and love it and take the chance to play it in your band. It is certainly a useful instrument to have in lots of different types of music.
If you have any intention of playing in a classical type orchestra anytime soon then you will absolutely be expected to have an A so you might want to think about getting one of these instead. Transposing into 5 or 6 sharps is no ones idea of fun, and a significant proportion of orchestras parts will just be given to you in A from which you have to transpose. Because the chances are it has been scored to give the violins 2 sharps and make it easy for them, you will end up with many more than you knew existed. Admittedly I don't live in the states so I have no idea about how many community/school/amateur/fun orchestras that you have, and I don't know how likely you would be to play in one. But over here I would be really lost without my A unless playing in a band which I do less frequently then orchestra.
Short form of above:
Look at where you will be playing in the next 5 years or so.
Do they mainly use A clarinet parts or Bb?
btw. how long would you need an Eb for, is it worth looking at rental? Perhaps you could find a local music student (or recently graduated music/ed student who has no time to play at the moment) who would be glad to make a few dollars renting their harmony clarinets out for a month or so. You get to see if you like it, and they don't have to eat beans on toast for a few weeks.
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Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2007-03-20 21:32
I was presented with the "let's make it easy for the strings" issue last evening, when I had to sight read a part in seven sharps in The Music Man (in an book that I had never played on all of my previous outings on the show). Not fun at all, and an excellent argument for the A clarinet (and perhaps even for the mythical clarinet pitched in B natural.
However, an A clarinet for a person playing in a band at high school level is a bit premature. Unless the school has a progressive orchestra program (one where the orchestra has more than strings), there just isn't any call for an A horn at that level.
leader of Houston's Sounds Of The South Dance Orchestra
info@sotsdo.com
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Author: D
Date: 2007-03-20 21:39
fair enough. I know the music programs in the States are different from UK
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Author: JJAlbrecht
Date: 2007-03-21 00:07
Actually, there are a fair number of community orchestras here in the US. Many of them are designed for students still in high school, and they play unediterd versions of the classics. My daughter has been in one for the past two years, and she is gratedul that she was able to borrow a truly wretched, ancient Leblanc A clarinet for her orchestral use. The school actuially had one lying around, unused for a number of years, since the high school orchestra devolved to "all strings".
In any case, it got her a good look at orchestral literature without having the pain of transposing for playing on her very good Bb horn. This year, they also player Mahler's 1st, and the score called for an Eefer, too. The conductor asked her to play the part, and we were able to find one tha a musician in the area has graciously let her borrow for as long as she needs it. It's not the greatest (an older Normandie), but it got the job done. She currently also plays First Clarinet ans Eb in our local community band, and loves working with that instrument.
From the point of view of a parent who will be assisting her with the purchas of her fitrst prop horn that is not handed down from her dad, my wife and I have counseled her to invest in a pro-grade A first, and keep using the borrowed Eefer for as long as the man's generosity holds out.
If you plan on attending music school and have an orchestral or classical carreer in your sights, you would be wiser to invest in an A first. My daughter's teacher is the assistant pricncipal and Eb player for the Detroit Symphony, and he agrees that an A would be a better investment for her future as an orchestral musician. In similar circumstances, I would suggest the same for you.
Jeff
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Author: Sean.Perrin
Date: 2007-03-22 15:55
It sounds like you are going throiugh the phase I did in high school.. wanting to try all the clarinets!!!! Your teacher is either being supportive, or taking advantage of your interest (which happend when I suggested I wanted to try alto clarinet, not for Eb though, haha).
"Try" here is the key word... don't go out and buy all the clarinets!! Try them out! Nobody "needs an Eb in high school.
I was lucky that my local shop had an Eb i could rent for 20 dollars a month. Now eight years later I do have my own Eb (a pro R13) but I only had the rental one for the summer (Effers are NOT as fun as they look when you are in high school, expecially plastic ones!!!!!).
Founder and host of the Clarineat Podcast: http://www.clarineat.com
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