 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: timerick
Date: 2007-05-06 21:19
If you play the contra-alto clarinet in a concert band, you may have noticed that there aren't a lot of band pieces that have contra-alto parts. I've orchestrated a few of my own for pieces we've done recently, and thought I'd share them with you.
http://timerick.mm.st/ContraAlto/
Enjoy!
--Tim--
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Author: BassetHorn
Date: 2007-05-07 00:12
Great work Tim! I am certain they will come in handy for the players. Playing bassoon parts is also an option no?
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Author: William Hughes ★2017
Date: 2007-05-07 13:20
Many thanks, Tim. All contra-alto players experience that awkward moment when they pass out the new music..."Of course there is no part written for you, so, what do you want to play this time?" Most of us do not have the ambition to do what you have done so well. (I have played several of the pieces you have scored.)
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Author: rsholmes
Date: 2007-05-07 13:45
On your web site you write:
Quote:
you probably share my frustration that there are few pieces, especially recent pieces, for concert band that include a part for your instrument.
I've never played contra-alto clarinet. I did sit next to the contra-alto clarinet in high school and never noticed he lacked for a part to play, but maybe I wasn't paying attention. Anyway, that was 35 years ago. Is there really a trend to omit it? Are Bb contrabass clarinet parts more frequent than contra-alto parts or less? And are they also becoming less frequent than they were?
(Also, I have one small comment I'd like to offer privately, but you don't provide a means for doing so.)
Post Edited (2007-05-07 13:46)
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Author: SimpsonSaxGal
Date: 2007-05-08 03:43
That's a really interesting site you have. I occasionally play the BBb contra in band, usually not the Eb contralto.
One small suggestion about your site: Under the Irish Trilogy arr. Daehn, the link is wrong. It's a small change, from "triology" to trilogy. Just wanted to point it out to you.
Kimberly Karwath
Bb, Bass, and Contrabass
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Author: glin
Date: 2007-05-08 16:01
In my expeience as a band librarian for a community band and owner of several band compositions, I would say that most grade 4-6 pieces (advanced) or "old" warhorses has parts for at least one of the two Contras, the Eb or BBb.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2007-05-08 22:06
I'm playing more alto cl than bass now, and quite often have no part. Not wanting to transpose a Bb bass part [not too difficult], I look for a 2nd alto sax, or better, a bari sax and play it an octave lower, where needed, and possible, [takes a little getting used to !]. So I welcome what c-alto parts I find. Its a cruel world when you play an out-of-step inst. Luck, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: timerick
Date: 2007-05-08 22:14
Thanks for the comments. (I've fixed the link to the Irish Trilogy, added a snip about playing bassoon parts, and added some new pieces to the list.)
I'll keep adding in pieces as I can. If anyone else has one to add on, let me know.
From my experience, contrabass clarinets parts are about as common as contra-alto parts. Personally, I like the contra-alto, feeling it's a little more useful in the band (the contrabass being more for special effects). But hey, the two instruments are really just a fourth apart... not a huge difference as band instruments go. If my contra-alto had a low D key, I'd probably rarely envy the contrabass. (I do often wish I had the low D.)
--Tim--
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Author: Chris_C ★2017
Date: 2007-05-09 22:28
Really useful - as our band librarian I'm always having trouble with contra-alto parts (or lack of). Several of the pieces in your list are in our library, so I've downloaded them.
The "Les Miserables" link doesn't work, though - particularly frustrating since we're about to start rehearsing it, I'm told!
Chris
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Author: timerick
Date: 2007-05-10 17:45
Try "Les Mis" again. :-) It should work now.
Thanks for the feedback. I'll be adding more every month... possibly every week.
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Author: timerick
Date: 2007-05-11 03:53
Try again. I guarantee it. :-)
Added three more pieces today, as well. Enjoy.
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Author: Chris_C ★2017
Date: 2007-05-13 14:46
Yup - works now. Thanks very much and keep up the good work!
Chris
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Author: nahoj
Date: 2007-05-17 19:43
Hey! Great site! I play contra-alto in a youth orchestra. However, we play mostly classical work, so not a chance there exists a contra clarinet part. Modern pieces might have bass clarinet, which I can transpose (at home, not at sight). But usually I play second bassoon or, if present, contrabassoon parts. There's only one bassoon in our group, so some support in that section is very welcome for the moment...
Unfortunately, we don't play the music mentioned on your site... but it is a great contribution to the 'contra-alto-community' none the less!
Greetings!
johan.
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Author: timerick
Date: 2007-06-09 21:32
Hello, all!
I've added a few more Contra-Alto Clarinet parts for Concert Band pieces...
and added a page of English Horn parts for Concert Band pieces, too.
Enjoy!
--Tim--
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Author: bradfordlloyd
Date: 2020-01-25 03:45
I'm playing some contra alto parts now and enjoying it. Tim's website resource is terrific.
I've even done some transposition of parts and would be happy to share...sadly, there's no link or email for Tim (here or on his website). anyone know how to cintact him?
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Author: EbClarinet
Date: 2020-01-28 04:30
all u have 2 do is take the tuba part and put a treble clef there instead of a bass clef and it will play fine - keep the same key signature - this works for any C bass clef instrument
so u're saying that in orchestral music, there's no contralto and BBb contra parts? educate me please
professionally, in contemporary composer's, those 2 low clarinets are used all the time - just listen to tv and film music, commercials and even old radio and soap operas
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/mbtldsongministry/
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Author: LCL
Date: 2020-01-29 08:14
The tuba part to be played from by an Eb Contra alto must have the key signature modified as follows:
Add three sharps or take away three flats
For accidentals on F-C-G, raise a half step
For accidentals on other notes, leave as is
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Author: bradfordlloyd
Date: 2020-01-29 20:50
EbClarinet:
For symphonic band music when there's no contra alto part, you have a few choices:
(1) check for contrabass clarinet part and transpose to Eb (which I usually write out),
(2) play the bass clarinet part (transposed, or just on the bass clarinet)
(3) transpose from bass clef and play the tuba part (which is generally boring and too easy and is already covered in my group),
(4) transpose from bass clef and play the bassoon part (which may be too high, and is already covered in my group),
(5) play bari sax part (which is already covered and sometimes too high),
My preference is generally to do #1, but then add in (#2) bass clarinet parts transposed when the contra is resting. This, to me, is best way to deliver on what the composer wants with the contrabass part, but deliver support to the bass clarinet part and make a more interesting and engaging piece (for me) overall. Rather than sight transposing (which I do poorly) and flipping between parts, I just write it all out for contra.
Timerick's website is full of these kinds of parts written out (and it has been helpful to me in modeling an approach). Since I've written out several more parts for contra alto, I merely want to share them with others (which is sort of the point of his website).
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Author: Michael E. Shultz
Date: 2020-01-30 15:32
Back in the day, over 40 years ago, I just transposed bass clarinet parts on sight. I started out by writing the transposed note on the part, like the previous contra alto player, but soon caught on and was able to sight read. There were more bass clarinet parts than contra alto parts, so I ended up being a little bit better reading transposed parts than untransposed parts.
"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read."
Groucho Marx
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