 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: jerry
Date: 2000-09-27 23:42
How many octaves can the clarinet reach (not knowing what an octave is - is this a valid question?)? Is there more than one octave per register (nor knowing, at the present, how to play anything but "G" and "F" in the first register)? Hey! I've only been at this for three weeks!
~ jerry
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Author: beejay
Date: 2000-09-28 01:18
Starting at low e and going to e above the stave, the clarinet has an easy range of three octaves. Experienced players can manage half an octave or more above high e, but it can sound painful.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2000-09-28 01:32
Generally an intermediate to advanced student can play from the E below the staff to the G that is four ledger lines above the staff. This is three octaves + three notes. Most players can develop a good tone throughout this range with reasonable practice.
Very advanced to professional players can play from the E below the staff to the C that sits above the 5th ledger line above the staff. This is three octaves + nine notes. It takes a great deal of work to learn to control the tone quality and volume for the highest pitches.
A very few players can go even higher but this is quite rare. The clarinet is very poor at these pitches.
If you include all possible sharps and flats, the octave contains 12 notes. A scale (do, re, mi, ... do) uses 8 of those notes and hence the name octave.
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Author: jerry
Date: 2000-09-28 01:40
Thanks Dee & Beejay -- Are the "three octaves + three notes" in the first register (is that chalameau? - sp)?
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Author: Dee
Date: 2000-09-28 01:49
No this is total.
Here are the registers:
Chalumeau - Low E to the Bb in the middle of the staff, this is one octave + 6 notes.
Clarion - B in the middle of the staff to the C that is two ledger lines above the staff, this is one octave + one note.
Altissimo - C# that is two ledger lines above the staff and up to however high a person can play. This is generally less than an octave.
Note that for some notes, alternate fingerings can allow the note to be played in different registers. For example, the C# that is two ledger lines above the staff may be played as a clarion register note with one fingering but as an altissimo register note with a different fingering. There are mathematical reasons behind this but that gets a little deep for a beginner.
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Author: Don Poulsen
Date: 2000-09-28 15:20
The range of a bass or other clarinet that goes down to low C can be greater, possibly four octaves.
Allow me may relate a little story.
Frequently, our community band plays scales as a warmup exercise. A b-flat concert scale is usually included. A couple of times our director has instructed those of us who can only play it for one octave to play up and down the scale twice while those who can manage to play it for two octaves to play the scale for two octaves up and then back down. Both times I have been tempted to ask "What if you can play it for three or four octaves?" Next time, I may get the nerve to do so.
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Author: Andy J.
Date: 2000-10-04 02:29
concert Bb scale 3 octives is painful.. not really for the player, but for anyone/any animal within' half a mile..
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