 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Frank
Date: 2000-10-03 17:01
I play a soprano recorder now and I am interested in moving to a clarinet. A soprano recorder is in the key of C and I understand most clarinets are in the key of B flat. Does this mean I will not be able to play the music I currently own? I have been told you can only play music in the key of C with instruments that play in the key of C, like pianos, flutes and recorders. It seems like it would only matter if I was playing with other instruments in different keys. Thank you for any insight you can give me and forgive me if this is a dumb question.
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Author: Bill
Date: 2000-10-03 17:18
You can use your music with the clarinet, as long as you play by yourself. The Bb clarinet will transpose the music down a whole step.
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Author: ron b.
Date: 2000-10-03 18:20
First of all, Frank, -- and please allow me to emphasize this -- there is no such thing as a dumb question :| Nor is your question odd or unusual; it's been discussed many times here, there and elsewhere and more than a few places in between.
Most soprano clarinets today, the common everyday ones, are pitched in Bb. That means that when the clarinet's written/fingered note C is played on it, it sounds like the note Bb on a C instrument (piano, soprano(C) recorder, violin, etc.). Therefore, the Bb clarinet's fingered(written) notes 'sound' one whole note higher than C pitched instruments. So, the piano plays a Bb; to sound the same note the clarinet must play, or 'transpose' that note ('concert' Bb) to it's own (written/fingered) note C. The clarinet's C sounds like the piano's Bb.
That's why instruments in pitches other than C, such as Bb clarinets, Eb saxophones etc, are called transposing instruments. When they play their (written/fingered) notes C, it corresponds to the note they are pitched to (Bb, Eb, F or whatever) on a C instrument.
For example: to play a song written in the key of F, with your Bb clarinet, with a soprano recorder, you would need to play each note one full step higher - in the key of G.
Recorder plays C, clarinet plays D, and so on... = they make beautiful music together and, tonally, in my opinion, quite compatible - and fun too. :]
There are, by the way, clarinets pitched in C (and Eb - and A - and F - and G - and - - - :[ Now, if you really want to get confused.... 
Have a great day, Frank, and most of all... have fun.
ron b.
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Author: Lelia
Date: 2000-10-03 20:12
Good answers above. Many people (I'm one) play both clarinets and recorders, in more than one key apiece. The differences aren't hard to get used to, IMHO. I prefer to use different music (pitched in the appropriate keys) for clarinets and recorders, but learning to transpose between Bb clarinet and C recorder is no worse than learning to play F recorder music on a C recorder and vice-versa. The fingerings, BTW, are closely related. The clarinet register key raises the pitch a 12th (unlike the recorder, whose upper register with the half-hole thumb hole is an octave), but that upper register, the clarion, uses fingerings that are basically the same as C recorder fingerings. The system of metal keys that supplement the holes look more complicated than they really are. I'd encourage you to go ahead and learn clarinet. Wonderful instrument! Good luck!
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Author: ron b.
Date: 2000-10-04 00:49
Lelia, you picked up where I dropped the ball :
I'd like to second what you say to Frank to go ahead and learn clarinet. With your experience playing recorder, Frank, you shouldn't have too much difficulty adapting to clarinet.
Transposing C instrument sheet music to another pitched instrument, by sight or by ear, (or writing it out if you want to torture yourself that way) is not terribly difficult - just takes practice. So, please - don't dump all your C charts.... You can play 'em all to your heart's content -- on anything.
ron b.
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Author: Hiroshi
Date: 2000-10-04 01:49
Transposition is very easy. Jazz music sheet music is written in C. Just change the key up i.e. E to F, and change every tone one whole tone.
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Author: Andy J.
Date: 2000-10-04 02:39
My english teacher once said "There are no stupid questions, only stupid people who ask them." but that's besides the point. You can play any music writen on your clarinet, but the thing is, if you play it with someone else and it's not written for the Bb clarinet then it'll sound really bad.. or have a 9th harmony or something.. some yummy 13 chords.. mmm... anyhow. if you know abit about music theroy it helps transposition phanomoly (nice spelling eh?), but tetnicaly all you have to do when playing recorder music on clarinet, with someone else who is playing a recorder, is raise the note 2 half steps. but! the tricky part is if it's a written 'B', it won't be a 'C' it'll be a 'C#' because of the funky way they (people..) who came up with a chromaic scale didn't feel like having a B# (C) or a E# (F), they jsut skiped it.. well. actully it's because the pitches and stuff, but it sounds better that way, i get to blame someone =)
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Author: Willie
Date: 2000-10-04 04:47
Transposing isn't that hard if you look at the circle of fifths. If your recorder part is in say Bb (two flats), just hop over two steps (clockwise) on the circle of fifths. Thus will put you in C. If the recorder music is in C, you will have two sharps on the clarinet. Some accidentals may be confusing at first. Just keep in mind that everything is played two half steps higher. It gets easier with practice.
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Author: ron b.
Date: 2000-10-04 06:03
"What's the difference," I asked our high school music theory instructor, "between a B sharp and a C flat?"
I knew I had 'im on that one.
Without batting eye he replied, "Four ninths."
I had the feeling I wasn't the first person in history to have asked that question. :|
That's why I believe there are no stupid questions, just uninformed ones.
ron b.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2000-10-04 12:01
ron b. wrote:
>
>
> That's why I believe there are no stupid questions, just
> uninformed ones.
> ron b.
As a former part-time Comp Sci teacher, let me tell you - there are stupid questions:
Student: "Excuse me, Mr. Charette, I don't understand this algorithm. Can you explain it?"
Me: "Can you tell me what part gave you trouble on your homework last night?"
Student: "Homework???"
Not a horribly bright question ...
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Author: ron b.
Date: 2000-10-04 16:07
Wel l l l, Mark... :
yeh, I gotta admit - - sometimes. . . yeh, I see what you mean.
Lemme go re-think that, maybe revise my opinion a little.
Come to think of it, I have heard a few pretty far out... well, you know
ron b.
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Author: Eoin
Date: 2000-10-05 22:59
The difference between a B# and a Cb is one semitone. I don't think this is four ninths.
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