 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Bob Arney
Date: 2000-10-20 16:07
It's the "newby" again. Please no more "hate" mail about an E-flat Alto. Picked up an older Buescher plastic from eBay and need an instruction book. Seems I can't remember where all the fingers have to go. Why an E-flat? My older Buffet (1908) is off being refitted etc, and I needed, really needed, something to play on. Could not afford a bass, so that is why the E-flat. Besides, I love the sound of it.That extra key structure does not fit into my memory-bank of Soprano B-flat fingering and I could use your help. Good easy lesson book, with a fingering chart please. Where to buy, order, get, etc.
Thanks, Bob Arney
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Lelia
Date: 2000-10-20 17:53
Rubank publishes a good instruction book (part of its regular series) especially for intermediate to advanced clarinet players making the transition to alto and bass clarinet. My ceiling collapsed and my music books that weren't actually out on my music stand are packed in boxes right now, so I can't tell you the exact title, but it's the size of the other Rubank instruction methods and was shelved along with the others for clarinet in my local music store. This book has a good fingering chart. You're right, some of the preferred fingerings are different on alto than on soprano.
The Rubank book also has good exercises that IMHO are more interesting to listen to than typical beginner book exercises (i.e. playing them won't drive a teen or adult nuts...). They helped me a lot in getting used to the differences between alto and soprano. I've had a very hard time finding solo music written especially for alto clarinet. However, the Eb alto saxophone has a slightly smaller written range than the alto clarinet, and is also written in treble clef, so all alto sax music can be played on alto clarinet.
Good luck with it! I think it's a much underrated instrument with its own unique and beautiful sound.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bob Arney
Date: 2000-10-20 21:27
Thanks Lelia, living in rural Iowa leaves a few things to be desireds---among them being a good music store with selections. Oh well, Rubank HAS to be on the internet for ordering. Thanks again.
Bob Arney
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Dee
Date: 2000-10-20 22:34
Bob Arney wrote:
>
> Thanks Lelia, living in rural Iowa leaves a few things to
> be desireds---among them being a good music store with
> selections. Oh well, Rubank HAS to be on the internet for
> ordering. Thanks again.
>
Rubank is now published by the Hal Leonard company. Just about any online sheet music store that carries clarinet method books will have it. If you have a band instrument store around (even in rural Iowa, they shouldn't be too far away), they are likely to have it as the Rubanks are very popular. Even if they don't have it, they can order it.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bob Arney
Date: 2000-10-21 21:55
Dee, et al, you might get a chuckle out of this. Drove to my closest "Music Store." (26 miles). He had the Rubanks but not the intermediate transitioning to Alto. He nicely called the "other" music store, 35 miles in the other direction. The gent there said that the intermediate clarinet (Soprano B-flat) was all I needed. My question: what about the fingering for the "extra keys"? Response: What extra keys!!! Guess the local bands don't march in the cornfields playing alto/bass clarinets.
Bob Arney
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bob Arney
Date: 2000-10-21 21:59
Dee, et al, you might get a chuckle out of this. Drove to my closest "Music Store." (26 miles). He had the Rubanks but not the intermediate transitioning to Alto. He nicely called the "other" music store, 35 miles in the other direction. The gent there said that the intermediate clarinet (Soprano B-flat) was all I needed. My question: what about the fingering for the "extra keys"? Response: What extra keys!!! Guess the local bands don't march in the cornfields playing alto/bass clarinets.
Bob Arney
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bob Arney
Date: 2000-10-23 15:59
Dee, Lelia,
Seems like the book under discussion is out of print as it is " too specialized." Any hopes that anyone has a copy they will part with? Are there laws against photocopying a book that is no longer in pint? How about alternate suggestions for other books that may be available in "rural Iowa."?
Bob Arney
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2000-10-23 16:23
Bob Arney wrote:
>
> Are there laws against photocopying a book that is
> no longer in print?
Yes, but in the few cases where I've asked publishers for permission to photocopy a book (and offered to pay close to cover price) the publisher had no problem at all. A form to use is all ready to print at http://www.mpa.org/copyright/op.html.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bob Arney
Date: 2000-10-23 16:51
Eureka, found an instructtion book. Might not be what I want but it is a start. "Introducing the Alto or Bass Clarinet" by H.Voxman. Has a Hal Leonard stock number of HL 4470850, $6.00, and in stock. "In the mail today"
End of thread for a while I think, Thanks
Bob Arney
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Dee
Date: 2000-10-23 21:37
Bob Arney wrote:
>
> Eureka, found an instructtion book. Might not be what I
> want but it is a start. "Introducing the Alto or Bass Clarinet"
> by H.Voxman. Has a Hal Leonard stock number of HL 4470850,
> $6.00, and in stock. "In the mail today"
> End of thread for a while I think, Thanks
> Bob Arney
This is more than likely the Rubank book that to which Lelia and I referred. Hal Leonard now owns Rubank and H. Voxman was the author of much of Rubank's clarinet material.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bob Arney
Date: 2000-10-24 16:37
Oh, Joy! Joy! Joy!
The book I ordered about noon yesterday from Kephart's Music Center in Decorah, Iowa came THIS MORNING, via "snail mail." That's hard to beat.
I guess it is a reprint of the older book recommended as the full title page now reads:
"Rubank Instructional Library No. 135
Introducing the Alto or Bass Clarinet---A Transfer Method for Intermediate Instruction" by H.Voxman, If I remember my Roman numerials, it is copywrited 1952.
But the funny thing is that the table of fingerings for Boehm system Alto/Bass clarinets is for a 17 key, six ring instrument that looks like my standard Buffet Sopano B-flat while my Buescher Alto has an extra key extension and what seems to be a double articulated upper register key. I'd send a picture but don't have that capability.
After many forgotten years of just playing by ear I am now going to have to learn to read music all over again so I can tell what I actually have here. Ain't it grand to have something to do in your older age.
New thought, where do I find a date of manufacture for this instrument.? The other lists I found do not include Buescher. The serial number is :14811
Thanks again,
Bob Arney
I know, find a teacher!!!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ashley
Date: 2000-10-25 00:02
out of pure curiosity, where are you in rural iowa? I live in fort dodge, theres a ton of music stores around. There's West Music everywhere, I think 4 or 5 Riemans (thats what we have here), and you cant forget Kepharts. Aaahh.... Kepharts in Decorah. I was at an honor band at Luther college there last February and my director went to Kepharts while we were in rehearsal. When she came to get us, she said to me "Ashley, guess what I got for you at Kepharts? They had the Baermann book for bass clarinet!!" Greaaaatt......... Just remembered that when you mentioned kepharts. Ya gotta love Iowa though... riightt.....
go hawks,
-ashley-
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bob Arney
Date: 2000-10-25 00:10
Ashley, try Emmetsburg. 26 miles to Spencer (Estherville 26 miles in the other direction) Algona, 26 miles Southeast, and the big town of Fort Dodge, 68 to the SSW. None of them having a store worthy of mention.
Mail order or drive to Fort Dodge.
Bob Arney
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Nate Zeien
Date: 2000-10-25 02:21
I don't really know how the subjects of Decorah and Kepharts came up, but this is rather of interest to me, as Decorah is my home town. Actually, I live a little ways outside of town, but I still went to high school there, and am a frequent customer of Kepharts. Also, I am wondering if you were referring to the Dorian festival, Ashley. Who else is from this general area in Iowa? At first I thought it was interesting that somebody from Iowa has been posting recently, but to learn that there are Kepharts fans out there as well. And here I thought I was the only Iowan here... Has anyone ever associated with some of the local Winneshiek county community bands, or some of the performers in Nordic Fest? I am in quite a few community bands in Winneshiek and the surrounding counties, and even up into Minnesota. If anyone is interested, in most of the bands we could always use an extra clarinet some weekend. Since Mark and some of the others are going to a ClarinetFest thing in New Orleans, maybe we could have some clarinet gathering here in Iowa. Back to the subject of the Kepharts, Rusty Kephart even plays with one of the bands that I'm in. He's quite a trumpet player. I also play in a Norwegian polka band with Jim Buzza, who also happens to work there, and he plays trumpet also. If any of you ever get up to see Nordic Fest, look for a little polka band called "Den Norske Blåseorkester". Maybe you could put in a request :-) Cheers, fellow Iowans! -- Nate Zeien
PS - Mark, since Kepharts is getting mentioned so much lately, maybe we could get them to become a sponsor. I could drop a line to Rusty. ;-)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Lelia
Date: 2000-10-25 11:39
Yes, that's the book I was talking about! My alto (1979 Selmer) has the low key extension also, but I found that using it was intuitive, fortunately. How crummy that the "too specialized" book has gone out of print. That may have happened recently, because I bought my copy, new in a local music store, less than two years ago. That store (a medium-sized family owned place) hangs onto old stock until it sells, though, so it might have been an old copy.
For your Buescher serial number, if it's not in the "How Old Is My..." section here on www.sneezy.org, you should be able to find the date at Lar's Kirmser's Music Trader site:
http://www.musictrader.com/fullindx.html
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bob Arney
Date: 2000-10-25 14:22
Thanks for the info. Interesting site. Dates are 1911/1912 might be a good one if I ever get good enough to know the differrence (with or without my "digital ears."
Bob Arney
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ashley
Date: 2000-11-01 02:46
Nate-
yep, i'm referring to the Dorian festival.. the honor band, not the camp. I went last year, planning on going this year. Its aboud 3 hours away from good old Ft Dodge, so we'll be spending 2 nights there, rather than doing what we did last year (only staying the sunday night, coming home monday after the concert and finally getting here at 2 in the morning). It was fun w/ mainly upperclassmen there (no obnoxious freshmen to worry about, but the bands were messed up... i was in one of the 2 huge bands, there were 10 bass clarinets in it. They didnt do chair auditions or anything, chairs were random. In one of the pieces, there was a piccolo-bass clarinet duet, and the first chair bass clar was just a complete waste and couldnt play it worth crap. I was sitting there, like OK you suck, i'm way better than you, just stop playing and i'll play it. I was kinda bitter about that
aaah, the wonderful perks of living in iowa. especially the north central district where I am. Music stuff is really really competitive... bad for me most of the time. I am, however, going to audition for the Karl King scholarship.. its only 400 bucks, but i need all the money i can get for college, and it would be really cool to win it.
reply back to this if you get a chance, its kinda neat to hear the views of somebody that went through all the messed up politics of the IHSMA like i did.. and knows how competitive everything is here
hawkeye for life,
*ashley*
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
