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Re: The low D quest

Author: Chris P
Date: 2010-05-11 12:49

All clarinets require the low E as much as they require throat Bb to offer all notes. Low Eb and low D aren't a necessity, though can be useful - low Eb on a Bb clarinet will give the same lowest note as an A clarinet's low E (which is why it's standard on bass clarinets to cover A bass parts) and also serves as a useful alternative to throat Bb.

The low D won't be as useful as an alternative low A due to the speaker tube being pushed to its limit - some clarinets (especially some A clarinets) are struggling with the upper register B due to the size and positioning of the speaker tube.

Bassoons will go up into the treble clef (up to E), so will be in unison with the flute and oboe's lower register and lower part of the upper register and clarinets will descend to the middle of the bass clef and go almost as high as a flute, so they're already being used as an alto and soprano voice in the one instrument.

In concert and military style bands, tenor saxes, horns, euphoniums and trombones will usually occupy the alto and tenor range and clarinets are generally treated as violins so get a lot of the soprano roles, playing right up in the stratosphere along with the flutes or as low as alto saxes to fill out this register.

It's only really the bass anc contra clarinets that will make more use of the extended lower register to provide useful bass parts in unison with the bassoons, bari saxes and tubas, then again they do get written as tenor instruments and parts often go up as hich as a tenor saxes upper register.

Having nearly a four 8ve range does make clarinets versatile, though this can be both a blessing and a curse if the arranger only goes by a range chart and not fully understanding the nature of the instrument.

Any orchestral player will either have a set of A and Bb clarinets, or rent or borrow an A if they need one so they can cover the repertoire on the instrument that's scored (or find a practical solution if a particular instrument works better than what has been scored for), but it will be rare to find Bb parts that descend to written low Eb or D for a Bb clarinet as the A clarinet will descend to the concert Db/C# (likewise a full Boehm Bb will) and the low concert C won't be written for Bb/A clarinet at all.

In the rare instance you find a full Boehm A clarinet (descending to low Eb), that will give you the low concert C (same as the lowest note on a viola or 5-string violin), though for clarinet quartet or quintet the viola/alto part can be covered by an alto clarinet or basset horn to add more tonal depth and texture to the sound rather than three sopranos and a bass clarinet.

And with the low D - makers will differ as to where the low D key will be fitted. Will it be for the LH pinkie or RH thumb? Or will it be both LH and RH pinkies, or for LH and RH pinkies AND RH thumb? It will add a considerable amount to the cost - maybe prohibitive - and makers won't want to take the financial risk of making a clarinet that needs all the extra tooling (which will inflate the price to cover for this) if they won't be sold in the same volume as standard clarinets.

Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.

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The low D quest new

karlbonner82

2010-05-11 11:39