 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Kontra
Date: 2010-06-24 06:08
Ive heard some bad things about this horn... I guess my question is why? Why do you like or dislike the Alto Clarinet?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2010-06-24 09:36
Bad things? About the Alto?
I actually like the alto. It's not quite as heavy as a bass, and it's not quite as shrieky as the soprano.
And it can be used to cover alto sax parts. (rarely that there aren't enough sax players at hand, but it does happen).
Some say the tone is weak and uninspiring - you do need a mouthpiece that sings, that's sure.
--
Ben
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: USFBassClarinet
Date: 2010-06-24 11:17
Personally, I love alto clarinet. I think it has a very unique tone and place in any ensemble. The problem and why most people hate them I believe, is 99% of the instruments are in a state of disrepair and hardly play at all. So when someone 'tries' an alto clarinet, anyone would hate it.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2010-06-24 12:11
Good and well maintained altos play very well, but it's going to take a lot to change the general opinion of them to a positive one (likewise with violas). If there wasn't a market for them, Buffet, Leblanc, Selmer and Yamaha wouldn't make pro model altos.
In the UK, the general opinion on altos is much healthier than is perceived in the US going from what I've read, but altos aren't all that common in the UK.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2010-06-24 14:17
Just agreeing with the other posters.
I used to hate alto clarinets when I was in high school band, because:
a) They were usually played by the weaker clarinetists in the group, who were usually playing them by order of the band director rather than by choice;
b) The instruments themselves were usually school-owned and in poor condition;
c) The mouthpieces supplied with the instruments were terrible; and
d) Any upper register part played by the alto clarinetists sounded better played in the lower range of the soprano clarinets; and any of the alto clarinets' lower-register parts sounded better when handled by the bass clarinetists (e.g., my not-so-humble self).
It wasn't until fairly recently that I've developed a liking for the instrument, having acquired a decent setup of instrument/mouthpiece/reeds and being asked to play The Beast in a decent semi-professional clarinet choir.
With good equipment and a competent player behind it, the alto clarinet sounds good and is fun to play. I'm not sure if it really is a necessary voice within any group, though. I think the analogy with the viola is a pretty good one.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2010-06-24 14:25
I like my 1979 Paris Selmer alto a lot. I bought it used, in good condition. It looked to me as if the previous owner had hardly played it.
The first alto I ever played (1960) was an ancient school instrument in horrible condition that my school had acquired from another school whose conductor was probably delighted to foist off this useless piece of plumbing on a Battle-of-the-Bands rival. That clarinet was all but unplayable. It needed either basic maintenance that would have cost more than the sorry old honker was worth -- or about a quarter of a stick of dynamite up the bore.
I think if I'd had to play that wreck much longer, I'd hate the alto clarinet, too! The second alto I played was the same school's brand-new Bundy, replacing the wreck. Bundies went through a bad period in the 1950s and 1960s. This alto was not nearly as good clarinet as my current Selmer, but it was orders of magnitude better than what it replaced and it made me a fan of the instrument. Too bad it's the Rodney Dangerfield of clarinets -- it don't get no respect.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2010-06-24 14:39
Having recently bought a Yamaha alto, I do like how it plays. Just as easy as playing basset horn, and not that much difference in tone quality between them
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: LCL
Date: 2010-06-24 15:42
I agree completely with the apparent love voiced by the above. I own a Leblanc alto with the swan-style neck that I purchased about three years ago from one of our supporters. It is an excellent horn and when I added a Grabner mpc., the horn really came to life. Personnaly I play BC, contrabass and contra-alto much of the time in a community band and when I do, the duel sound with a good alto clarinet sitting beside me, is really a nice blend.
Best,
LCL
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2010-06-24 15:46
I'm considering moving onto alto in one band I play in provided someone comes along who can play solo.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: justme
Date: 2010-06-24 15:52
For those that say that the alto clarinet doesn't have a good sound, check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_IA8K7xK8g
Justme
"A critic is like a eunuch: he knows exactly how it ought to be done."
CLARINET, n.
An instrument of torture operated by a person with cotton in his ears. There are two instruments that are worse than a clarinet -- two clarinets
Post Edited (2010-06-24 15:52)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: dgclarinet
Date: 2010-06-24 18:04
I love the alto clarinet. I love the mellow tone that it gets...maybe as I get older, I hear the middle ranges better than the higher ranges (I still love Eb soprano too though, so maybe that's not it), but I just love the feel and sound of a good alto with a good mouthpiece. I own two altos, a very good Selmer from the 60's and a Yamaha from the 90's. The Yamaha especially feels like a basset horn...just beautiful sounding. A Grabner alto mouthpiece is also well worth whatever it costs.
For the cost of the alto off ebay, the mouthpiece from Walter and the repair bills, you've got a great, fun horn for half the cost of a good Buffet clarinet. Find (or start) a clarinet choir and enjoy it.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2010-06-24 18:14
dgclarinet writes,
>>For the cost of the alto off ebay, the mouthpiece from Walter and the repair bills, you've got a great, fun horn for half the cost of a good Buffet clarinet. >>
That's a good point. Altos are so little in demand that if you can find a nice pro model that hasn't been abused to ruin in a school, it's likely to be quite a bargain, compared to a pro clarinet in A or B-flat.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Kontra
Date: 2010-06-24 18:14
Well, I actually repaired my schools Alto Clarinet the other day, not completely, but I fixed a major problem on it. I borrowed one of the Alto Sax players new reeds and played. I didn't see a problem with it and wondered why it was so infamous.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bobby McClellan
Date: 2010-06-25 00:21
I think it is more of a love hate relationship, you either love them or hate them. most of the people I know that love them currently or in the past have played them. the ones that hate them or do not see a reason for them have never tried them.
I personally one 2 altos, a french made rubber Conn and a Leblanc Paris that was recently gifted to me. Both play beautifully.
Bobby M. McClellan
Flowood, MS
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2010-06-25 00:36
A few years back I was down in Melbourne in Victoria Australia and went to the Lamberti Music Store there when they were still selling wind instruments to buy an Amati Eb Alto Clarinet (Wooden) They had 4 of them and I was allowed to try them all out. Not one of them was in playing condition. I walked out of the shop empty handed convinced that Australia was being used as a dumping ground for 'seconds'. They looked nice though. I still think the Alto's (Eb & F) are the sexiest looking clarinets of them all.
Skyfacer
Post Edited (2010-06-25 04:39)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2010-06-25 13:35
For some people, the weight of the alto is a problem. I use a neck strap with an alto and I like the arrangement for my Selmer alto. It has two loops for a neck strap with two hooks. The result is a better balance of the weight than on some other models.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2010-06-25 13:57
Even better still is having a floor spike fitted to solve all the weight and balance issues, and use a K&M bassoon/bass clarinet stand to rest it in.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2010-06-25 15:43
On a PBS show featuring the clarinetists from BYU, Jared (clarinet prof) referred to the alto thus:
"...not an instrument of music, but an instrument of torture."
I guess he'd know.
When I was a kid teaching in a music studio, the boss had his own stable of clarinets from bass to sopranino. On Saturday, he'd have 5 of us in for 2-1/2 hours. One would be in his studio getting woodshedded, and the other four would be playing 4tets for mixed clarinets: 2 Bb, alto, bass.
His instruments were fresh Selmers, so they played very well. The Bass and Alto probably had Brillhart 5* mouthpieces, and he kept boxes of reeds available.
FUN, FUN, FUN!
OBTW: Why is the alto referred to as beast/beastie in UK, Canada?
Bob Phillips
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ebclarinet1
Date: 2010-06-27 22:50
Hadn't checked the BBoard in a while but had to comment on this post.
I have a Buffet Prestige alto and use a Lomax mouthpiece and it is SUCH fun to play. It has a very big sound (actually bigger than the basset horn that I own) and it blends beautifully with other clarinets. Just this afternoon I was playing many of the basset horn pieces and I do prefer its sound on them, despite not having a low C. There is a hole in the bell joint on the Buffet that can give a low D though and that is the same as the basset low C. It does prevent you from playing the D# (=C# on the basset) if you cover it though.
In the symphony band group in which I play there has been lots of interesting music there, including some interesting solos in Dahl's Sinfonietta and Ives' Country Band were quite cool. Sometimes the alto parts are part of the clarinet choir, some with the lower winds and some with the saxes. Neat stuff. Normally I play Eefer or bass, but I find these parts fun too. The "old war horses" of the symphonic band literature seem to be riper areas for playing interesting alto clarinet parts than some of the newer pieces.
It does seem to be harder to play well than the other clarinets but most problems are a good mouthpiece and a compatible reed. I like the VanDoren Java sax reeds. I play a Lomax mouthpiece now but I have Hites and a Grabner that are also fine.
As mentioned by others, altos seem to be a dime a dozen on ebay and other sources, probably most are high school horns in disrepair but I've seen a few woodwen professional models that would be steals.
Have fun,
eefer guy
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: jasperbay
Date: 2010-06-29 05:03
As my ageing ears gradually lose more of their high frequency reception, I find I'm spending much more time with the "Alto" and less with the soprano. My favorites are the "swan-neck" Leblancs, the near-identical Noblet 55 with the "slightly bent" neck, and a Linton (Malerne?) also with a straighter neck. Have a couple Kohlerts awaiting restoration, an Italian 'Chaminade' that plays fairly well,but have'nt found a french Selmer to try yet.
The Leblanc/Noblet horns have "plateau style" rings that suit smaller hands better than the other makes, that have more "open" rings, and a wider finger spacing.
The weight of the alto makes it possible to play without a neck strap for a short time at least, unlike a bass clarinet, and the 'wind' required is little more than a soprano. Seems like only half the 'wind' thats required to play a bass. An alto is a little harder to repad/adjust than a soprano, I suspect thats why so many don't play well. As others have noted, most 'school surplus' horns are likely to need a lot of TLC to be playable.
Clark G. Sherwood
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: super20dan
Date: 2023-06-19 02:11
if you can find one the clark fobes san fran pro model makes all the diffrence in mpcs on alto clarinet. alto clarinets are the biggest bargan going nowadays as no one wants them. i paid 100$ for a hard rubber malerene with left hand Ab/eb . 350$ for a absolutly like new noblet and the best for last a battered 1950,s noblet ex school horn thats a monster player just needed new joint corks for 200$.i am playing these in community band and having a ball. music parts are better than i expected for the most part. my backup mpc is a execellent vandoren b44. using legere american cut reeds.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Connor1700
Date: 2023-06-19 06:53
Wow, this long deceased thread was resurrected.
Speaking of alto-ish clarinets..... I see where Uebel is making a basset horn in F.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: NOLA Ken
Date: 2023-06-19 20:29
To the original question: ". . . Why do you like or dislike the Alto Clarinet?"
I have to admit that my feelings about my very nicely restored and tricked out vintage Leblanc alto clarinet are very mixed. As much as I like it, no one will let me play it with them. I was grudgingly allowed to play it once in a community band I play in, and then only because the opening note of a piece was a sustained alto clarinet solo note and I mentioned that I have an alto. Other musicians expressed surprise at how well I sounded, but I was never again given an alto part. (Bb soprano is my usual instrument.)
It's like being all dressed up and having no place to go.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: super20dan
Date: 2023-06-20 02:28
i just showed up at community band with it-didnt ask as i probably already knew the answer. we have several directors who take turns and one made a point of saying he didnt allow them in any of his highschool bands. the band allready had a very full sa x section so i wanted to cross the alto clarinet off my bucket list. glad i did . i had owned my bundy alto since 1989 and NEVER even once got to play it! anyway i am having tons of fun on alto clarinet! when there are no parts i play bass clarinet. also hoping to get some others together for clarinet quartets as i have some music from when i was in high school
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Hugues Fardao
Date: 2023-06-20 14:33
I felt I need lower register when playing Bflat clarinet in free jazz sessions and improvised music, I love the bass but can't play it because I'm very, very uncomfortable with, and I tested Selmer, Buffet, Flat, low C, old and newer instruments... but nothing matches.
Alto is lower than the Flat but lightweight compared to the bass, close to the size of a soprano clarinet, no right thumb keys = easy to play, I really feel better with it.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
