 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Retrouvailles
Date: 2016-04-23 05:28
In my wind ensemble band, I'm playing the Eb clarinet for Clifton's Symphony no.3 Fiesta and out of the three rows of clarinets the band director sat me in the third row with the third clarinet players.
Is this a strategic setting? I'm not sure if I'm confusing the thirds too much since in this piece since our parts are pretty different and I play mostly with flute, piccolo, and sometimes clarinet 1.
I don't think I'm playing too loud as I haven't gotten any complaints from the band director yet, and the only time I can really hear myself is on the really high and brief whole notes and such. What do you guys think?
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2016-04-23 05:51
The Eb player usually sits in the first row inside the 1st section players. Since you'll be doubling them a lot of the time, it lets you match them. It also puts you next to the piccolo player(s).
The Eb player is NOT the leader of the clarinet section. That's the job of the 1st chair 1st Bb player. Your job is to add a little sparkle to the clarinet section sound. You should never be heard over the section unless a passage is explicitly marked as a solo.
An old adage applies double to the Eb: if you can hear yourself at pp, you're playing too loud. If you can't hear everyone else at ff, you're playing too loud.
Ken Shaw
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Author: pewd
Date: 2016-04-23 07:37
I always sit where the conductor tells me to.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: 2cekce ★2017
Date: 2016-04-24 21:13
Being that I've played Eb for a few years, I wondered that myself. I usually sit
where the section leader(1st chair 1st part) tells me. In one band I sat next to the 1st clarinets, but was playing 1st at the time, we also had about 13 clarinets in the section. The band I play with now has only 7 clarinets, two on first/solo
part, two on second and two on third and of course a bass and myself on Eb.
I sit first chair third part of the two right behind the 1st chair player as that's where she wants me to sit. she wants to be able to hear me play as I double what she's playing only in the higher register. It gets a bit challenging with this
group as I don't want to stick out(so sometimes I play my part down an octave)
I also have the added challenge of doubling the flutes and being that we sit on opposite sides makes it hard to hear them in order to blend with them. I would like to see if there are any specific sitting arrangements for the Eb in the professional orchestras from those professionals who have played Eb. thanks
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-04-24 21:23
It depends on the seating plan which will differ with nearly every band, but the Eb player tends to be sat in one of two places depending on the layout.
Some bands have the Eb on the inside front row (almost directly in front of the conductor) sat next to the 1st clarinets and some bands have the Eb player on the end of the 2nd row sat directly behind the solo clarinet.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: concertmaster3
Date: 2016-04-26 00:16
In our ensembles, we've had the clarinets all sit on the second row. The 3rds sat on the end, then seconds, then the firsts in the middle (behind the first flute and oboe), and then E-flat and bass (then bassoons). This put the firsts and E-flats together, and also put them near the flutes and piccolo. This was great for when I was playing E-flat, because I could hear both the flutes and the firsts.
If the clarinets are sitting in the setup where they're all on the outside, and sitting on all three rows, I'd prefer to have the E-flat next to the firsts, so that the E-flat, the firsts and the flutes can hear each other.
Ron Ford
Woodwind Specialist
Performer/Teacher/Arranger
http://www.RonFordMusic.com
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2016-04-26 01:04
Most of the other sections of the band would say "somewhere at the other end of the building". 
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Author: Retrouvailles
Date: 2016-04-26 22:26
Thanks for all the replies guys! Even though I sit in the third row our flutes are pretty loud so I can still hear them, but I'll definitely talk to my band director about sitting closer to the front from now on.
Post Edited (2016-04-26 22:27)
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Author: 2cekce ★2017
Date: 2016-04-28 02:42
Actually the other sections of my band welcome the Eb clarinet. I was asked by the section leader to play mine as she had already heard my playing before. they can now hear how pleasant it can sound when played correctly. we had someone previously who just could not play it and always squeaked.
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Author: sax panther
Date: 2016-04-28 18:00
in mine, he sits on the front row on the inside end of the 1st clarinets (ie, pretty much right in front of the conductor). That way he's next to the higher clarinet parts and also near the piccolo.
The conductor absolutely hates Eb clarinet, and I'm sure he'd love to banish it to somewhere nearer that back, but is taking one for the team and doing what's best for the band!
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Author: SonicManEXE
Date: 2016-04-29 01:08
My wind ensemble has a peculiar setup: 1st row flutes (we have six flutes and one piccolo... too many seniors this year lol), 2nd row clarinets, oboes, bass clarinets and contra-alto and bassoons, 3rd row horns and saxes, 4th row trumpets, trombones, euphs and tubas (we're only about 40 people but my director did this setup because it does good on our strengths and weaknesses). He put my friend and I who are on 1st part into the 2nd row with the other two 2nd clarinets and one 3rd clarinet because we're too loud XD
I suppose if you're not too loud it seems strange that you're all the way in the 3rd row, but if that's where your director wants you, that's where your director wants you. It's not a very far-fetched idea.
Jared
Ft. Lauderdale & Tampa, FL
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