 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: fskelley
Date: 2017-03-31 17:31
I am hoping for some good advice since I have an important performance tomorrow evening of "BunaB #5" by Al C. After considerable difficulty I was able to find the clarinet part and a suitable accompaniment track. But I'm worried I may have trouble with the highest notes. How can I be sure to be ready? (Please no etudes.)
Stan in Orlando
EWI 4000S with modifications
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Author: Fuzzy
Date: 2017-03-31 20:00
I can see why you're so worried! Unfortunately, those tones are outside of my auditory system's range, so I'll have to let others provide an answer. Good luck with your performance!
;^)>>>
Fuzzy
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Author: fskelley
Date: 2017-03-31 20:33
In recent weeks I imposed on my resort neighbors by practicing a previous piece over and over day after day (they were kind about it). I got past that performance. Fortunately, my feverish work on BB5 is not bothering the folks in the adjacent townhome so much- perhaps they also have limited auditory range? That can work to one's benefit, I suppose.
I've heard this work is important for anyone wishing a serious opportunity with the Cleveland orchestra.
Stan in Orlando
EWI 4000S with modifications
Post Edited (2017-04-01 01:21)
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Author: tacet
Date: 2017-04-01 18:12
I know it sounds a little trite, but total relaxation is the key to nailing this particular part of the spectrum. That's easier said than done of course ... many a sesaoned player cringes at even the suggestion to perform BunaB #5. So Kudos to you for facing that challenge tonight!
(tacet)
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Author: fskelley
Date: 2017-04-01 23:03
Thanks for the wisdom and encouragement, tacet. I have had trouble getting relaxed enough. Fortunately, I'd read here on BBoard about beta blockers helping with performance anxiety. and just this morning I found a street vendor selling delta blocker pills. Those should be just as good- I mean, what's a Greek letter between friends? Time is running short.
Stan in Orlando
EWI 4000S with modifications
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Author: Philip Caron
Date: 2017-04-02 04:37
There's a similar piece by John Cage, 4'33", but that's for keyboard. Still, it might give you some ideas for expression. There are a number of videos of it on YouTube.
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Author: fskelley
Date: 2017-04-02 05:04
Thanks to the delta blocker I have no idea how I did, I don't remember a thing. Perhaps 5 was too many. At least I was relaxed, I think. I wonder if other clarinetists have similar effects from other helpers. Oh well, if they're not aware of it, maybe it doesn't matter.
Oh- Philip- BB#5 was originally strictly for phonograph, but fortunately has been adapted to many other instruments. Quite an interesting genre of music that only occasionally gets the attention it deserves.
Stan in Orlando
EWI 4000S with modifications
Post Edited (2017-04-02 05:07)
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2017-04-18 23:06
Stan, the April fools joke here, sadly, doesn't lie, for those missing the point, in how one plays a recording, like this one, of white noise, but rather your historically insatiable query on this bboard, via 15 differently approached ways of asking the same thing, of how one reliably hits really high notes on the clarinet, even here in jest, ignoring repeated sagely advise that hard work with good instructors and the classic etude books of our craft are the answer, far more than gear/reed changes.
I can take/make a joke with the best of them, and appreciate where you are coming from in this post, but "Stan, upper altissimo and this bboard," IMHO, represents [overly] "ask and answered" material.
I beg of you, source your satire and queries elsewhere.
Post Edited (2017-04-18 23:09)
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Author: RLarm
Date: 2017-04-20 21:53
Hate to sound ignorant but what exactly is BunaB #5?
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Author: fskelley
Date: 2017-04-20 22:13
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BunaB
One of many novelty compositions or recordings having zero or bogus content. An attempt at forced April Fools humor. As with my in person jokes, better received by some than others. Better to light a candle than curse the darkness.
Stan in Orlando
EWI 4000S with modifications
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2017-04-21 00:46
I've made and gotten my share of laughs here. I've fielded many a repeated question from different posters here, or at least never shot it down under belief that pleasant and accurate answers support the promotion of our loved instrument.
You light no candle on darkness Stan. You've throughout the years sought to shine light on every wrong method, despite great contrary advice, to hit high altissimo notes, from unnecessary gear changes to ridiculous study of reeds, all while wasting time and money discussing the failures here others knew you'd experience, while the answer: proper instruction with the etude books of our craft, and "putting the work in" you shun as the true method of advancing.
I can accept that it's your time and money to do this. I can accept that people aren't forced to read your posts. But I can't accept that young players read your content and think that gear, although important, is the magic bullet to advancement on the instrument over hard work.
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Author: Philip Caron
Date: 2017-04-21 06:53
Dave, sorry, I don't get what you describe about Stan at all. Especially in the context of what was clearly a light-hearted (and amusing) April Fool's thread. Your response seems not just off-topic, but a bit dissonant to the topic.
Ease in the altissimo range is indeed affected by the setup combination and how it is used. I'm curious as to which etude books you are referring to. "Putting in the work" is, to me, the main thing needed. Long tones, harmonics, scales, thirds, octaves. And fiddling with fingerings. While outside instruction and etudes could likely help in gaining reliability and ease in altissimo, in my opinion they are not absolutely necessary.
Finally, anyone who follows unchecked advice from unknown sources is probably going to learn a different lesson. This forum is a valuable resource, and I'm grateful many times over for things I've learned here, but it should be obvious that someone oughtn't jump in green and take some random post as gospel.
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2017-04-21 07:53
Mr. Caron:
Please let me explain, not argue.
Had Mr. Kelly's joke, funny or not, not concerned what is his already and historically over the years overstayed welcome on the topic of failed gear related approaches to reaching ultra altissimo notes, I could not have cared less as to his April fool's content.
When you say you don't get what I describe about Stan at all I suggest you search through history here where you will find him failing to be willing to put in the hard work of classical clarinet study recommend to him by many, which involves the classic books of our craft, be it Klose, Bearmann, Lazarus, etc., along with metronomic, and solid teacher guidance.
Instead, in his effort to short cut this goal, you'll see posts of meticulous spreadsheets of reed tests that most of us knew would show the nothing it did, stories where he asks us to commiserate with his less than perfect equipment purchases on ebay, from unknown sellers with poorly described products, that any reasonable person had to know going in, has risks offset by lower prices than retail, and that wouldn't have, in the best of condition, opened up the upper altissimo to him.
"While outside instruction and etudes could likely help in gaining reliability and ease in altissimo, in my opinion they are not absolutely necessary."
Agreed. But Mr. Kelly needs this instruction just to get to the level where he can then, on his own, independently pursue stratospheric play.
We've fielded his questions on the precise number of seconds to soak a reed prior to play, and with what solution, and how he's convinced, in one play, how he's just purchased the ligature that's going to solve all his problems, only to find, on second glance, as those in the know already knew, it didn't.
Then there's how bees wax on the reed is going to get him the results he needs.
This list continues.
We've seen our moderator relay stories about how his son faced competition from amazing Russian players who learned by diligent practice on Cold War instruments held together by "hope."
"anyone who follows unchecked advice from unknown sources is probably going to learn a different lesson"
Philip: This forum is a valuable resource, no argument. But I deal with young players who forever seek gear for problems that practice can only address, desperate, like Stan, for someone to tell them some holy grail of equipment prep will short cut their improvements, NOT able to separate fact from fiction when mesmerized by reading/hearing the bogus things on "gear than makes them better sight readers" they want to hear.
I'll leave you with Ken Shaw's recent quote from Kal [Opperman]: A shared teacher of mine in addition to Leon [Russianoff] who would concur:
"Shmuck, practice more!!!"
I'm convinced if Leon was still alive he'd point out all the virtuosic players of time gone by, who never had the plethora of gear of today available to them, as just evidence of the limited improvements gear provides.
Kal on the other hand assigned material from books like the ones mentioned. Practice it and he was the world's best mentor. Avoid practicing it, worse, tell him how you spent your time boiling "Legere reeds 32.4 seconds," (had they been around in his day) and he'd scream you permanently out of his apartment.
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Author: ClarinetRobt
Date: 2017-04-21 18:09
So never a BunaB #5.5 for sit coms and romantic comedies? What do you play for the three stooges? After-all Larry was a virtuoso on violin.
~Robt L Schwebel
Mthpc: Behn Vintage
Lig: Ishimori, Behn Delrin
Reed: Legere French Cut 3.75/4, Behn Brio 4
Horns: Uebel Superior (Bb,A), Ridenour Lyrique, Buffet R13 (Eb)
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Author: fskelley
Date: 2017-04-21 23:32
Attachment: bunab.jpg (31k)
Robert- it would be lovely to have a previously unknown work, where did you find 5.5? In recent years I've rediscovered on YouTube many Stooges shorts I cherished in my misspent youth, only to have them disappear one by one from overzealous copyright enforcement (down with DRM!). So yes- I could use a variant for Lucy and Larry and Marilyn films.
I see I may have missed an opportunity to make use of the original BunaB #7 product (pictured), to assist in my performances. In the fine print of the instructions it claims to aid in high altissimo. But only if it is first immersed in boiling water and liquid nitrogen. Or perhaps you do that to the clarinet. Or the clarinetist. Whatever works.
Stan in Orlando
EWI 4000S with modifications
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2017-04-22 03:15
The greatest truths lie in jest.
Stan, no joke, if your history of documenting ridiculous and failed approaches in clarinet advancements through gear is any indication, if the fine print of the instructions you humorously refer to claimed that such exposure to temperature extremes, along with dipping your finger (which might get burn off) in same, might show upper altissimo improvements, you'd strongly consider trying it, keep detailed notes, obviously fail at such witchcraft, and then document it here, not even upon conclusion, but "as you go," thinking your helping others by warning them to metaphorically not "stand in the middle of the highway so as to not get hit by a semi, as you did," failing to understand that conveyance of the obvious (don't stand in the middle of the road) is wasted time.
For those that think this harsh, read some of Mr. Kelly's prior posts. Read the nice and accurate responses he received for the first few iterations of just his repeated diatribes (e.g. cane reeds, (or Legeres, or mouthpieces, or ligatures)), that tried to steer him to approach his limitations as a player with good ole fashion practice work, not gear, that even to this day he ignores.
Einstein (we) wrote that repetition of events (gear swaps) expecting a different outcome (upper altissimo) is insanity.
I find it painful, not funny, to watch the people who can't heed this observation of Einstein's.
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