 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: thereallukasj
Date: 2017-07-14 10:46
Hey everyone,
Had a question I have never found an answer for. Why do clarinets have rings around each tone hole? To go along with that question why dont modern companies make clarinets with covered tone holes? It would seem so much simpler for the player in the concept of fully covering the tone hole to have keywork like an alto or bass clarinet on a soprano. One other question was why dont more clarinet makers make metal clarinets anymore?
Thanks in advance for answers,
Lukas
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Author: jthole
Date: 2017-07-14 11:39
When you take a good look at the keywork, you will see the need for the rings (look what moves).
And try to do a glissando on a clarinet with covered tone holes (e.g. a Vito plateau clarinet). Or half cover a tone hole. Open tone holes offer much more flexibility.
Bass clarinets do have covered tone holes, by the way.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-07-14 16:21
Ring keys are there to operate a pad cup that's out of reach or impossible to operate with the three fingers on either hand. Ring keys are operated simply by lowering or lifting a finger on or off a tonehole, so a very simple operation - you're not having to think about operating the ring keys at all.
You can do glisses on clarinets without sliding any fingers.
Since the invention of plastics and injection moulding, plastic clarinet bodies can be formed relatively inexpensively which is the main reason why metal clarinets are hardly made nowadays.
Either the joints can be moulded as blanks and the toneholes, pillar holes and other slots can be machined into them or they can be made with all the toneholes and other features already in place, whereas metal clarinets will need to have toneholes, pillars and fittings all soldered to them, then plated which is a more costly process.
Materials like ebonite and some other more dense plastics are usually machined in the same way wooden joints are machined.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2017-07-14 17:49
Lukas:
Discussion on this stuff will surely "plateau" your interest should you wish to search here on that very word: "plateau" -- as in plateau key based clarinets.
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Author: jthole
Date: 2017-07-14 17:50
I should have been more precise; for doing a long gliss, I have to slide the fingers off. I know some people can do them with their mouth only.
Post Edited (2017-07-14 17:52)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2017-07-14 18:13
I played 'Begin the Beguine' the other week (in the best key of Concert D Major) and there's a long gliss from mid stave B(4) to high B(5) before the end - I did that mostly as a mouth gliss. from the C(5) to the B by playing the C and lifting off LH finger 1 which will go up and land nicely on the B.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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