 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Bobby
Date: 2001-06-30 01:09
Hi everyone!
I'm a euphonium player, but I have recently gotten a job at the new music store in town. My boss wants everyone to be familiar with all of the instruments, so I was wondering what the basics are that I should know about clarinets so that I can better help my customers. My boss is a clarinet and saxophone player, but I don't always want to flag him down when people have questions.
Thanks in advance!
Bobby
P.S. -- I think this is a great site! Almost makes me wish I played clarinet...
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Author: David
Date: 2001-06-30 02:52
Makes me wish I had started on it instead of the brass. Clarinet sites do that to you. You picked the perfect place to drop by.
I haven't had quite as much experience as some of the people on this site, but I can put in my two cents. Once you become familiar with the clarinet, you've pretty much become halfway familiar with the fingering system of the clarinet, flute, and saxophone. That's because they all use a fingering system called "Boehm".
As a beginner, there was only one way I could describe playing a clarinet. I thought of it as playing a recorder which required slightly more precise embrochure. Curl in your bottom lip to keep your teeth from touching the reed. (Make sure the reed's on the bottom. Believe it or not I've had that problem.)
Other than the lessons on the playing standpoint (I doubt you're going to be telling them much about that If you're a euphonium player.) Clarinets come in many different types. They may want to consider what thickness of reed they should use and whether they want a wooden or plastic model clarinet. Specific requirements for reeds are about as, if not more, important for the clarinet than, say, the material, size, and shape of a eupphonium mouthpeice or whether a flute headjoint is nickel-plated or silver-plated. You can look up several different things on this site about what reeds are best and whether a player should go for a thicker reed or a plastic model or blue-steel springs and whatnot. I suggest you browse around.
Good luck!! Hope you aren't too much of a terror for your boss!! Let us know how it works out and if you have any more questions.
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Author: ron b
Date: 2001-06-30 04:55
Bobby -
You certainly came to a great place to find out about woodwind instruments with a strong emphasis on clarinets. Everybody's welcome here.
How do like the job so far? How big a store is it?
I have some questions and a comment or two about your post...
Did your boss give you some kind of orientation? I mean, if he wants to familiarize you with the different instruments he should have some plan/method to do that. It takes a little time. You already know music basics so, if you must go into this cold turkey, borrow a couple of method books and read all you can about how to hold one, correct posture, how to blow it, basic fingering and how to care for it. Then borrow a horn and try it yourself.
I've found that all instruments are learned the same way... one step at a time :]
Preferably by one teacher at a time.
- ron b -
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Author: ~jerry
Date: 2001-06-30 10:45
Read the book, "The Art of Clarinet Playing" by Kieth Stein -- at least the first 3-4 chapters.
There may be a copy of it in your store. If not you may find one at Amazon.
The book is not difficult to understand and there is a wealth of info in the first few chapters.
.............the quickest way I know (besides playing) to stimulate new questions that you will want to bring here to the BB.
Watch out Bobby, you could get hooked and wind up playing clarinet.
Good luck.
~ jerry
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-06-30 13:11
David wrote:
>
> whether they want a wooden or plastic model clarinet.
That should really be whether they want an intermediate to pro model or student. Let's not encourage the perpetuation of the material myth. Student grade instruments are usually made of plastic however while intermediate/pro horns are usually made of wood. For marching band work, plastic is the way to go as it is unaffected by weather. In general, beginners should get student grade horns simply because of the uncertainty of whether or not they will continue and student grade instruments are much less expensive and more rugged than intermediate/pro instruments.
Also read up on mouthpieces a bit. The ones that come with most horns 9even pro horns) are generally very poor (exceptions are the Yamaha stock mouthpieces and some of the Selmer stock mouthpieces). This is one of the first upgrades that teachers recommend and players make.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2001-06-30 14:03
Bobby - You have a lot of fine advice above, Keith Stine is great on playing and on many incidental subjects. I would add that PB copies of "Clarinet" by Jack Brymer , and also by Lawson would be great for the orientation and advice you will be asked to provide in selling to lesser-informed parents re: our beloved instrument, the Bb soprano cl and the other members of its family. Luck, Don
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Author: Bob Curtis
Date: 2001-06-30 14:43
Bobby -
Your statement, "My boss wants everyone to be familiar with all of the instruments," is a very inclusive statement, and can be taken to the extreme , if not careful. Just how familiar? To what degree of familiarity, is what I mean. I'm pretty sure he doesn't want you to teach the instrument, just be sure that you know the difference between an alto sax reed and a clarinet reed, a bass clareinet reed and a soprano clarinet reet. etc. Please DON'T try to give expert advice to someone on a subject in which you don't have the foggiest notion about what you speak!! WHEN IN DOUBT, ASK!! Yes, get some of the very redimentary information such as difference between reeds, beginners and advanced clarinets, some basic instruction books (which will probably already be supplied by the schools/instructors in your area) along with some common sense approach to the subject and you should do fine. You will not know every thing when you meet your first customer, but at least you can get the correct reed for them when they ask for it. Good Luck in your new job!
Bob Curtis
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Author: Micaela
Date: 2001-06-30 15:05
Clarinets come in different sizes and each is in a different key:
E flat (or "Eefer") clarinets are the highest. They're often in one piece.
B flat clarinets are what you'll see the most of. They're the standard.
A clarinets are kind of confusing to non-clarinetists. They're a little larger (and lower) than B flats, but use the same mouthpiece. They're used in orchestral music a lot and most pro clarinetists carry around both a B flat and an A.
E flat alto clarinets are quite a bit bigger. They sort of look like a cross between a clarinet and a saxophone.
B flat bass clarinets are fairly common. They're a big larger than altos and are pitched an octave lower than your ordinary B flat.
Contrabass clarinets are really huge and made of metal. You'll know one if you see it. All of these use differently sized mouthpieces and reeds except the B flat and A.
A marching band has a high E flat, lots of B flats, maybe an alto, a bass or two and perhaps a contra. An orchestra has B flats and As and occasionally a bass or eefer.
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Author: Pam
Date: 2001-06-30 16:30
Well.... Contrabasses aren't always made of metal. I've seen a big straight black plastic one that was over 5 feet tall when assembled. Quite a beast.
Another tidbit is that the clarinet has one of the largest rage of notes that we can play on a single instrument.
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Author: David Kinder
Date: 2001-07-01 06:12
It's also one of the only instruments that doesn't change clefs. Even if you play ContraBass clarinet BBb, you still play in treble clef. The only other instrument that does that is saxophone (I believe).
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