 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Geoffrey
Date: 2002-01-13 21:18
why is it that all clarinets have the solo part to this piece memorized? i was at all-states band last week and everyone knew this piece! where do they get it from? where can i acquire this? can i just purchase the solo and not the rest of the clarinet part?
are there any other popular "licks" that all clarinetists know?
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Author: Charlie Coleman
Date: 2002-01-13 23:34
Hi, Geoffrey - Maybe they[re just showing off their 'ears' - I like to play parts of Grofe's Grand Canyon Suite, but have never seen the music. I think they like that opening smear going up the scale - it's fun to just pick up the horn and blow sometimes without looking at the spots. Charlie C.
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Author: Jim E.
Date: 2002-01-14 04:31
Playing "by ear" is a talent that not everyone has. My son and I can do it with ease, my wife (pianist) has never played anything that she hasn't read from a score. A fellow my mom grew up with made a 45+ year career of playing piano in the bars and restaurants in Atlantic City, he's functionally blind (from birth) and has never read anything.
I agree, its a lot of fun.
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Author: Keil
Date: 2002-01-14 06:05
Geoffrey, you can aquire the part, actually your high school band teacher might have a band arrangement of the piece and you could get it from the solo Bb clarinet part. Dont worry about that solo though, i garauntee the kids were just showing off... trust me, my senior year of high school this kid moved into my district thinking he was hot stuff because he could do the smear. Well one day at a rehearsal he's going off on his smear tantrum and another clarinetist out smears him, that quickly put him in his place, it didn't help either that he was my arch rival and that my smear trumped his... LOL who woulda thunk that i would be talking about smears like a bad game of poker... ciao
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Author: Jill
Date: 2002-01-14 20:53
Doodling like that really irritates me, because you know they're just showing off. In my opinion, the ones who do that aren't the best players. We have a guy like that in our church ensemble--as soon as the director cuts us off, he's noodling around like that. Why? Does he think he's entertaining us? It's over--pack up and go home!!
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Author: Joseph O'Kelly
Date: 2002-01-15 02:38
I don'y think that these people are showing off. I for one am a confident player and don't feel the need to show off. I find myself "noodling around" after rehersal or in the warmup rooms. I do it to entertain myself. I usually attract a crowd although that is not what I mean to do. My philosophy is that you need to play music that you don't have to think about to clear your mind. Through improv. and playing by ear one can overcome the mental challenges of performing.
This year when I auditioned for the Detroit Civic Symphony Orchestra I put this into play. I had practiced my solo work and orchestral excerpts well. When I went into the warmup room I did not practice these but rather went into some rambles on the clarinet involving long glisses, vibrato, srowls, high altisimo notes, ect..... This cleared my mind. I then did some scales and did my audition. The purpose was to keep my mind off the stress as I was going up for the single high school clarinet spot. I performed well enough to get it.
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Author: ron b
Date: 2002-01-15 05:08
I don't think all clarinetists have this part memorized, Geoffrey. They just can't help it. Not everyone is good at spinning yarns musically and the Rhapsody in Blue clarinet figure is about as famous an ersatz (fake) ad lib solo as you can find anywhere. It's catchy. It's interesting. It's fun. Listen to it a few times, it's fairly easy to copy. For those reasons they're playing it because they like it 
Try a little 'noodling around' as Joseph calls it, if you feel inclined, and you'll come up with your own brand of "licks". I guarantee it.
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Author: Bob
Date: 2002-01-15 17:57
Terrific conversation opener,Geoff. And sometimes that's why we "noodlers" do it. To admit that you want to play this "smear" is an indication that you are a real clarinet player but rather young. So....just loosen up and forget the sheet music....learn it on your own and you just might have more fun. It can come as quite a shock to young people today to discover that many people have learned to play musical instruments without being taught and without being able to "read music". And don't forget that the printed page can never convey everything. End of gospel for today.
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