The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: bob gardner
Date: 2003-01-04 20:03
I now own 2 Bb and one Bass clarinet. I have been thinking about getting a C. I have never played one and was wondering weather it is worth owning one.
My reason for owning one is that i have never figured out how to transpose.
bobi
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Author: brenda siewert
Date: 2003-01-04 21:25
You might do a search for the discussions on C clarinets we've had. Or, if you just want a good one for an inexpensive price, call Lisa up and get her to select one of those Buffet E-11s with a Chadash barrel. You'll be all set. Too bad you passed up my Patricola C I had a year ago. That was a nice one. Of course, they're a bit more money than the E-11. But, like your Prestige, they have the extra eb/ab key.
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Author: Steve Epstein
Date: 2003-01-04 21:29
You will be able to sit in with folk musicians and play the music they play - when, that is, they are using tunebooks and not playing by ear, or you have collected enough books of your own to play along. You will still wind up playing fast tempo tunes in the key of A, the fiddlers' favorite key. High speed reels, though, give you the workout of method book excercises but are a lot more fun.
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Author: Peter
Date: 2003-01-04 21:55
I've wanted a C clarinet for some time, but somehow, it's eluded me, to date.
I recently purchased a C Melody saxophone with which I've been having a great time! There is so much music out there written in the key of C... and it's a real pleasure to be able to play it right off the books, as is.
Maybe now I'll look for a C clarinet more actively.
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Author: William
Date: 2003-01-04 23:09
I do a lot of playing in orchestras and concert bands, but find only occassional use for my C clarinet. That's unfortunate because it is a lot of fun to play. I went with the Buffet E11 and have never been disapointed.
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Author: kenabbott
Date: 2003-01-05 00:16
I have used my Patricola C playing reed parts in shows. It's handy if you don't play flute.
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Author: Robert Small
Date: 2003-01-05 02:01
C clarinets are fun to play. Mine (a Leblanc Esprit) has a lively tone (I guess you could say "lively" is a euphemism for "bright") and a quick response. Like Steve Epstein I use mine for folk music and fiddle tunes. If you've ever tried to play a lightning fast fiddle tune like "Devil's Dream" or "Fire on the Mountain" on a Bb clarinet (you need to transpose from key of A to key of B) you can appreciate the usefulness of trhe C clarinet. Also it can come in handy playing other C instrument parts such as for flute or oboe. If I was currently in the market for a C clarinet I would be looking at the Patricola due to its' having the left hand Eb/Ab key and the articulated G#/C#.
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Author: John J. Moses
Date: 2003-01-06 00:22
The "C" clarinet is quite different in sound and feel than the "Bb" or "A" clarinet.
The sound is generally brighter and lighter, as it is a higher pitched instrument. It has been beautifully written for by Berlioz, Strauss, and others, but it has never achieved the popularity of the other clarinets.
I have played my Buffet and Penzel-Muller "C" clarinets for over 30 years, and love them dearly, but it takes some real adjustments to get one to play well and in tune.
Good luck,
JJM
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Author: d dow
Date: 2003-01-06 15:04
Most players do tend to find the C something of a dissapointment, and to make matters worse the cost is fairly high for the higher models. They are quite nice to hear in Berlioz, and yet I alwyas wonder if the C clarinet is what Beethoven had in mind for some of those big solos in his works. The C is certainly a tangy sound!!
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2003-01-06 15:39
The Patricola C in Grenadilla wood has a very nice tone. I've also heard the Opus C has a nice sound, but is very pricey. You do have to get used to the slightly brighter sound. Up until a few years ago there weren't many on the market that sounded very nice unless you got a Buffet Prestige. Now there are several that have found pleased owners.
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