 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: EbClarinet
Date: 2020-01-23 20:56
I'm a Texan and all through public school and college, band directors have taught against the Eb clarinet. I fell in love with it when I was 14 and bought 1 when I was 28 and still in college. My female clarinet professor even had this hate for this instrument and she's.a clarinet professor! She said it ruins the embouchure. I wasn't allowed to play Eb clarinet in college and got put on bass.
I don't agree with the mentality of public school and college band directors because they view this instrument as a necessary evil. I even got put out of the community band for 6 years of playing because they said I played it too loudly. I'd professed my love for the Eb to the director b4 I played with them.
Then when 1 does play the Eb, you're the envy of the clarinet section because every 1 wants to secretly play it because they know that you're a great player to be in it.
Any of you public or college level band directors that can give me many insights to why there is this love/hate relationship of the Eb clarinet?
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/mbtldsongministry/
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Author: Ken Lagace
Date: 2020-01-23 22:16
The Eb has always been my favorite instrument. It doesn't sound as if you were rejected only because of the Eb. If you played it beautifully, no-one would want to reject you. I would suggest practicing religiously with the tuner. Most Eb's are badly out of tune and even the best need attention. Since it is well known that it is virtually impossible to design or build a clarinet that is in tune with itself, and whatever problems there are in the Bb are multiplied in the Eb, we have to be much more 'attuned' to playing in tune.
There is a lot of information here on tuning, so start your research and start having a ball playing our favorite baby!
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2020-01-23 22:59
It isn't surprising that a clarinet professor would dismiss an Eb clarinet as a student's main instrument - to most clarinetists it's an auxiliary instrument that needs to be covered when needed. There is almost always an Eb part in band compositions and arrangements, where it often doubles the 1st part if it isn't doing something high, but not so often in orchestral literature, where it's generally used for its specific qualities or not used at all. You don't say if you were a music major or if your college was a music school. If either was the case, Eb clarinet would likely have been seen as a part of the general clarinet program, not a separate study.
The issue of "ruining" your embouchure is only likely if you're playing the Eb with brute force (the same thing happens if a Bb clarinet is played that way). If you make Eb a specialty and only play it to the exclusion of the other members of the family, I don't suppose it makes much difference if it makes playing Bb clarinet harder for you. But the approach still needs to be an effective one that allows flexibility and control.
Most of us who are serious clarinetists are happy to play Eb. It isn't my first choice of part, but it isn't an onerous chore if the part is rewarding. Of course you need a good instrument that is as in tune with itself as possible.
I agree with Ken: "It doesn't sound as if you were rejected only because of the Eb. If you played it beautifully, no-one would want to reject you." If the community band members (or their conductor) thought you played too loudly (and perhaps, as a result, out of tune), someone - either the section leader or the conductor - would likely have said something to you before eventually asking you to leave. Practice with a goal of making the instrument sound expressive and controlled. It will sound above the rest of a section by virtue of its tone quality and its higher range. If it's forced, it can go out of tune (sometimes in unexpected ways) and sound inelegant in musical spots where refinement is needed. You need to be able to do the same things musically that a good Bb clarinetist does.
Karl
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Author: fernie121
Date: 2020-01-24 00:21
As someone who played a lot of Eb in college, I can tell you the most important thing is to play in tune. I was actually often asked to play it in orchestra due to my ability to play it decently. No one wants to hear an out of tune Eb clarinet. Playing loudly isn’t really needed either as it naturally projects. Focus on your intonation, tone color and control of the instrument. I’d imagine a community band doesn’t always need an Eb either. So make sure you’re comfortable going back and forth with Bb. Playing loudly over the entire band can ruin the balance of a piece. Many community bands often already have a surplus of high winds compared to lower instruments.
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Author: Tom H
Date: 2020-01-24 02:12
Only reason I can think of for the hate to exist is there must be a lot of really poor Eb players.
I started with Eb back in college and did quite a bit of Eb playing, in one group in particular--the Yonkers (NY) Concert Band. An "Italian" band with no flutes & oboes. Lots of opera. I had more solos than the principal clarinetist.
On Eb you are always a soloist (except when doubling the first clarinets alot and at times the flutes). You must be in tune, especially the high notes.
We have an outstanding Eb clarinetist in our Westchester Band.
I too have heard disparaging remarks from conductors/teachers regarding the Eb.
The Most Advanced Clarinet Book--
tomheimer.ampbk.com/ Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001315, Musicnotes product no. MB0000649.
Boreal Ballad for unaccompanied clarinet-Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001314.
Musicnotes product no. MNO287475
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Author: Chris_C ★2017
Date: 2020-01-24 02:19
At our band soiree last year I rounded up the 3(!) Eb players we have in the band. As "Ill Winds" [that nobody blows good] we played one of the Mozart basset-horn trios (so only an 9th or so above the original pitch).
Sounded OK to me - but then there was a bar in the room...
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Author: bmcgar ★2017
Date: 2020-01-24 07:00
One of the main problems with Eb clarinets in ensembles isn't that there's anything wrong with it, it's that people who write parts for it write 'way too high for the instrument, treating the eefer as if it were a piccolo instead of using the instrument in its clarion and lower registers to add color.
The instrument gets a bad rap instead of the bad rap being given to those people who don't understand how to effectively write for it and take advantage of it.
B.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2020-01-24 12:13
"it's that people who write parts for it write 'way too high for the instrument, treating the eefer as if it were a piccolo instead of using the instrument in its clarion and lower registers to add color. "
This is precisely my experience. In another life I played a lot of Eb clarinet. Much of the music written for the Eb could only be described as being in the screech register. On several occasions I just dropped the part an octave and mostly it didn't cause any problems. I'm not sure if it was even noticed. It certainly sounded better.
Tony F.
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Author: Liquorice
Date: 2020-01-24 23:01
"My female clarinet professor even had this hate for this instrument"
Why did you feel the need to mention that your professor is female? Would you have written "My male clarinet professor"??
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Author: EbClarinet
Date: 2020-01-25 01:17
Thank you every 1 for your help and comments. I used 2 wear out clarinet professors @ universities about questions about the clarinet until I found this site. I try to give comments, too, where needed.
I'm not singling out my ex clarinet professor. Some one referred to her (unknowingly) as a man in 1 of my earlier posts, do I felt it was necessary to let you all know she's female. No sexism is intended.
I've printed out all your advice and will keep it in a binder. My horn is in tune most of the time with the ensembles I've played with. The directors have complimented me on my intonation in the altissimo register. Such as Elsa's Procession to the cathedral. I've noticed that I only have 3 notes out of tune on my horn. The lowest E, 3rd space C and the trill key from 2 lager lines C to D. I have 2 trill the A key to trill to the D. The Ab key tries ti C# but in all the other clarinets I've played, it trills to D.
I made history in my home town playing with the community band. It's all White and the Lowest age is in the mid 60s. That was just an excuse about me playing too loudly. It was racism why they put me out but I played with them 6 years and made my mark in history there. The director was jealous of me because I played so well in tune. A trumpet player and saxophone player both told me that was BS as to me playing too loudly because 1 offer player can't over play a 60 piece band.
I'm a composer now and I use the lowest notes on instruments to their highest notes. I was an instrumental music education major in undergraduate school and have worked in public schools. I compose for band, orchestra and clarinet choir now. I have over 400 songs copyrighted and I will post my songs and clarinet choir pieces here for ever 1 2 enjoy 1 day. My emphasis was composition in college and clarinet was my major instrument.
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/mbtldsongministry/
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Author: Tom H
Date: 2020-01-25 02:05
Interesting point about parts at times being written too high. When I was Band teaching we had a 9th grade student (trumpet/fr. horn which he learned on his own in 2 weeks). He composed a full-length piece for band that directors on our band trip said was worthy of being used in competitions. The HS director asked me to play Eb on the tour. The kid wrote a very appropriate Eb part for me. He was the only kid I've taught in maybe a thousand that I would consider in the genius category. Then he.....moved.
The Most Advanced Clarinet Book--
tomheimer.ampbk.com/ Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001315, Musicnotes product no. MB0000649.
Boreal Ballad for unaccompanied clarinet-Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001314.
Musicnotes product no. MNO287475
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Author: Ebclarinet1
Date: 2020-01-25 03:51
I've had both experiences on Eefer. Some conductors just want no part of it and refuse to have it in the group even. I did turn at least one or two conductors around when they saw I could play it in tune and with a pretty sound.
Other conductors have loved that I could add pepper to the clarinet section and play the solos. Right now we're working on "Winds of Nagual" which has some of the most difficult writing for Eefer I've ever played, right up there with "Daphnis and Chloe". Actually he uses the Eefer in several different characters, one solo sounds like something out of "El Salon Mexico", and others are very lyrical and of course some screaming high parts too.
I don't like like playing anything above 2 A's above the stuff and occasionally you see things in that range. I've even played one of those on the Ab clarinet because it put the notes in a more playable range.
Eefer guy
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