 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: EbClarinet
Date: 2022-09-17 05:09
When I was a freshman in college band, I observed a 1st chair player sitting last chair. When the music Calle for it, she' get the Eb Clarinet and sitting 1st row. My college band director refused me 2 play Eb because he said it was reserve for the school's stronger players. I never understood his rationale because this top notch player was sitting last chair behind others that she was far better than.
In community band (in my 30s while teaching), I observe this same thing with the university ban when play a JohnBarnes Chance piece. I've also seen this in the Marine national ban where the Eb Clarinet player was in the back of the section playing.
I know since the 90s, education has gotten better with accepting the Eb Clarinet, I played 3r in the community band when there was no Eb part but that's because the players were weak an the 3rd part needed to b heard. Other than that, when the 1sts weren't there, the section sat me 1st chair to cover the tough parts. The 1sts didn't like the because the eefer is always having jealousy/envy of the clarinet section.
I know that the eefer is thought of the stronger player always but could some of u college/public school directors explain this phenomenon to me? I'm in TX an the conductor of another community ban told me this exist because the offer is a utility player and doesn't always play. I on't believe this because in orchestras the eefer has it's own part.
Baffled!
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/mbtldsongministry/
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2022-09-17 06:30
I think it is not a strong player but one who is REALLY competent and has an extraordinary set of ears. If you are not on top of your game, the Eb which cuts through quite a bit will be out of tune and ruin the sound of the entire section.
In the orchestra typically you are assistant principal/Eb. Pretty important job for sure.
............Paul Aviles
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Author: Tom H
Date: 2022-09-17 06:48
I played a lot of Eb in the '70s and '80s, first in college then professionally. I never thought of the Eb player being a superior one to say, the Principal Clarinet. Just a different part and enjoyable because in many ways you are just as much a solo part in a band/wind ensemble as you are in an orchestra. I believe the standard place the Eb clarinetist sits is at the end of the 1st clarinet row (inside end). But, in one group I played Eb and sat on the outside chair of the 1sts. I play Principal in a band now where the Eb guy sits 2nd chair next to me and plays Bb if there is no Eb part. He prefers sitting as close to the conductor due his vision and is a fantastic player. I don't think there is a set in stone rule where the eefer sits. I wonder why the best Bb player in these bands you mention sits last chair 3rds though???
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
Post Edited (2022-09-17 06:49)
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Author: super20dan
Date: 2022-09-18 05:27
i am playing the evil eb in my community band but just on the star spangled banner. i didnt ask -i just brought it. but i am very competent on it as i played it for several years in a german band. its fun playing an oct above everyone else!
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Author: Tom H
Date: 2022-09-18 05:38
suoer20dan-- Yeah I had a blast playing in a concert band 40 years ago. It was really an "Italian Band" which had no flutes or oboes. Guess who got all their solos.....I had more solo playing than the first chair guy. And Opera......
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: Max S-D
Date: 2022-09-21 20:59
I think the thing to remember is that all of the clarinet parts have to be played well. Having strong players on each part is a way to make sure that gets done and then the conductor can "reward" the strong players who takes the 3rd clarinet part with some fun solos on the Eb clarinet.
Bands I've played in usually have a lot of strong Bb clarinet players and conductors are usually excited when one of those players actually wants to play Eb or bass clarinet, in my experience. I was one of the only music majors in the clarinet section in my college wind ensemble, but there were plenty of good clarinetists who could handle the first parts well. My director was very happy when I volunteered to play bass clarinet so that he could have that part covered well.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2022-09-21 21:56
EbClarinet wrote:
> When I was a freshman in college band, I observed a 1st chair
> player sitting last chair.
Regardless of anyone's philosophy in deciding who gets to play Eb, it makes no sense to me to seat the Eb player any farther than necessary from the flutes and, in particular, the piccolo flute. Almost always, the Eb is playing a melodic voice above the 1st clarinets, a double of the 1st clarinet, or a unison with the 1st flute or piccolo flute. The Eb just doesn't play with the 3rd clarinets. Players should, whenever possible, sit near the instruments they most often play with.
Karl
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Author: Tom H
Date: 2022-09-22 03:03
kdk, Agree completely. Our Eb guy and the piccolo spent a lot of time tuning this past Summer at one concert for a particular piece. And he sits 2nd chair in our 1st clarinets. He is also an international soloist. Putting the Eb player far from the 1sts, flutes & oboe makes no sense. Orchestral playing takes care of itself in the WW section.
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
Post Edited (2022-09-22 03:03)
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Author: EbClarinet
Date: 2022-11-28 03:05
I may aging what I sent privately 2 shed more light on this topic. Thank u all for sharing/giving your POV on this.
Some thing that's coming to me is that public/university band directors r TEACHERS @ heart! Their teaching styles r independently different.
My public school directors tended to switch people according to their individual learning ability. I didn't know the switching was 4 those that learn the fastest. I think my college director did the same thing with me.
So regardless of playing ability, it was who could learn the fastest on eefer. What do u all think?
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/mbtldsongministry/
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Author: Tom H
Date: 2022-11-28 05:45
My experience was that since I had a new Buffet Eb at the time, my playing ability on that was no different than on Bb. I had good equipment and the only adjustments were the slightly different embouchure and fingers closer together. I didn't really find that I had to learn anything different to play 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: EbClarinet
Date: 2022-11-29 02:26
Well Tom, I agree with u 100%. I sent that private email 2 to but I don't know if u got it or not.
How ever, the point that I was making was in regards to your 1st post on this topic.
What I'm making public 2 all is that I think these non clarinet conductors r picking clarinetists that they think personally r strong players. Believe it or not, this may b some 1 in the 3rds that the director Neeson that to cover that part.
When I was in community band, I sat with the 3rd by the flutes/oboe because the 3rd players weren't strong @ all. So this may b some insight as to why from the back. No 1 else in the community and clarinets loved eefer.
The woman in top band, in college, had been a 1st chair player through out hs and may have sat @ the top b4 I got there. My freshman year of high school the strongest player made last chair because he didn't practice. Yet he was given 1st chair bcoz of the mature trumpet solos that no 1 else could play.
I talked with a fellow clarinetist this past weekend and he was a strong player and our same hs director (a trombonist) stuck him on bass because he needed the part covered and that he also made area and state because our director knew the competition wasn't good.
That same student was asked 2 play eefer because no 1 was strong enough in the clarinets to learn fast and b strong.
Our college professors did the same thing 2 him they did to me. They put 1st chair Bb in concert band and 1st chair bass in top band because he's a strong player. His love now is Bb because he never wanted to play bass and our college professors were grooming him for eefer because they needed a strong player.
The 1st chair Bb lady was insecure and was intimidated by me so she lie on me to get rid of me. My clarinet history spoke 4 itself.
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