 The Doublers BBoard
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Author: Bartmann
Date: 2006-11-27 19:17
Since I started playing flute to supplement my clarinet I’ve observed some strong and weak points of each instrument, especially when they’re compared to each other.
Pros of the Clarinet:
Great dynamic capabilities throughout range. This gives it an enormous and practical range in comparison to other winds.
Portable.
Chalumeau register range is unique among the melodic woodwinds.
Sound can be easily changed by changing mouthpiece and reed: open mouthpiece and soft reed for a jazzy sound, hard reed and closed mouthpiece for classical sound.
The clarinet registers, especially the Chalumeau and Clarion, are very different. This gives a lot of possibilities for musical expression.
Pros of the Flute:
Pitched in C.
Uses vibrato which is a wonderful tool for musical expression.
Large native repertoire. Can easily use vocal music with piano to really enlarge the repertoire.
Easy to set-up and break-down.
Extremely portable.
Sound creation almost totally dependent on embouchure.
Playing in remote keys, six sharps or flats, is not too difficult.
Once the initial cost of the flute is payed for, the costs of flute maintenance is low.
Cons of the Clarinet:
Reeds: breaking-in, maintenance, and in general.
Wood can crack so humidity has to be constantly monitored.
Native repertoire not vast.
Somewhat long set-up and break-down time.
Playing in remote keys, six sharps or flats, can be difficult because you have to use alternate fingerings.
Buying reeds is a continous long-term expense.
Not pitched in C.
Cons of the Flute:
Sound creation almost totally dependent on embouchure and can’t be radically changed by changing equipment.
The lower range of the flute is limited dynamically and easily covered by other instruments.
So these are my observations.
Does anyone else have observations or comparisons about the instruments they play?
Bart
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Author: Roger Aldridge
Date: 2006-12-10 18:06
Bart,
Some thoughts about your Cons of the clarinet list:
* For the past year I've been using Legere Quebec synthetic reeds on clarinet. I've come to really love these reeds. They have beautiful tonal qualities, a strong tonal core, and superb response. I'm so happy with the Quebec reed that I have no desire to go back to cane. As an added benefit, I feel liberated from the various hassles with cane reeds that I've had throughout my playing career. If Legere reeds can work for you then a number of the Cons will be quickly scratched off your list.
* If playing in concert pitch is important to you, you could look into finding a C clarinet. I have a Patricola C that I purchased new in 2002. It has a light, sweet sound that's really quite nice.
* The avoidence of cracking wood often comes down to using common sense. Of course, the part of the country where one lives can make a big difference. Living in Maryland, there is typically enough humidity that I don't need to take special precautions. Of course, there are alternatives to wood -- the Buffet Greenline clarinet being a good case in point. Higher quality non-wood clarinets are being made.
As for your other points....practice and more experience will help greatly.
Another positive thing about the clarinet is after you reach an acceptable level of performance on the Bb clarinet there is the possibility of exploring other members of the clarinet family such as the alto, bass, etc. Each of them has wonderful potentional. I really love the bass clarinet. There are things that one can do on the bass that don't exactly carry over to the Bb soprano. Of course, this is also a positive thing about the flute as one can explore the piccolo, alto, and bass flutes.
Anyway, just a few thoughts that came to mind.
Roger
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Author: Bartmann
Date: 2006-12-12 14:00
Roger,
I tried Legere reeds when they first came out and I really didn't like them (they were initially to hard and then at some time during my practice session they would become too soft.) Also because they are plastic water drops would accumulate between the rails and the reed. Because cane absorbs water, I don't notices the same problem with cane. Most importantly, I play Vandoren White Master reeds and Legere doesn't make this size....yet. And of course I'll try them when they do.
One point I made about playing in remote keys: after playing the clarinet for many years I can play comfortably in any key, but it took me a LONG time to get there. After playing the flute for about a year, I could play in remote keys.
What I really love about both instruments is the constrast between the two. The clarinet's sound is so heavy you can really feel the vibrations of the whole instrument. The flute is light, etherial, and delicate.
And I can say without a doubt that playing the flute has improved my clarinet playing, especially the sound of the altissimo.
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