 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: jmsa
Date: 2004-11-12 15:15
I am very interested in playing an eb alto clarinet, as a jazz solo instrument. I have been told that they sound very nasal. I am looking at a used professional Buffet on a well known auction site. Does anyone have any suggestions when it comes to a set-up. Any particular mouthpiece or reeds. I also read on a clarinet information site that they are difficult to play. Can anyone please give me any feedback. Thanks.
jmsa
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2004-11-12 16:24
A well-played alto clarinet has a beautiful, clarinet-like sound --- not nasal at all. Unfortunately the instrument is rarely well-played.
For a sure mouthpiece bet, contact Clark Fobes.
For reeds, the usual suspects work well (Vandoren, Marca, Glotin are my favorites).
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Author: jmsa
Date: 2004-11-12 17:12
Thanks Dave, What criteria is needed to achieve what you describe as well played. Is it more wind than a Bb? Please explain. Thanks.
jmsa
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2004-11-12 17:51
Like bass clarinet to a certain extent, alto clarinet has to be played with a more open oral cavity and throat, much more "aahhhh" than "eeee", and the embouchure should be firm in a circumferential direction (think of a "steel ring" encircling the mouthpiece and reed) but not firm in the vertical (clamping) direction. Alto clarinet takes somewhat more air volume than soprano, but not a huge amount more. The main thing about alto that seems to bother 'switchers' from soprano is that the difference in resistance between the chalumeau and clarion registers is more marked than on soprano --- an effect every bass clarinetist is well aware of.
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Author: jmsa
Date: 2004-11-12 19:42
Thanks for the info. I just am a lover of the sound of the lower range of a soprano, so I thought that an alto would be a great choice and also the fact that alto clarinet jazz players seem to be a rarity. I will just continue in the Jimmy Guifre mode and be happy. Thanks. Once again you people have proven to be an invaluable resource.
jmsa
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Author: larryb
Date: 2004-11-13 20:45
jmsa -
when I play my Leblanc basset horn (which is basically an alto clarinet that extends to low C), I try to channel the sound that Lester Young made on tenor sax in the 1930s - a light but full sound with minimal "bite." this has really helped me in practicing the Mozart Requiem. Keep that sound image in mind when playing the alto clarinet.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-11-14 00:43
Fine comments, Larry B and Dave S, I heartily agree that good tonal quality on alto cl prob requires as much practice as does the great Basset Horn, in my limited experience. For A C, I found that a Pomarico #3 glass mp was the "most resonant", ?perhaps? because of the density of glass, and ? compatibility with my Sel-Paris. I showed my #2 A C, an old Pedler [which plays well, w: D R Keying !] to our band's best alto saxer, who tried to play it [like an A S], which was NO success either fingering or sound. Differences !! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: buedsma
Date: 2004-11-16 10:22
playing contrabass, bass and alto regularly besides the soprano , and not all the newest instruments so :
Put your soprano away for a whole weekend and try to play the alto for hours. Embouchure a bit less tight , but still soprano like and less basslike.
Try to compensate a bit for the different sound in the chalumeau and clarion register / the same problem is there for the older basclarinets with single register key. Only one bass clarinet ( conn, double automatic register key ) sounded even over the whole range for me. Still saving though for my own pro bass clarinet, i didn't play them all.
I also agree that with alto you should be able to play jazz/etno/folk in a very interesting way / don't forget that most listeners find the altissimo of the standard soprano a bit too high and penetrating, even if we clarinettists think we are playing smoothly. So alto could be a very good choice.
25+ years of clarinet playing / and still learning :-)
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Author: diz
Date: 2004-11-17 01:52
I've never ever thought of the sound of an alto clarinet as nasal, to be frank. A nice concept, why not? Just do it if if makes you feel good.
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
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Author: Oldbass
Date: 2004-11-17 14:46
Some years ago, I bought an alto clarinet to play in a large clarinet group. I loved the sound of it. However when I joined a military band (the conductor transposed parts for me), the sound was too quiet to compete with the brass. I started a clarinet quartet. However very few pieces had parts for the alto clarinet. Now I have sold the alto clarinet and bought a bass clarinet. This has a powerful beautiful sound.
So in summary the alto clarinet is a lovely sounding instrument but has few roles in orchestral, band or chamber music. Go for the bass clarinet.
Curiously my alto was bought by a jazz saxophonist who planned to use it with a microphone to boost the sound level.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-11-17 15:34
Well said, O B, you summarize my thots quite completly. Yes its near-impossible, even with a strong bass cl, to compete with a concert band's brass, 10-20 tpts, 76 tmbs!, 4-6 F H's, so I ask the tenor saxes for help at times [if within their more limited range/compass] ! Off on a toot, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2004-11-18 14:09
I played alto clarinet for a while in jr. hi. (some now call middle school) and found it quite easy to play and it had a very nice tone. The only thing I didn't like was the weight when marching. So, I tried out for drum major and that fixed the problem.
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