 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Mark G. Simon
Date: 2005-09-09 18:37
Clarinet in C is rather rare, so I would advise you to write for clarinet in B flat, as you have here. The examples you've attached are very simple to play.
A clarinettist should be capable of playing in any key, though most players I know feel more comfortable playing in flat keys. If you write something that stays in sharp keys for most of its duration, it would be easier to write for clarinet in A. For instance, if your music is in D major or A major, the part for clarinet in B flat is going to be in E major or B major. The part for clarinet in A is going to be in F major or C major. We can play it either way, but most of us are going to prefer the version for clarinet in A.
Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana--Mediocrates (2nd cent. BC)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2005-09-09 19:23
As long as the clarinet part is in no more than 5 flats or 4 sharps, so any key is good.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: BobD
Date: 2005-09-10 13:31
Is the C clarinet popular in Brazil?
Bob Draznik
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2005-09-10 14:42
They make the Weril plastic-bodied C clarinets there - silver-plated keywork and furnished with a LH Ab/Eb lever too for a ridiculously cheap price - I was offered one for £40, I should have just bought it at that price but I didn't have any money on me at the time, and it was gone next time I went back but I know who did buy it.
But that doesn't really mean they're popular in Brazil, though they could well be.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: crnichols
Date: 2005-09-10 15:22
I looked over the parts of the piece that you posted, and I don't see anything that would be particularly difficult in either C, Bb or A clarinet, and if you are preparing for publication, I would recommend including a Bb clarinet part. Since most clarinet players own Bb clarinets, it would help sales. If you are looking for the particular tonal characteristics of the C clarinet, I would include C and Bb parts, and label the Bb part, alternate version in Bb or something to that effect. Clarinet players should be able to play equally well in all keys, but there are some intervals that are particularly awkward unless you have the alternate Left Hand Ab/Eb lever.
Good luck!
Christopher Nichols
1st Infantry Division Band
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Don Berger
Date: 2005-09-10 20:47
Chris N says it very well. We less-skillful Bb'ers generally are happier when the music is in keys with 1 or 2 flats [concert/piano]. If a Bb part might be played on an Eb inst, cl or sax, thats only 1 more #, and many of us are familiar with such transpositions. Also trans from Bb to C [and vv] is common, after all, we do play a Transposing inst !! Interesting, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2005-09-11 05:32
Here's a message from the Klarinet list, posted back in 1998, that suggests C clarinets are fairly common in Brazil. It was written when a number of plastic CSO's in the key of C first began appearing on eBay. These instruments had what appeared to be pot-metal keys, red rubber pads and red string, rather than cork, on the tenons. They were the subject of considerable curiosity. Eventually, it turned out that they were coming from India but before that information surfaced, Luiz Bortolai posted the following:
"Concerning the recent discussion about C clarinets, and with apologies
about my limitations with the english language, I have some curious
informations. In my country there are some Companies who makes C clarinets, Boehm and Albert systems, wood and plastic (one of them is a big factory, and exports their junk horns around the world). I have tryed all of these clarinets, and all of them are very bad, high-pitch horns. Is impossible to play with a piano, or another A=440 instrument. If you pull the mouthpiece and/or the barrel, the scale remains out of pitch. Unfortunatelly, the school curriculums in Brazil don't have Music, and Government is not interested. Now the more curious: In last decades, is happening a big proliferation of fundamentalist evangelic churchs, and almost all of them have a windband (Please, this is a CULTURAL critic, NOTHING about religion).
So, 50% or more of the wind instruments business is in the hands of
evangelic people, and they don't transpose anything. They only play in key of C major or A minor, and they use C clarinets. There are also trumpets, euphoniums, etc, pitched in C. Recently my teacher received a new student from an evangelic church, with a Bb clarinet. He asked the boy:
- Do you play the clarinet?
- Yes, of course!
- So, give-me a C!
And the boy played D!
- Give me a F!
And the boy played G!
When these guys have Bb instruments they start learning direct transposition, and they don't know the real fingerings. But they don't play "profane" music, this is "devil's thing". Being an agnostic I don't fequent churchs and I don't know more details (well, sometimes I go to the catholic church, but only to play clarinet with my friends...)
L. Bortolai
Jau,
SP, Brazil"
Best regards,
jnk
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2005-09-11 09:25
The Weril C clarinet looked like it was made just by looking at a photograph of a Leblanc, rather than taking measurements from the actual instrument - and maybe if they just copied the photograph to only produce a 2D image that would be much better.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Markael
Date: 2005-09-11 10:23
Jack Kissinger--
Very interesting information about Brazil. Thanks for looking that up. It's interesting how these threads turn into serendipities.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bennett ★2017
Date: 2005-09-11 16:05
If the question is what keys are easiest to play in, the answer is the ones with the least sharps or flats, regardless of the key of the instrument (A Bb C clarinet.) If you are trying to write easy-to-play clarinet pieces, leave it up to the pianist to play the transposed keys. For a C clarinet playing with a "C" piano, write in C, G, D, F or Bb. I think most clarinetists find increasing numbers of sharps and flats increasingly more difficult to play, not only because they are harder to remember but because they require fancier and more difficult finger work.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
