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Re: Eb Clarinet

Author: eefer ★2017
Date: 2009-09-23 06:34

After 35 years of playing e-flat clarinet, here is what I have learned. A good mouthpiece is ESSENTIAL. A good clarinet that is properly set-up is ESSENTIAL. A well-matched barrel and bell will help tremendously to eliminate the fingering issues. The barrel must be matched to the mouthpiece and the clarinet. The bell must be matched to the lower joint and preferably have a voicing groove in it. Reeds are a matter of personal preference, but they do VERY MUCH help create *YOUR* sound when combined with *YOUR* mouthpiece. Different reeds can be used to change the colors of *YOUR* sound, as can different barrels and bells. The ONLY way to learn about what is necessary for an acceptable e-flat experience is to jump in and play one (for a few years).

I have two e-flat clarinets that I use. My usual one is a Buffet R-13 from 1978. It is padded with Valentino pads. It has a grooved cocobolo Backun bell, and either a 43 mm Backun traditional or ringless w/reed cutaway barrel. I use a Backun MOBA mouthpiece, BG Super Revelation ligature and #3 Glotin Eb reeds or #3 Rico Grand Concert Bb reeds. I use all standard clarinet fingerings on this instrument. The pitch is very stable from end to end, and the dynamic capability of this clarinet is exceptional.

I also play a Patricola rosewood e-flat clarinet from 1999. It is padded with Valentino pads. It has an un-grooved Backun rosewood bell with a resonance hole, and a traditional Backun 42mm rosewood barrell. I use a Lomax Classic mouthpiece on this clarinet with a BG Super Revelation ligature and # 3.5 traditional Vandoren Eb reeds. It requires a few non-standard fingerings in the altissimo register. This is a more in-your-face clarinet and doesn't blend as well as the Buffet. I use it when my Eb part calls for distinct personality, or if I am playing outdoors. It will stand up to a piccolo any day of the week, and has great intonation.

The above info in the previous two paragraphs are my *personal* choices for e-flat playing. The e-flat clarinet is not an instrument for the faint-at-heart. It takes real guts to play it well, and fair investment to get one in proper playing condition. It also takes a large investment of time to learn to manipulate it to sound like a sweet little angelic instrument one moment, or a Tasmanian Devil the next without assulting the ear of the listener. Get the essentials, and then lock yourself in the practice room. It's the only way to figure out what will work for you. ~ Nancy

Nancy Buckman
AACC Symphony Orchestra
Opera AACC
Early Music Society of Northern MD
(and a lot of other ensembles, too)
nebuckman@gmail.com

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Eb Clarinet new

moolatte

2009-09-15 21:54