The Clarinet BBoard

The Clarinet BBoard The C4 standard

New Topic | Go to Top | Go to Topic | Search | Help/Rules | Smileys/Notes | Log In

Previous Message | Next Message

Re: Tenor clarinet

Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2013-06-21 22:37

When I see the Bb 'Bass' Clarinet all I see is a Clarinet pitched in the Tenor tonality. Exactly the same as the tonality of the Bb Tenor Saxophone.
A major 9th lower than C above middle C. This makes the Bb 'Bass' the real Tenor Clarinet.
Just because it goes way down lower than the Bb Tenor Saxophone doesn't make it a Bass.
That would be paramount to referring to the Sopranos (C. Bb, A ) as Alto clarinets just because their compass goes down into the Alto range.

The basic rule is , the tonality of a wind instrument is determined by the sounding of one note (C above middle C ) not by it's range (compass)

So here is the way way the Clarinets should be described as to tonality.

Ab Piccolo
Eb and (D) Sopranino
C, Bb and A. Soprano
G, F and Eb. Alto.
(C), Bb and (A) Tenor
Eb Bass
Bb Contra Bass

Now we know where the 'missing' Bb Tenor is.
Basically it's all to do with the 'Occam's Razor' principle.
Keep it simple. In the case of Clarinet tonalities , don't complicate things
by mixing up the Tenor pitch instrument with the Bass.
You see the same sort of mix up with the brass instruments
You can't get a more basic and simple classification than the above approach but the Bb Tenor Clarinet has been called the Bb Bass for so long now it's never going to be called the Tenor.

Skyfacer

Post Edited (2013-06-22 03:28)

Reply To Message | Avail. Forums | Flat View

Newer Topic | Older Topic

Topics

Author

Date

Tenor clarinet new

DougR

2013-06-14 18:33