 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: maxopf
Date: 2015-02-06 09:21
My school wind ensemble conductor just recently moved all of the 1st clarinets and oboes to the second row on a whim and placed the entire flute section in front. As a result, the 2nd row is now huge and I sit beyond the end of the row behind me, so there is nobody behind me.
In my youth orchestra I've got the percussion behind me. Fun.
Post Edited (2015-02-06 09:23)
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2015-02-06 17:02
My parole officer. ![[wink]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie3.gif)
In reality, percussion during rehearsals, and no other instrument section than clarinets during performance for band, percussion for orchestra at all times.
I carry ear plugs just in case.
Post Edited (2015-02-06 19:55)
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Author: Ursa
Date: 2015-02-06 19:40
In back of me are alto saxophones, and in back of them, the trombone section.
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Author: Roxann
Date: 2015-02-06 20:23
Trumpets:( Earplugs a necessity. Is it possible for a trumpet to play quietly or, because of the nature of the beast, it's impossible?
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-02-06 21:13
I end up playing oboe in concert bands nowadays as there are usually loads of clarinets and hardly any oboes. So I'm usually sat at the front right in front of the conductor. So it's either trumpets or bassoons sat behind me.
In big bands if I'm on lead alto it's a trombone blasting at the back of my head or if I'm on bari it's either the bass trombone or drummer or no-one depending how the band is set out.
In orchestras it's usually the choir or percussion if I'm on clarinet or bass clarinet or the contrabassoon or trombones if I'm on cor anglais.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: annev
Date: 2015-02-06 21:35
In band it's the trumpets. Since they sit a little more central in the room, the most desired seats in the clarinet section are at the end of the row, near the door. The joke is that the best seats are probably in the hallway.
In orchestra it's the grand piano (bliss).
My favorite seating memory is from the cramped pit from one of the community shows I was part of. I was on the receiving end of the French horn beside me, with the kettle drums behind. Playing the Overture was like the musical equivalent of reading with braille. After the first rehearsal I bought a set of ear plugs and they became my best friend for several nights.
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Author: derf5585
Date: 2015-02-06 21:45
I see some answered with earplugs
What brand do you recommend?
fsbsde@yahoo.com
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Author: marcia
Date: 2015-02-07 02:34
>Is it possible for a trumpet to play quietly or, because of the nature of the >beast, it's impossible?
Yes it is possible for them to play quietly, (I have actualy heard it) but most don't. I have often thought that every trumpet player should have to spend an entire rehearsal sitting in front of the rest of the trumpet section.
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Author: AAAClarinet
Date: 2015-02-07 05:23
I currently play bassoon in a community band and have the French horns behind me
AAAClarinet
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2015-02-07 07:40
I've heard professional trumpeters on recordings play so beautifully soft they sound almost 'flute like'. One such trumpet solo is the one in Sibelius's 2nd Symphony (2nd Mov). A solo Flute shares the tune by answering the Trumpet.
Skyfacer
Post Edited (2015-02-07 07:44)
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Author: GeorgeL ★2017
Date: 2015-02-07 18:39
French horns behind you - no problem.
French horns in front of you - problem.
Trumpets behind you - big problem.
French horns in front of you and trumpets behind you - bigger problem.
Strong trombone section behind you - biggest problem.
I use ear plugs molded to fit my ear by an audiologist who also plays in a band with me. They have inserts to set the attenuation; I use 15db. (She also provides my hearing aids; the ear plugs came after the horns in front, trumpets behind.)
If the heavy brass is off to one side behind me, I usually use an ear plug only on that side.
I have observed others using foam disposible plugs from the drug store. Often they are inserted loosely in each ear to adjust their attenuation.
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2015-02-08 01:29
>>Is it possible for a trumpet to play quietly or, because of the nature of the beast, it's impossible?
>>
In grammar school and junior high (back in the days when people kept dodos as pets), I used to think trumpets could only play at two volumes: double forte and triple forte. Then I went to a concert where the late great Maurice André performed as the soloist. *Wow.* A trumpet can't play a note of any kind all by itself, but even one of those fiendish little Baroque piccolo trumpets can play pianissimo, if a superb musician tells it what to do.
>Strong trombone section behind you - biggest problem.
>
Yeah, I've agreed with that assessment elsewhere in this forum.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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Author: Bennett ★2017
Date: 2015-02-08 03:15
When I've trumpets behind me I use Etymotic ER20-CCC-C ear plugs - about $12/pair. I can still hear the conductor but inevitably my own sound is distorted - I'm sure that without them I sound marvelous.
Several folks I know use the same model and are satisfied. Could I do better w. something else at about the same price? I don't know. I'm satisfied - your mileage may vary.
FWIW, I've found the very inexpensive foam plugs simply attenuate the high frequencies too much for music - great if you're walking past a jackhammer or trying to sleep on an airplane.
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Author: gsurosey
Date: 2015-02-08 05:49
In one community band where I'm a regular, I play bass clarinet, so I have the baritones behind me (bass clarinets sit next to the 3rd clarinets). In the one I sub in sometimes, I play Clarinet I and have bass clarinet behind me as well as a very loud saxophone player (I've never taken a look to see who it is, but I think the altos are next to the bass clarinet and the tenor is next to the altos).
In orchestra, it's all brass (french horns in one, trumpets in another, and nothing in the 3rd as the brass are usually off to the side as is the percussion).
----------
Rachel
Clarinet Stash:
Bb/A: Buffet R13
Eb: Bundy
Bass: Royal Global Max
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Author: MSK
Date: 2015-02-08 06:09
Every band and wind ensemble I've belonged to had three rows of clarinets so I always had clarinets behind me. However my orchestra has brass behind the clarinets. In less crowded venues it's usually french horns (so civilized) but on stage we get squished closer together and it's trumpets. My bigger problem is the really tall flute in front of me.
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Author: Filettofish
Date: 2015-02-08 07:33
Wind ensemble and orchestra, its usually the trumpets, but in the larger scale concert and symphonic bands, its often the percussion if I'm playing bass clarinet, or more clarinets if playing clarinet.
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Author: bbrandha
Date: 2015-02-08 08:45
I play in a mounted horseback band, so who is in front of you is a much larger concern, as you might get kicked. We have yet to convince the horses to stay in rows or even with other horses carrying the same instruments, so the person next to you is constantly changing.
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Author: derf5585
Date: 2015-02-08 08:58
Found the HorseBack band
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QO8P8ChdqN8
fsbsde@yahoo.com
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Author: Dori
Date: 2015-02-08 21:15
I have heard several trumpet players admit they want to play as loud and as high as they can. Since I have seen this to be true only for male trumpet players, I think the truth is these guys are too macho to admit they really want to play piccolo <g>
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Author: sdr
Date: 2015-02-10 02:58
Glad to see some discussion of earplugs for noise protection in ensemble playing -- no matter who sits behind you. Even if you are fortunate and persuasive enough for your orchestra to get plexiglas sound baffles, earplugs are smart. Just 8-10dB of attenuation will save you from much irreversible hearing loss. If you doubt the risk, load a decent sound level meter app on your smartphone -- the best I've found is "SoundMeter" by Mint Muse ($19.99 last time I checked, and nearly as accurate as the $10k rack sound meters we use in our research labs). Take some readings at your next rehearsal or gig -- horrifying!
Earplugs come in several styles:
• Compressible foam -- cheap, available at any drugstore, substantial attentuation if fully inserted but definitely NOT a flat frequency response.
• Off-the-shelf "musician's earplugs", "triple flange" construction and available in several different levels of attenuation (approx. $12-20). 8-12dB is plenty for most musicians but if you're a death metal guitar shredder and stand near the drummer you might choose something stronger.
• Off-the-shelf musicians plugs with greater comfort than triple flange for extended use (e.g. EARasers for about $50 and my current favorites. NOTE: I am NOT compensated by EARasers for this endorsement -- I just like 'em)
• Custom-molded earplugs made by your local hearing aid dealer (approx. $150/pair) -- made up with your choice of attenuation, usually from 8-25dB. Possibly best comfort and fit but pricey. I actually prefer my EARasers to my custom molded plugs but your mileage may vary.
Oh, and by the way, if you are going to bother loading a sound level meter app on your smartphone, consider loading an audiogram app, too. You can do your own hearing test with quite high accuracy. You can save the tests for comparison. Do one now as a baseline. Better yet, see your local audiologist to get a high tech audiogram on their equipment AND do one with your phone so you can see how they compare. Then, when you get home from a gig you can repeat the test and see if you shifted your thresholds. If so, call your otologist first thing in the AM! There is a free audiogram app, "uHear" by Unitron, that is quite accurate and easy to use. Unitron is a hearing aid company so there is a bit of advertising on some of the screens but not much. And the app is really good. (NOTE: This is NOT a product endorsement for Unitron hearing aids!) There is also an excellent $3.99 app, "EarTrumpet", that provdes both an audiogram app and a personal sound amplifier (a.k.a. "PSA", basically using your smartphone as a really big but excellent hearing aid).
-sdr
----------------
Steven D. Rauch, MD
Professor and Vice Chair for Academic Affairs
Dept. of Otology and Laryngology
Harvard Medical School
Otology Service
Chief, Vestibular Division
Otolaryngology Dept.
Mass. Eye and Ear Infirmary and Mass. General Hospital
Boston, MA 02114
Tel: 617-573-3644
Email: steven_rauch@meei.harvard.edu
----------------
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Author: clarinetwife
Date: 2015-02-10 06:39
My husband (clarinet) sat behind me in a community band in Seattle before we were married. That's how we met ![[toast]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smiley15.gif)
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Author: TomS
Date: 2015-02-11 00:40
In one Community Band we have one bus load of flutes, two bus loads of saxophones and a 757 load of assorted loud brass instruments ... We number about 100 players ... but only a measly 8 clarinets that sit on the front row and wince at the sonic assault from the rear ...
Tom
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Author: davyd
Date: 2015-02-11 00:44
In the one band in which I sometimes play clarinet (2nd), I have the trumpets behind me, depending on how many there are. But they've taken on a new director since I was there last, so the layout may be different when I'm next there.
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Author: Luuk ★2017
Date: 2015-02-11 19:03
Our band is seated in a classical way, with the trumpets at the left back row (as seen from the conductor), thus placed in a long line behind the clarinets.
Last fall two members (third clarinets) had to stay home for two months because they had experienced sound levels too high, damaging their hearing in spite of wearing professional ear plugs. Luckily, it appears their hearing has recovered.
We now have placed the trumpets as far back as possible, and the clarinets moved even more to the front and to the left. We split the third row of clarinets in two, moving the players from the center of the orchestra and creating a fourth row at the very left front. This resulted in a gap between trumpets and the rest.
...timp........................mel.perc...................drums...............base drum
.........trp...trp...trp...trp...trp......trb....trb.....trb....trb....trb
..trp.......................................................................basstrb
.................................hrn...hrn...hrn...hrn...hrn...bar...bar.......tuba
.......................cl.....cl....Ebcl...ob...ob...basscl...basscl......bar.....tuba
...................cl.......cl..................................fl.......altsax......tuba
........cl.....cl.......cl.........................................fl.....altsax.....barsax
cl....cl.....cl.......cl.............................................fl...altsax.....tensax
cl....cl.....cl.......cl......................dir....................fl.....altsax...tensax
A point to consider now is the high level of reverberation of the rehearsal room. This seems to add to the sound pressure. We might add curtains or the like.
Regards,
Luuk
Philips Symphonic Band
The Netherlands
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Author: Slowoldman
Date: 2015-02-13 02:49
I'm in a community band, where I play 3rd Clarinet. The trombones are my neighbors. :(
Haven't had much success with over-the-counter earplugs (having tried several). Getting a good seal seems difficult, although I've tried a couple of different types/brands. Also, I find it difficult to adjust to the attenuation and play appropriate dynamics. May have to go "custom".
Amateur musician, retired physician
Delaware Valley Wind Symphony, clarinet 1
Bucks County Symphony Orchestra, clarinet 2 (sub)
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Author: Roxann
Date: 2015-02-13 19:29
GREAT idea!!! Every band instructor should incorporate this into their lesson plans.
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Author: Roxann
Date: 2015-02-13 19:32
When I use earplugs, to my own hearing (and nobody else's), I sound like I'm playing really flat. When YOU use the custom earplugs, does this same thing happen to you? I hate having to keep an eye on my tuner throughout an entire rehearsal, but if I use earplugs, I find I need to.
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Author: bbrandha
Date: 2015-02-21 00:32
Not us. We're a bit more...relaxed.
http://youtu.be/iMEeX3ZtJv4
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-02-22 15:14
Attachment: concertbandlayout.png (54k)
Attached is a diagram I sketched of a typical band layout used in the concert bands I play in - largely influenced by the Royal Marines band layout, so you can see who sits where.
The drum kit and other percussion tend to differ where they are depending on the room, but one band has them set out like that during rehearsals.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2015-02-22 15:17)
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