Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2020-10-30 18:55
Mojo,
You are right on track with:
"On some arrangements, you can tell the arranger only assumed a low Eb (or E) was available by the way a descending line jumps the octave on BC but keeps going lower on tuba, etc. In these cases it is fun and tasteful to drop the notes down where they “should” be."
For a very long time, I could not see the need for the lowest three notes and discussed that at great length with my good friend, David Spiegelthal. However, very recently, particularly in newer arrangements of clarinet quartet music, the arrangers are writing for notes down to low C. I have even started doing as Mojo mentioned and continuing a bass line (many times doubled in the bassoons whom sit next to) on down in wind ensemble music. Granted, in older arrangements, one does not find these low notes because as was suggested above, the arrangers did not use it for several reasons.
But now, I feel free to add very low bass clarinet notes as I sense they are appropriate. There nothing quite like the V-I resolution of the last chord with the bass clarinet ending on a Low C.
HRL
PS I'm playing more chamber music now with the virus knocking out all the wind ensembles I used to play in regularly.
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The Clarinet BBoard
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