Instrument #9?

A clarinet (left) and Bb clarinet (right)

Today I picked up an A clarinet from a friend of mine from WCYO.  She has carpal tunnel and won't be able to play for a while, so I'll be taking over her part.  I'm the only clarinetist of the three of us who doesn't have both a Bb and an A clarinet, so I'm borrowing hers.

The only difference between a Bb clarinet and an A clarinet is the pitch (hence the names Bb and A.)  The fingerings and compass are exactly the same.  But because the A clarinet is longer, it sounds one half step lower.  Occasionally I have to fill in a part written for the A clarinet on my Bb clarinet.  In this case, I have to transpose down a half step.

So why was the A clarinet created if it's almost exactly the same as the Bb clarinet?  A clarinet is easiest to play in keys related to its own.  So, since "A" is a sharp key and "Bb" is a flat key, keys that are difficult for one type of clarinet are easy for the other.  Composers choose the type of clarinet based on the key they want their piece to be set in.  Here's a diagram of some key transpositions between the two clarinets:

Click to enlarge

Orchestral pieces that are written in sharp keys in concert pitch are best played on the A clarinet, and pieces in flat keys in concert pitch are best for the Bb clarinet.  I don't think I've ever seen concert band music that has more than 2 sharps for concert-pitch instruments.

Clarinet/Trumpet/Saxophone

Lessons learned this week:
1.  You don't really realize the effect of having a mouthpiece in your mouth until it isn't there anymore.
2.  Trumpet and clarinet are more similar than I initially imagined.
3.  Saxophone fingerings are the same as clarinet fingerings 90% of the time.

Here's the latest on the trumpet: Jingle Bells!  I was feeling festive.  I've finally figured out how to tongue properly.  Who knew that I would depend so much on having a physical mouthpiece in my mouth?  No part of the trumpet actually go into your mouth, so I had no clue what to ricochet my tongue off of when I played.  Until today.  I learned to treat the back of my bottom teeth as a place to aim my tongue.  It's working pretty well.

I also had a few (possibly coincidental) realizations between trumpet and clarinet.  A few of the fingerings for trumpet match the fingerings in the right hand for clarinet.  I'd be interested in learning if these similarities are deliberate.  Also, while switching partials on trumpet raises the pitch by a fifth (sometimes), pressing the register key on the clarinet raises the pitch by an octave and a fifth.  Just some cool things I noticed.

I brought a saxophone home last week, but admittedly didn't have time to play it until yesterday.  Even then, there was something wrong with the mouthpiece so the reed had no room to vibrate.  I swapped it with the mouthpiece from another case when I had a lesson with Mrs. Harvison today, and it worked fine.  Weird.  Why would they make mouthpieces that don't work?  Now it's really easy to play.  The lower notes require more air, and I have to lip up the higher notes.  (As of now, I can play from f' to g".)  Like I mentioned earlier, 90% of the fingerings are the same from what I've learned so far.  This will be explained in the Saxophone History post I'll make later on.

Bass Clarinet & Bb Clarinet Duet

Here's a duet I layered together on the computer.  Keep in mind I couldn't hear the other instrument playing (since I was only playing one at a time), so I'm really impressed at the intonation.  It's pretty awesome for a first attempt!  :)

Bb Clarinet/Bass Clarinet Duet

Clarinet Tips & Tricks

Embouchure

Clarinet embouchure

One of the most important factors of a good tone on the clarinet is the embouchure.  Say "Whee", then keep the teeth and tongue formation and say "Too" with your lips.  The chin should be flat with the jaw slightly dropped to prevent bunching up the chin and corners of the mouth.  This is clarinet embouchure.

Clarinet embouchure varies slightly depending on the notes you are playing.  The chalumeau range requires a formation similar to saying "ou".  As you move through the throat tones and clarion range, it changes to "oo".  Finally, the altissimo requires "hee", a formation similar to hissing.  A bad tone often results from "saying 'ah'" when playing, or not properly adjusting the embouchure when playing over the full compass.

Altissimo

Correct posture

Atissimo (above the instrument's written b''') is the hardest range on the clarinet.  (Clarinetists don't learn altissimo until they have been exposed to the rest of the compass.)  It's hard to resist tightening the embouchure to get the notes out, but it makes them sound cut off or out of tune.  Keep the jaw dropped slightly and, if necessary, apply pressure on the embouchure by pulling the clarinet upwards.  It helps to play with a tuner in order to figure out where the embouchure needs to be to play in tune.  Eventually, muscle memory will replace working to find the pitch.  The instrument sounds very different when you're the one playing it, especially the highest notes.  They may sound squeaky and harsh to me, but in-tune to a listener.  Recording myself helps me solve this problem.

Posture
Good posture involves sitting up straight with feet flat on the floor.  The arms shouldn't be "pinned" close to the body since it creates tension, which can restrict hand movement and affect sound.  I've also fallen into the habit of scrunching up my right hand against the trill keys.  This usually starts when the player is young and their small hands can't quite support the clarinet properly, so they use the trill keys for support on their right hand.  This habit can later restrict hand movement.

My clarinet reeds ($23 for
a box of 10, but I never
use anything else.)

Reeds
Reeds come in a variety of brands (some better than others) and strengths.  Strengths range from 1 to 5 and have increments of .5.  Beginners usually start on a 1.5 and move up as their air and embouchure become stronger.  Reed size depends on the player and what they're comfortable with; you won't get a quality sound if your reed is too easy or too hard to play.

The final tip is how to place your reed on the mouthpiece.  Never put the reed on the mouthpiece before the ligature.  Ever.  It runs the risk of chipping the reed (there's nothing worse than ruining a good reed), no matter how carefully you maneuver the ligature.  Always put the ligature on first, then slide the reed in from the top.

Clarinet History

Here's some information on the instrument I play now: the Bb (B-flat) clarinet.

A chalumeau

The clarinet is derived from the chalumeau, a instrument from the Baroque era.  Its creation was sparked when a single reed was added to the recorder in order to increase its volume.  However, it still had a limited, low range.  (Thus, the lowest section of the clarinet's range is still referred to as the "chalumeau".)  The introduction of the "speaker key" began turning the chalumeau into the clarinet, and the "first clarinet" was built by Johann Christoph Denner of Nuremberg in 1700.

The modern clarinet's register key is
similar to a chalumeau's speaker key 

The "modern" clarinet was developed by Hyacinthe Eléonore Klosé and L.-A. Buffet. It introduced keys that followed the Boehm key system (which was based on principles for the flute) and helped cover or uncover holes and change the pitch. It was a regular part of the symphony orchestra by the 19th century and the jazz band by the first part of the 20th century.

The clarinet's compass is the largest of all common woodwind instruments, extending from D' to c'''' (for more information, see Helmholtz pitch notation). It is divided into four sections (chalumeau, throat tones, clarion, and altissimo), each of which has its own distinct sound.

The Bb clarinet's compass