The Clarinet Family Bb, Eb, alto, bass, and contrabass

Bb Clarinet Origin -Early 18 th century -Made in Germany -Designer: Johann Christoph Denner -Evolved from Chalumeau -To increase the instrument range, improve the mouthpiece and bell -Woodwind Family

Bb Clarinet Material -African Blackwood -Good Quality Plastic Range ₋From E one octave below middle C to G three octaves above middle C ₋Treble Clef ₋3 ½ - 4 octaves ₋Extended: beyond A (experienced players) Written Range

Bb Clarinet Tone -Varies a lot over the big range -Chalumeau (low register): rich and dark -Clarino and Altissimo (higher registers): clear, direct sound, impressive -Extreme Upper Register: shrill, piercing tone Technique -Embouchure (lower lip over the teeth of lower jaw, pull the lower lip tightly as “smile”, avoid pressing the mouthpiece onto the lower lip too hard but firmly against the upper teeth) -Attack and Articulation (“TA ” or “DA”) -Fingering

Bb Clarinet Ensemble Playing -Voice: Soprano -Other Setting: Jazz, contemporary, chamber music

Bb Clarinet Primary Solo Composers -Brahms and Mozart * Mozart loved the clarinet, and brought it into popularity in orchestral music. Professional Musician -Famous jazz clarinet player Benny Goodman Brahms Benny Goodman Mozart Well-Known Repertoires -Ensemble Based: Capriccio Espagnol clarinet (Rimsky-Korsakov)Capriccio Espagnol clarinet (Rimsky-Korsakov) -Solo: Carnival of VeniceCarnival of Venice -Solo: Clarinet Concerto (Mozart)Clarinet Concerto (Mozart)

Eb Clarinet Background -Smallest of the standard clarinet known as the baby clarinet -A third shorter than the Bb or A clarinet. -Took over the role of F clarinet beginning in the late 18 th century. -Constructed in early days to replace the high trumpet or cornet. -Woodwind family

Eb Clarinet Material -African Blackwood -Plastic or resin -Mixtrure of resin and wood Range ₋From E one octave below middle C to D two octaves above middle C ₋Treble Clef ₋3 and half octave

Eb Clarinet Tone -Exaggeration of the soprano clarinet -Perky, bright, and blatant that is agile and assertive -Can be shrill at loud dynamics -Similar to the sound of the piccolo -Resembling a trumpet Ensemble playing -Adds a bright clean tone -Cut above the clamor of the brass section -Garnish instrument along with the piccolo and/or flute

Eb Clarinet Technique -Correct Embouchure -Breathing and blowing properly -Fingering -Attack or articulation

Eb Clarinet Professional Musicians -Laurence Liberson -Pascual Martinez Forteza Composer -Hector Berkuiz -Albert. Heinrich -Anton Webern Hector Berkuiz Albert Heinrich

Eb Clarinet Solo Repertoire Note: Solo pieces for the sopranino clarinet are very rare, and there are currently no professional clarinetists who play this instrument only. Rondo Caprice Tre Pezzi Suite of Four Dances Ensemble Repertoire Symphonie Gantastique Bolero The Rite of Spring

Alto Clarinet Origin -Early 19 th century -First in the key of F -Germany and France -Designers: Cuvillier and Simiot (France) Grenser and Wiesner (Germany) -It served to enrich the sound produced from the clarinet family -Evolved from bass clarinet, similar to alto saxophone -Woodwind Family

Alto Clarinet Details -hard rubber, plastic, Grenadilla or any other kind of wood -upturned metal bell, arched neck, two-piece body -Good full tone, warm, dark, blends well, one octave lower than Eb clarinet. * No difficulty in balancing other modern instruments -3 octaves -Treble clef -Range: chalumeau, clarino, altissimo register

Alto Clarinet MTSU Clarinet Choir

Alto Clarinet Ensemble Playing -a regular constituent of American concert bands, but little used in the orchestra, and is no longer included in British Army bands. -fits between soprano and bass clarinet -is mostly used to replace or complement the 3 rd part of a quartet or the alto saxophone section -voice is tenor; In high registry: alto -Other setting: Military bands (past) -Other types: Contra alto, selmer alto clarinet

Alto Clarinet Techniques -tone holes covered by plates instead of directly by the fingers -NOT EASY! -Larger bite -Lot of air -Avoid too much embouchure adjustment -A strap or foot peg is needed Clarification -Is also called “tenor clarinet” -Different than basset horn: lower pitch, wider bore than the basset horn

Alto Clarinet Composers Franz Schubert Wolfgang Amadeus Molzart Elliott Schwartz Fritz Renold

Alto Clarinet Ensemble Repertoires -Air and Gigue (Handel) -Allegro (J.C. Bach) -Allegro Rococo (Koepke) -An Der Wiege (Grieg) -Ballad (Rimsky-Korsakov) -Blue Twilight (Walters)Blue Twilight -Theme from Christmas Oratorio -Menuetto (Mozart) Solo Repertoires -A Waltz Dream (Oscar Strauss/Harris) -Allegro Spiritoso (J.B. Senaille/Gee) -Praeludium (Schmutz) -Solfeggieto (Carl P. E. Bach) Professional Musicians -Kiyoshi AraiKiyoshi Arai -Mark WolbersMark Wolbers

Bibliography rinet/range/ Bb and Eb:

Bibliography Alto:

How Much You Know About the Clarinets

LEVEL 1 1)Who invented the clarinet? - Johann Denner 2)Which continent does the wood to make clarinet come from? - Africa 3)What is the lowest the note on a Bb Clarinet (how many octave(s) below Central C)? - Low E (one octave below Central C) 4) From what Renaissance instrument did the clarinet develop? - Chalumeau

How Much You Know About the Clarinets LEVEL 2 (a little thinking) 5) What is the highest sounding clarinet (CAREFUL)? - Sopranino Clarinet 6) Is violin very closely related to the clarinet? - No, they have no relation. Well, the only way they can be related is that they are both instruments played in orchestras ;) 7) Is the French horn related to the clarinet in any way? - Yes, they are both aerophones /wind instruments, HAHA 8) What is the firmest, hence most difficult reed (of those named)? (most general); if you answer “5”, that’s okay too.

How Much You Know About the Clarinets LEVEL 3 (knowledge is critical) 9) What part of the clarinet holds the reed in place? - Ligature 10) What fingering system is currently used on clarinets? - Boehm System 11) This composer wrote a piece for clarinet just before his death in Give the name of this composer and this piece. - Mozart, Clarinet Concerto in A (basset clarinet)

How Much You Know About the Clarinets

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