Hi folks,

Ever since I passed my Grade 5 clarinet exam, I can't seem to get enough of the clarinet.

Anyway, I have a few questions to ask. I read that professional clarinettists all play both the A and the Bb clarinets. Many pieces were originally written for the A clarinet. Can a person who plays only the Bb clarinet just play the A clarinet without special lessons? Are the keys of the A clarinet the same as those of the Bb clarinet? As it is, I do find the keys in the clarinet very confusing. I still do!!! That's why chromatic scales are really tough for me especially when I have to speed up.

Thanks

Yes they are all the same, except the bass clarinet + there are a few extra keys but that is down the it's extended lower range!

Do use google searches as it will be able to answer your questions just as well as us....look on the Yamaha site and it tells you how many keys each instrument has and from there you can work it out yourself

The A clarinet is just a little bit bigger, with wider spacing, so it'll take a bit of practise, but not too much trouble

Thanks. Wow, so that means I can play the A clarinet. That sounds really cool. I will forget about the bass clarinet.

I did try the google search but I thought maybe the keys might be the same but the notes were different. But I suppose it doesn't make sense for them to make the clarinets all that different.

Maybe I should do the Grade 6 Trinity Guildhall because they allow candidates to take the E clarinet or the bass clarinet. It'll look so cool to carry two instruments to the exam hall.

Remember you actually have to have the instruments... They are not cheap!

All clarinets will have the same number of keys and be played in the same way although, as SarahSax said, some bass clarinets will have extensions down to low Eb or even to low C, and as Rosemary said, the spacings are different to reflect the differing sizes of the instruments. If you see a middle C written, cover the same holes whether you're playing an Eb, Bb, A, alto, bass, contrabass or basset horn. The pitch you hear will differ though.


It might look cool, but it'll be a hassle. More instruments = fewer free hands to open doors, carry music and adjust music stands. You also have two instruments to tune.

In any case, the last time I checked, my A and Bb clarinets counted as different instruments

Just a bit but a thought for the future Beamish Boy - it's more user-friendly to use a more informative subject line for your posts - for example, "Bb and A clarinets, can I play both?" might have been more appropriate

Not that it has stopped too many people from answering your query which is good, but you will generally get a more useful response if the title of your thread lets people know roughly what you're asking - just in case someone who might otherwise be able to contribute helpfully just sees a thread entitled "Clarinet! Clarinet is it! All about the clarinet!" and doesn't bother because they assume it is just another general clari thread

Slightly on topic - I like the sound of the A clarinet... low instruments are ALWAYS good

Hi folksies!!!

Thanks, sarah-flute, you're always the levelheaded one. Yes, thanks for the tip on how to get more attention and hence replies for my posts. I actually started off with a euphoria to say something nice about the instrument that got me a Grade 5 pass. Then I thought about the A and Bb clarinets. And one thing led to another. But I'm glad people have been responsive.

Yes, sarah-flute, although I've not seen an A clarinet (I might have seen it without knowing it's an A), lots of people do say it sounds better. They would agree with you there.

Deborah, yes, I still haven't got over it. I can actually play so many instruments!!!! As many instruments as there are different clarinets in the clarinet family. My Mum who plays the piano says she can play most keyboard instruments but how many are there? They can't compare with the number of clarinets in the clarinet family. Hehe.

Rosemary, yes, that's a snag - having to buy the instrument. I am totally dependent on my parents so I'll have to get them to buy. Which is why the Trinity system is good. I can always tell them it's part of the syllabus for Grade 6. hehe.

That is just pure cheek!! My parents know just how important an A clarinet is. They're still making me buy it myself!! (The one to match my Bb costs £2049 ) Don't know where I'll get Eb or bass clarinets from though, as the company who made my Bb don't do those.. I could ask I guess!

There's no way my parents can make me buy a clarinet myself. I simply don't have the money. Parents are the ones who have the money and whatever little money I have ultimately comes from them. Apart from what I buy from the school canteen, there is nothing that is bought with my own money.

When you say your parents made you pay for something that costs 2000 pounds, you must have quite a lot of money. Do parents in the UK give so much money to their kids? They're more conservative in the Far East.

Parents might not be giveing so much pocket money but may well expect that a teenager finds a part time job to fund such purchases.
Remember that can be a lot for a parent to find too, especially if there are several children and/or a low wage.
If you earn money for things you learn to value them more and to appreciate that money doesn't grow on trees.

I wish!! That £2000 will be the product of 400 odd hours in a supermarket



So true! It's a good thing to earn your money, so you know exactly what that has cost you! I'm definitely more careful with my things now I have to buy them...

I'll only turn 13 in December. I don't think anyone can hire me legally. So I'm unemployable and there's no way I can earn money. Hehe.

Enjoy it while it lasts! At 13 here you can get a paper round. Not much, but its something! I got my job at 15 and 3/4.

My parents pay for the things I need (ie school, clothes, exam music) but I have to pay for everything else - I've just saved up enough to buy a piccolo I don't really get much pocket money, and I also have to pay the train fares when I visit my friends so it does take ages to save up for something I really want!

Then maybe it's one of those times you have to wait to get something until you can afford it.
Also a good lesson to learn.

You're full of good lessons!

I don't like spending money I don't have, so I guess that is a good thing...

I'm 13 next week and I've worked since I was 5 years old. My mum and dad have nothing at all. They don't have a car, never had a holiday, only part time jobs so they can teach me and be about for me. My mum invested in acting, singing, dancing, and music lessons with help from nan, and I've earnt my own money ever since. I've bought a Bach cornet and a Bach trumpet myself. I've given up the acting, but now play trumpet for people at events. You're never unemployable. People often slip me the odd £20 for a favourite piece for a funeral, baptism, or wedding. You have to put yourself about. I pay for my own music books and football boots, etc, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I don't want my parents to pay for things for me. I enjoy saving for things and spending my own money.

I guess it all boils down to circumstances. My parents would not hear of me doing any work. Everything comes from them. It's not all that bad. It only sounds bad but it's quite OK. I just passed my clarinet Grade 5 and my parents are to get me a present. Initially, I wanted an R-13 but my silly teacher advised against it. So they thought of a holiday but I just went to Britain last June. (When I was in London last June, I saw a play at the Globe and they played period instruments - I saw period cornets and a period clarinet too!!!)

Anyway, they say they'll let me go to Bali (which is very near us) but they're too busy to come along. My grandpa will accompany me which means more freedom for me cos my grandpa always needs his rest. So, it's not all that bad being dependent on parents. I may sometimes envy the independence most Western kids have but life's not too bad being dependent.

With my pocket money, I'm saving up for a clarinet or flute, and a CorAnglais. It's going to be a long job...
Saving will take a long time, but it's worth it. I don't want a part time job, because I'm not even 5 foot, so a Job will be difficult, and I don't look like a 14 year old.


My mum and Dad pay for me and my brother's Cinema tickets and Train tickets and clothes/shoes
Well, soon my brother will be in College and get a lot of pocket money, so my parents won't be paying him for those.

The only times I want clothes or shoes are when I go shopping especialy for them, which isn't often...

I'm trying to not go to the cinema, but watch it on SkyMovies when it comes out eventualy...



I've got £0.50 spending money a week because of saving for instruments. I use that for buying accesories etc when I eventualy have enough saved up for one.




that was a bit off topic lol

I really admire all your independence. It sounds like saving up can be quite hard work. You are all so admirable. Of course I'm more Machivallian in my philosophy. An ideal is a good thing but if I need to buy a new clarinet, a flute and a Cor Anglais, I'll shelve my ideal and ask my parents to pay for them. hehe.

But then, I'm not at all talented. There's no way I can play a flute and a Cor Anglais. The clarinet already took so much out of me. I'm delighted to hear that I actually can play all the different clarinets in the clarinet family. I told my Mum that I want to buy other types of clarinets but she said we'll have to ask my teacher. My teacher is the chap who advised against my getting an R13 so I'm not hopeful that he'll encourage my parents to buy me different clarinets. I like the idea of showing off different clarinets and telling people they're all different but I can play them all. Hehe.

Remember though, just because they use the same fingering etc doesn't mean you can play them. There are differences to them, size of the mouthpiece, intonation issues etc. I play the saxophone but can only dream of playing something like the Soprillo sax because it is that much harder than the alto, tenor and soprano sax. The soprano sax is known for it's intonation issues..well as you get smaller these issues become more apparent.

I agree.



An Oboe and Cor onglais have the same fingering, but a verry good Oboe tone won't mean a good tone on the CorAnglais for some people.



Also, Flute and Piccolo are apparently very different. Some people can't get the right embouchure for playing the Piccolo, even if they're very good on the Flute.

Yup, it'll be the same when other clarinets come into the question. Slightly different embouchures, and the smaller it is the less forgiving of bad intonation!

I'm not surprised you didn't get an R13 - As your are just 12! Wooden clarinets take a lot more looking after than plastic ones. Also, the good tone encourages you to get lazy (Not that I like the R13 tone anyhow!) At G5 I wouldn't really say you know your instrument well enogh to choose yourself a pro model - I certainly didn't, infact I struggled when I was 6 going on 7! Just be patient By the time you are old enough to work you'll be old enough to make good choices and look after them!

Sorry, but I can't see why being small makes having a job difficult - what job would you intend doing? I regularly work with a colleague who is only 4' 9" and I'm only just 5' myself. Bear in mind that employers cannot discriminate on the grounds of your size, unless the job specifically included duties which would only be physically possible by someone of a minimum height.

Size doesn't preclude anyone from the world of work, but there will obviously be some jobs that are a no-go. Carrying a brick hod on a building site was never going to be an option for me.....

Hi,

lizbun and I together with some of the other "underaged" people were talking about not working and independence from parental authority.

I think she means that because she is under 5', people will naturally assume she's too young to work. Plus she does not look 14.

I don't know what the age for employment is in England but here in the Far East, the laws are even more uncertain.

Sorry, I was the one responsible for this off-topic digression. It all started with someone saying I should buy only what I can afford and I defended myself by saying that I'm not yet 13 and so I can't work and MikeyC replying that he's my age but he's been working. Interspersed with this age-related angst, there was quite a bit also about the different clarinets in the family of clarinets. So we aren't exactly totally off-topic.

Anyway, going back to the topic, I'm a little disappointed to hear that it does not mean I can just pick up a different clarinet and play it the way I play my Bb clarinet. There's intonation problem even if the keys are the same. If the intonation problem is going to be there, I can only recall with a shudder what it was like to get my tone right with my Bb clarinet. It took me ages before I didn't sound like a rusty nail scratching a wall.

I'll just stick to my Bb clarinet for the time being.

Well, it's to do with most(I don't know how many) people thinking I'm 10 years old, which is far from 14, and I hate saying to people that '...well... I'm actualy 14...' everytime they ask. I've said that enough times at swimming club and school.

Their reaction makes me think that they only know normal or extreme heights of people, not 'much smaller than usual, but not the smallest in the world'.

Ahh, ok, but in the future it will be an asset - even though it might not seem it at the moment (I looked like I was 10 when I was 14 and felt insulted at the time, especially when I was on work experience).

Give it another 10+ years you'll be glad you're petite because it will still have the effect of making people assume you are younger than you are. It tends to be easier to appear younger if you are small. However, I do sometimes get the mickey taken out of me for being tiny - but for those who do such things, I put it down to jealousy

I won't let the clarinet topic be bested. So here's a posting.

I just had my lesson with my teacher yesterday and he told me that the beauty of the clarinet is that it can be played softly. He said it's got more scope for loud and soft differentiation than any other woodwind instruments. He was actually upset that I can only play loudly. I don't like to play piano because it sounds like there's saliva in the clarinet when it's blown too softly. Loud is good.

The clarinet 'does' dynamics very well.

I think there's a good chance you're relaxing too much with your diaphragm/embouchure/both when playing quietly. Ask your teacher to show you how to keep your embouchure in the right position/right shape/with the right lip pressure, and about diaphragm support. Then, all being well, you'll get quiet notes successfully. Quiet notes on the clarinet do sound rather beautiful.

Hi Barry-clari,

Thanks. Actually I'm not even sure how to use the diaphragm. My teacher mentions the diaphragm and hits his own tummy all the time but I don't believe I know where the diaphragm really is. It's not as if I know how to blow air with and without the diaphragm. I blow air the same way all the time. That's the tough bit about the clarinet. You can't really see how things are done. With the violin, you can see everything. But there is so much internal stuff in the clarinet. The other problem with the clarinet is the tonguing. When I listen to the recording, the tonguing sounds really cool. Mine sounds very loud and in the way.

The clarinet is one instrument I just have to let time take its course. I remember the time when I could not even make a sound out of it. It took me a long time before I could get a sound out. Most boys think it's easy to make a sound and I can make them respect me by just challenging them to try make a sound. After that, they look at me like I'm Gandalf, the wizard. hehe

Diaphragm breathing is all about using the muscles around the belly to push the air out(so it's not realy the Diaphragm, it's the Abdomenal muscles). When you sneeze or Pant, you do the same thing naturaly as you would when playing a woodwind instrumrnt.



Try to breath so that the muscles around the belly move, but the shoulders don't.

When blowing into the clarinet, keep the muscles around the belly in the 'pushed out' position. That's a difficult part.

Thanks lizbun,

That's quite informative.

Piano on the clarinet is lovely - slthough my teacher is forever telling me to 'play louder' !

If your breathing has the proper support and your embouchure is correct, the notes won't sound 'spiity'

It took me numerous reads before I understood what you meant I was reading it as the instrument piano

I also thought so. hehe

I know what I meant!

Totally understandable

The euphoria continues unabated. It was the first clarinet exam I took and so it meant so much more to me than if I had not skipped grades. Anyway, I'm told that I should not skip grades after Grade 5. The examiners are not so forgiving after Grade 5.

Has anyone ever thought about how convenient it'd be if they invented something that can collect moisture from the clarinet? Something like brass instruments - they have a valve somewhere that you can push and all the saliva comes out of it. I've seen this in the concert hall. For the clarinet, it's more cumbersome. You have to swab the instrument and clear the tone holes.

Don't know what's become of me but I think I'm addicted to the clarinet. Been playing it at least twice a day until my lower lip is sore.

It can become an addictive instrument!!

Tell me about it!

Notice you're speaking about your lower lip being sore BeamishBoy. Is your embouchure causing you to bite into your lower lip, or are you just getting tired after a while?

I thought it was necessary to "bite" the lower lip. The inner part of my lower lip has a small cut because of the embouchure. I sometimes place a small piece of cloth over the lower teeth to cushion the lip from being hurt by my teeth. Is there another way of avoiding this?

Thanks

i hear there is some wrap that one can buy to put it on top of one's teeth so that they don't hurt the lower lip when playing the clarinet. I just use a small piece of cloth and it works for me. Also, the pain reminds me that I shouldn't bite too hard.

You shouldn't be biting, you need to get the lip pressure without using your teeth. I'm sure that Barry or someone else much more experienced than me will be along later to explain things beter than I can.
Maybe you need to ask your teacher to have a good look at your embouchure and help you to improve on it.

It does not seem to work. My teacher is always puzzled about my embouchure but he's not sure how to advise me. He's even tried to push his finger against my lips to help me with the embouchure but he only ends up with saliva on his fingers. He once told me I bit so hard that I was beginning to sound like an oboist. hehe.

I tell him perhaps an R13 will help but he doesn't think so. He only has to say an R13 is what I need and I'll get it. Right now he is the obstacle to my getting a new clarinet. He doesn't think I should get an R13 and my parents won't buy me one unless he gives the green light. He can be such a wet blanket.

My embouchure is a problem. It's always been. That's the trouble with the clarinet. There is such an awful lot that one has to get right. But it's such a lovely instrument and when one gets most things right, oh my goodness, the reward is heavenly.

There is a simple reason for not biting - it hurts!!

Seriously though, it won't help. The mouthpiece should just rest on your teeth - you should be able to get enough pressure to play from the muscles around your mouth. Perhaps try a softer reed if you can't?

And, I agree with your teacher! An R13 will only mask the tone problems from biting, not do anything about them. Once you are making a really good sound on what you have got is when you need to upgrade He won't say 'go get an R13' either, he is more likely to say 'go and try some clarinets, here are some suggestions'. You need to choose the right clarinet for you Which might not be an R13.

Yes, every time the sound doesn't come out, I bite harder. I find B and C notes (both above middle C) usually a bit slow. It's very irritating. So I tend to bite more for these notes. It takes a while for the sound to come out. I wonder why.

But practice really helps. I'm slowly getting to be able to make those notes more speedily.

When I'm playing high notes, I notice it is easier if I push the clarinet deeper into my mouth. Which means I bite deeper in. When I'm doing the scale Eb major (2 octaves), the final Eb is really tough to produce if I don't bite deeper in.

Tough but rewarding instrument. I can never get enough of it.

I know what you mean I have the same troubles, only on A and above. Biting won't make it sound nice though! You can put more of the mouthpiece in without biting though. Barry can probably explain how better than I can though!