i am taking grade 8 on my bflat clarinet, and one day hope to perform in an orchestra, should i also consider gettin a clarinet in A. are they very different?? or just in a different key?
excuse my naivity

matt
x

If you want to play clarinet in an orchestra then definitely get an A clarinet.

You can then cheat and play in easier keys!hehe

One thing though, is that orchestral parts written for different pitched clarinets are actually supposed to be played on the clarinet they are written for. There are supposed to be slight noticable tonal differences between an A and a Bb clarinet

There will be some better more knowledgeable clarinettists on later who can answer your question better than me!

omg sozza

i never thought of asking u on msn

sorry hun

matt

xxxxxxxxx

I only sit next to clarinets, but the clarinet in A has a considerably darker timbre despite such a small difference in pitch and size.

When the local youth orchestra down here does their auditions, they always ask the clarinettists whether they have a clarinet in A, and that affects their placing (those without end up in the wind orchestra instead of one of the orchestras).

Aside from that, I know if I could get away with playing in an easier key I would do so!

is the fingering different to a bflat - im so stupid

i will definatly look into getting one

Same fingering

Not different fingerings, but the holes are slightly further apart, as the instrument is longer overall.

legend
il defo consider getting one now. cool

thanku everyone

If you are going to play in an orchestra you will def want an A clari. You don't tend to notice the difference until you go back to the Bb after. If you are very clever you can always play the pieces written for the A clarinet on your Bb and just transpose them.

As others have said, advanced pieces (and orchestra) are specified for one or the other. It is usually to get the least troublesome key signature, but also the sound. The A is quite dark, mellow. The Bb is much brighter.

Fingering is the same on both, a semitone apart at concert pitch.

I really should have one. I've survived the last 2 years at Saturday School transposing at sight and re writing it if it's especially hard but I should get one! There is a difference in sound and it's lowest note is a semitone lower which was a pain in "Night on Bare Mountain!" Aw! I guess it's just cos I'm so picky thought, I would want one the same as my Bb, but then when I go to music college It's likely I will need a better pair anyway, making it pointless buying one before and only playing it very rarely for 2 years!

Definitely a bonus to have them, I've played in an orchestra for three years where none of the clarinetists had A clarinets, and could not transpore ... Shostakovich's festival overture sounded very very different to the original

It must've been very good practice for your transposing skills...