02-07-2020, 10:07 PM
(02-07-2020, 12:32 PM)Michael Willis Wrote:(02-07-2020, 04:36 AM)Nayrb Wrote: Eb clarinet?
I started playing Bb clarinet in fifth grade, and didn't know that Eb clarinet existed until I watched Fanfare Ciocarlia on NPR's tiny desk series . I found myself thinking, "There's something different about that guy's clarinet, what is it?" After looking around a little bit I learned about the Eb clarinet and the even smaller Ab clarinet.
Clarinets have more range than any other standard orchestral woodwind. As such, even a Bb clarinet can go pretty high. Intermediate clarinetists using Bb clarinet can play about two octaves higher than a concert middle C. Advanced clarinetists can play about a half octave (or more) above that, although that extremely high register known as "altissimo" tends to have more harsh overtones and isn't used much in traditional orchestral arrangements (jazz music is a different story). If you want to go that high, you might try an Eb clarinet since those notes are still in its "clarion" register. You might also try to triple the part with a flute or piccolo.
I sometimes think it would be fun to get an Eb clarinet, but I have to admit my motivation is mostly that it looks cute. I have no idea how much I would actually play it.
Thanks as always for the info. I knew that clarinets could be used in conjunction with violins, in staccato passages for instance, in that upper register; but I wasn't exactly sure which type of clarinet was best suited to that purpose. I guess it just depends on how high you want to go.
