[BobbyC]

I've played clarinet a few times.

A pit orchestra where all the doublers were on sax at the same time or clarinet at the same time and we sit in front of the piano and bass.

At community band practice, only a handful of people make it every week so the sound is usually light if not a bit thin.

I've only been with the community since this summer and was filling in for players that couldn't make a concert.
Mostly tenor and alto sax.

I finally asked the director for a permanent spot on those occasions when everyone shows for a performance.
After a discussion, we decided 2nd clarinet would be a good choice.

The clarinet section is small to begin with and I definitely need the practice on clarinet so it's a win-win.

This weekend was the first concert where I played clarinet sitting in front of the trumpets and other brass.
This was also my first experience with not being able to hear anything I was playing.
Not a comfortable situation.
I caught myself missing a sharp here and there but not being able to hear the wrong note coming from my clarinet.

I'm hoping this was mainly due to the large band getting packed into a small gazebo.

I've never been drowned out playing sax so this is a new experience for me.

I now have a newfound respect for anyone playing under these conditions.

I could feel the clarinet vibrating in my mouth but could hear nothing except on the parts where the brass were subdued.

All the while I kept wondering what the flutes in front of me could hear.
Hopefully not my wrong notes.

 

[tictactux]

Bobby,

hehe, welcome to the club. I share your fate since this January with the exception that I have a hard enough time without them &%ç* trumpeteers tormenting my eardrums. Ear plugs help against the noise, but then I can't hear my section buddies any more, something I still heavily rely on.

But it's getting better each time. One develops selective hearing.

 

[Isle of Jazz]

They don't call it the "gloom tube" for nothing!

Yes, it's hard in a small band to keep the clarinets from being drowned out by the brass. Remember, the clarinets are essentially handling the work that would be done by the violins in a full orchestra. Sousa's concert band was 35% clarinets! I'm fortunate in that the community band I play in has a dozen clarinets on a good night (drawn, however, from a 75 mile radius!) and we sit in our own section, 4-4-4, with no one behind or in front of us. Hope you enjoy some good musical experiences in spite of this and continue to develop your clarinet chops.

 

[bandmommy]

Only 4 clarinets in my Community band. We sit in the front row with the flutes and an oboist. Trumpets are behind the flutes which is OK, they stink and need to be drowned out. We however are in front of the SAXOPHONES.

We've got a fantastic director. She's always yelling at the trumpets 'if you can't hear the flutes and clarinets, you're TOO LOUD!!'.

Have fun in your new 'Community'. It should be a great learning experience.

 

[MM]

If you think that is bad, try playing 2nd flute in a community band with loud brass, outside. You might not even know if you are on the correct partial. It's a great way to hyperventilate.

 

[retread]

I joined a small community band to get some work in on clarinet. First rehearsal was tonight. I keep busy on sax, playing bari in a large community band, alto tenor and bari, with occasional clarinet doubles, in a couple of swing bands. Tonight I was absolutley pooped after only an hour. My chops were gone and my thumb ached. Sometime, somehow, someone's got to invent a clarinet that blows as easy as a sax (and doesn't squeak when your embouchure goes).

Oh yeah, the lead trumpet spent the evening playing way too loud directly into my right ear. Only self discipline kept me from spinning around and stuffing a mute into his bell.

But I've got to admit, clarinet gets some great parts.

 

[Saxmusiclover]

A clarinet is only great when you're soloing. If there's more than one of you, you all have to play in synch all the time to be heard at all (in most cases). Try listening to a group where the clarinets are franctically chasing each other on top of the loud brass and saxes (who're also chasing each other) you'll know what I mean.

 

[stevesklar]

yes, but without the clarinet section there would be a void space w/o the "flutter" notes filling in the gaps of the rest of the band

 

[retread]

If there's more than one of you, you all have to play in synch all the time to be heard at all (in most cases).

That, to me, is the joy of clarinet playing. It really feels good to be part of a section that is in synch (and in tune). Same feeling as a proficient big band sax section. Good harmonies, good execution, good feeling.

Maybe I'm just a born sideman.

 

[cann0nba11]

They don't call it the "gloom tube" for nothing!

I prefer "agony stick"

Every time I hear Eddie Daniels playing his clarinet I just put mine back in the case and leave it along for a long, long time. His technique, his tone...man, it's just beautiful.

 

[bandmommy]

The technique, the tone,,,
All the more reason to keep that clarinet out and hit the shed. Ya don't get THAT good overnight. Keep plugging away at it, You'll get there!!!

Loud trumpets,,, Wear earmuffs. Not the fuzzy winter type but the industrial kind. Sure you'll look stupid, but you'll get the point across.:twisted:

Really, when I sit in front of the trumpets I wear foam earplugs. They take the edge off without compromising my ability to hear the rest of the band or myself.

 

[tictactux]

Really, when I sit in front of the trumpets I wear foam earplugs. They take the edge off without compromising my ability to hear the rest of the band or myself.

Musicians get a rebate on earplugs here (just like disco patrons get the yellow plugs for free.) It's all part of a govt. campaign re workplace and leasure time safety.

 

[BobbyC]

Last weekend none of the alto or tenor saxes could make the concert.

I played lead alto behind the lead flute and worried the whole time if I was too loud for her.

The old me wouldn't have thought about that.

 

[stevesklar]

Last weekend none of the alto or tenor saxes could make the concert.

and they didn't know that before the concert ? short notice, luckily they had you

 

[BobbyC]

The director found out the saxes couldn't make it just a couple days in advance and sometimes the college kids that play clarinet will play sax as needed.
Unfortunately, none of them could make it either.

There are a few of us that switch instruments as needed for just such emergencies.

 

[whitetiger03]

hi, im 14 and i played the clarinet for 4 years and i think that its one of the best instruments ever( :

 

[stevesklar]

The director found out the saxes couldn't make it just a couple days in advance and sometimes the college kids that play clarinet will play sax as needed.
Unfortunately, none of them could make it either.

There are a few of us that switch instruments as needed for just such emergencies.

I get requests like that - for a local comm band - if i could play sax or clarinet - they normally need tenor sax though. It's fun, as long as I don't have to do many practices.

 

[honda73]

I play Tenor in a College Jazz band. Our lead tenor does not double on clarinet so the director asked for any takers for the clarinet for "Lets Dance"(Benny Goodman Theme) I said that I would give it a read. Let me tell you it was a Thrill!
So keep those Clarinet Chops up and a licorice stick handy. You never know.

Bill

 

[monzamess]

If you just need to be loud...

Right now I'm using a Rico Royal A5 mouthpiece with a Rico Royal 3 reed. It's a fairly loud combination if I need it to be yet still playable with a nice tone at low volumes.

I have a Selmer G mouthpiece that can be very loud (recommended to me for playing in a swing band), but I need more practice before I can make that thing sound good again; it's so open that my out-of-shape embouchure can only huff some breathy notes out of it, even with a weak reed.

Finally, some people swear by the "power barrel" and even respected players claim it really works and lets them compete with the trumpets (even though it's really, really weird looking):
http://www.doctorsprod.com/store/comersus_listItems.asp?idCategory=11

 

[SOTSDO]

I use a very open Selmer mouthpiece on the bass clarinet (also of the G lay, this with 2.5 reeds), and it helps both with volume and with tone quality. As one who grew up playing 3.5 reeds on a C*, that's a big change.

Part of the problem is that such mouthpieces are not common; I had to order mine from Music 1-2-3 and then had to wait for it as well. With a bass mouthpiece, there's a substantially greater outlay, and thus most are not willing to take the chance. God help the bass sax player...