Clarinet with a Boehm System. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Like starting with any instrument, beginning clarinet is a process of learning that involves both great achievement and the occasional setback. However, if the beginning clarinetist follows a few tips relating to clarinet care and clarinet playing, the success is sure to outweigh the setbacks.
The first thing that a new clarinet player should learn is to put together their instrument properly, and how to hold it. One of the important things when putting a clarinet together is not to force any part into another, and that the side lever is up when the lower and upper parts are put together, otherwise bent keys could be the result.
This type of care should be extended to all parts of the clarinet - while it is inevitable that reeds will eventually split, they will last longer with careful care. The clarinet itself will last longer and have less need for repair if it is looked after properly, which includes cleaning after each time it is played and being put in its case properly.
One of the most difficult things for the beginning clarinetist is getting the embouchure correct. The embouchure is how the lips are shaped to hold the mouthpiece and create the correct vibration of the reed. Make sure that the bottom teeth are covered by the bottom lip and that the top teeth are touching the mouthpiece, but not clamping down too tight. It is normal for beginner clarinet players to have a lot of squeaking! As you continue to learn and practice, this annoying part of beginner clarinet playing should disappear.
There are many different materials that clarinet mouthpiece can be made from. There is a significant difference in belief as to how much the particular material is really of importance when it comes to the projection of sound of the mouthpiece.
This topic is actually very controversial and frequently creates a significant difference in belief when being debated. There are many qualified professionals that are completely certain that the distinctions between the different materials used to make mouthpieces have no consequence on the way the clarinet sounds or plays. There are even more qualified professionals alike, who are certain that the different materials are vital to the way the mouthpiece sounds and plays. There have been large amounts of experiments and studies that have generated evidence that can be used to prove both sides of that argument.
Crystal mouthpieces are becoming more and more popular today. They are said to have a behavior like no other mouthpiece. They have a higher resistance and the sound they create is frequently described as "dark but colorful and flute-like". To balance their higher resistance it is preferred that softer reeds are used with it. An advantage of using a crystal mouthpiece is that crystal is very resistant, as it does not become warped because of dampness. Also, its chances of expanding due to heat is very low.
One of the most popular brands of crystal mouthpieces is POMARICO. The Pomarico Company is a family-owned business located just North of Milan, Italy. They are a small company but the quality and performance of their mouthpieces are prestigious. Some of the great players that use a Pomarico mouthpiece includes Chris Corbett, principal clarinet in the Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin, and Corrado Giuffredi, international clarinet virtuoso and first clarinet in Italian Swiss' Orchestra. And there are many many more. Their mouthpieces consist of pure Italian crystal from Tuscany. And every Pomarico mouthpiece is completely handmade.
Pomarico's crystal mouthpieces are instantly responsive. They are perfect for chamber music and concerts. Pomarico's experience in the mouthpiece making business has led them to start making mouthpieces with crystal, which is what they believe to be the best. They believe that crystal is the best sound conductor. They also believe that crystal mouthpieces are the most germ-free, and as stated earlier they are not easily warped due to dampness.
The enjoyment of musical performance by both the performer and listener depends on several factors apart from the work being performed, two of these are the instruments tonal qualities and its tuning.
The clarinet tone is dependent on the design and construction of the instrument, the clarinet reed and the skill of the player developed over many years of practice.
Instrument design and construction has gradually been improved over the years and quality instruments are now capable of producing a very fine tone indeed, given a good quality instrument the bore of the Clarinet will affect the tone and this has become a fashion thing which has varied over the years, a slightly larger diameter bore will produce more of a mellow tone than a smaller bore which would be referred to as a bright sound, however, it must be recognized that the player has a great influence on the sound produced.
Factors affecting tone are the air supply and how the player controls its flow into the instrument with the tongue together with the lips controlling the reed, a steady flow of air into the instrument is achieved by control from the diaphragm, I prefer to think of it as breathing into the instrument rather than blowing. A fine tone can only be developed by playing long sustained notes and slow tunes as part of the daily practice over the formative years, in fact, this aspect of practice should always be part of the daily routine.
Clarinet tuning is, of course, a very important part of the player's activity, and yet it is an activity which is frequently misunderstood by conductors and players, modern quality clarinets have come a long way in this respect the over the past fifty years but we still see players setting up their instruments incorrectly.
The availability of affordable electronic tuners certainly helps but the recognition of the correct procedure is frequently missing. The body of most common instrument pitched in B flat is made in five parts, starting at the top we have the mouthpiece, the barrel, the upper joint, the lower joint and the bell.
At the end of the mouthpiece and the upper and lower joints cork covered tenon's push into the barrel and the bell, the method of tuning most frequently adopted is to warm up the instrument by playing for a few minutes, temperature will cause the pitch to rise, and then with the joints pushed together play B with all holes covered, this will be a little sharp, then pull out the barrel to lower the pitch to the correct level, unfortunately this approach will put some parts of the instruments range out of tune!
The correct method of tuning is to start with all fingers off, this will give open G then adjust the barrel to bring G into tune, then play B with all holes covered and pull out the center joint to bring B into tune, a good instrument will then be in tune over most of its range, the highest register, above top C may need adjustment on some notes with the players embouchure.
Adrian McQuire Amateur Clarinetist for over 55 years
Every clarinet player understands just how crucial it is to have a proper mouthpiece. The clarinet mouthpiece is that part that creates the overall pitch and timbre of the sound coming from this musical instrument. Here is a clarinet mouthpiece guide to give you an idea about this particular device and how it works.
The right material
Any clarinet mouthpiece guide will tell you that when it comes to mouthpieces, the rule of the thumb states that softer materials can make darker sounds that are also less projecting. Conversely, harder materials for mouthpieces will create brighter sounds.
Plastic
Most students' mouthpieces - or those that are used by novices are made of plastic because this material is more affordable and relatively more durable. The only setback is that the sound tends to be brighter than normal, making it difficult to focus.
Ebonite
If you want better-focused sound, you want to use a clarinet mouthpiece made of ebonite or hard rubber. This is the preferred material by jazz musicians and those who play classical music. An ebonite clarinet mouthpiece will not require a lot of projection and edge.
Crystal
Crystal clarinet mouthpieces are mainly used for outdoor playing. They can create sounds that are bright and better projected so they are also popular choices for jazz players.
Wood
This material is rarely used for clarinet mouthpieces because it can create the warmest sound and the least projecting at that. This material is also less durable than plastic or rubber.
Buying tips
Another important point that a clarinet mouthpiece guide will tell you is that the sound quality that you want to produce depends on the type of bore that your mouthpiece has. A compact and more focused tone comes from a smaller bore while one that is dark and mellow can be produced by a larger one.
The Klezmer music is the traditional Jewish music originated in Eastern Europe in the last centuries. In fact, the term Klezmer is a Yiddish word which is a contraction of two Hebrew words, "kli" and "zemer". The meaning of kli is instrument, tool, while zemer definition is air, melody, song.
So the Klezmer is the instrument of the song, the vessel of the voice. At the origin, the word klezmer was employed to designate the itinerant Jewish musicians (the plural is "klezmorim") who were playing at weddings and celebrations, traveling from village to village. The Jewish folk music had many cultural and geographical influences. Although being essentially an Ashkenazi music the impact of the Oriental, Greek, Turkish, Jewish and non-Jewish communities living in the Ottoman empire was not negligible.
Wherever they were, The musicians picked up music from the people living around them, the Gypsies, Romanian, Ukrainian, Moldavian, Lithuanian, Polish and many others. But in spite of or maybe thanks to all those external influences the Klezmer kept his particularity, his characteristics, and his unmistakable sound. At the beginning of the 20th century, this music style was indexed as Jewish music, Yiddish folk music or even as "Bulgar", but gradually the word Klezmer began to refer to the style and the repertoire.
It is probably Moshe Beregowsky, a Russian-Jewish ethnomusicologist who used for the first time the term Klezmer as the music performed by the Klezmorim. In the seventies, while the Klezmer revival occurred, the word was definitively adopted as the generic term for the musicians and the music style.
Hence, while the music itself is a few centuries old, the word Klezmer is a kind of neologism. In fact, the juxtaposition of klezmer and music is a tautology, a redundancy. Although the Klezmer is a secular music, its roots are religious, liturgic. The fact is that globally and in every culture, music has always a religious or mystical origin. It is a way to accompany the rites or the ceremonies, to reach a state of trance and to approach the divinity.
Klezmer is not an exception, the Psalms of King David in the Bible are maybe the first apparition of structured music. The Klezmer adopted also the intonation and the voicing of the cantor at the synagogue. The Klezmer is not playing, but rather he is singing through his instrument, hence first the violin and then the clarinet were the instruments of predilection for the Klezmer because they are very close to the human voice.
The art of klezmer is an art of interpretation, many players can play the same tune, the same melody, the same nigun (nigun in Yiddish means a wordless melody), but it will always sound different because each musician is expressing his deep emotions and revealing his own soul. Giora Feidman, the great clarinet Klezmer player called this "the inner voice". Maybe the Klezmer is the most appropriate musical expression to show off sentiments, feelings, sensibility. It can be joyful, it can cry, it can burst out laughing or burst into tears.
But in spite of this ambivalence, there is always a message of hope.
About the Author: Arik Nitsan is a clarinetist who is specialized in Klezmer and world music. For more resources on clarinet and Klezmer, visit his website: clarinet-klezmer - Source: www.isnare.com
Clarinet with a Boehm System. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
For the most part, I loved my childhood. I loved growing up in a house full of brothers and sisters. I always had a playmate and there was never a dull moment. We had a great family time and my mother was the most amazing cook. We all had to take lessons of all kinds from the time we were really young. I remember being forced into trying piano and clarinet from around the time I started elementary school. At first, I was quite excited about the piano and quite hesitant about learning the clarinet.
My feelings changed rather quickly, however, when I began showing a natural talent for the clarinet. I had trouble mastering the ivories of the piano and my mouth and fingers just naturally worked together on the clarinet in a way that my mom said sounded just like magic. I think she might have said that simply because she wanted to inspire me to stick with the instrument for her own listening pleasure.
I'm not exactly sure when it happened, but eventually, I came to enjoy playing the clarinet as much as my mother loved hearing me play. I guess I liked it because it was the one way I stood out from among my siblings. In a large family, I had to take any opportunity I could get to stand out and make a name for myself. The clarinet was my opportunity and I grabbed ahold of it with all I could.
I signed up for private lessons after school and I became a part of every local band and orchestra that would accept me. I guess my perfectionism was evident even from these early years. All of my hard work paid off when I was offered a scholarship to a well-known music conservatory where I went for three years after high school. My parents could not be more proud of me, except I think they were a little concerned that I would not make a career out of clarinet and would be stuck poor and leaning on them.
My time in the conservatory led me to get a master's in music education and I have found my calling as a teacher of clarinet at a local university. It is my privilege to use my love for the clarinet and my talents to help other students achieve their dreams with the clarinet as well. So follow your dreams, whatever they are. For me, it was the clarinet. I'm so glad that I grew up playing it.
Like starting with any instrument, beginning clarinet is a process of learning that involves both great achievement and the occasional setback. However, if the beginning clarinetist follows a few tips relating to clarinet care and clarinet playing, the success is sure to outweigh the setbacks.
The first thing that a new clarinet player should learn is to put together their instrument properly, and how to hold it. One of the important things when putting a clarinet together is not to force any part into another, and that the side lever is up when the lower and upper parts are put together, otherwise bent keys could be the result.
This type of care should be extended to all parts of the clarinet - while it is inevitable that reeds will eventually split, they will last longer with careful care. The clarinet itself will last longer and have less need for repair if it is looked after properly, which includes cleaning after each time it is played and being put in its case properly.
One of the most difficult things for the beginning clarinetist is getting the embouchure correct. The embouchure is how the lips are shaped to hold the mouthpiece and create the correct vibration of the reed. Make sure that the bottom teeth are covered by the bottom lip and that the top teeth are touching the mouthpiece, but not clamping down too tight. It is normal for beginner clarinet players to have a lot of squeaking! As you continue to learn and practice, this annoying part of beginner clarinet playing should disappear.
Clarinet with a Boehm System. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The clarinet is the second highest sounding instrument of the woodwind family which consists of flute, clarinet, oboe, and bassoon. It was invented by Johann Denner around 1690 and in the 1800's Klose adapted the Boehm flute system to the clarinet making it playing in all keys. It came into general use around the time of Mozart and beyond. Here is some information to help you decide if you want to learn the clarinet.
The clarinet has been made from a variety of materials including wood, plastic, hard rubber, metal, resin, and ivory. Grenada is a popular material used by professional musicians and most modern inexpensive clarinets are made form resonite ( plastic resin ). It looks like a long cylindrical tube with keys down the length of the tube covered by keys. The upper end is shaped like a mouthpiece and the lower end opens out like a bell shape. One side of the mouthpiece is flattened to allow the single reed made up of a single piece of cane to be fixed to it.
Clarinet players hold the instrument in front of them and produce a sound by blowing through the single reed on the mouthpiece, thus making the reed vibrate against the mouthpiece. The various sounds are created when the player presses down the keys and hinged rings such that movable pads cover the holes, in different configurations or finger patterns. The clarinet produces a mellow tone with a brilliant upper sound. The range of notes the clarinet can produce is over three octaves from E below middle C on the piano upwards to a C three octaves higher.
There are more than twelve types of clarinet with varying sizes and pitches, hence they make up the clarinet family. Many are rare or obsolete. The most common ones used today are the clarinet in Bb and clarinet in A. Both are used in orchestras depending on the key of the piece.
Clarinets are used in jazz and classical ensembles eg the orchestra, concert bands, in chamber groups, and as a solo instrument. They are rarely used in rock or pop music. There are usually two to three clarinet players in an orchestra each having different parts and changing between the clarinet in A and clarinet in Bb. A popular chamber group which the oboe takes part in is the wind quartet which consists of 1 flute, 1 clarinet, 1 oboe, 1 bassoon, 1 french horn. And it is combined with other instruments in various groupings.
Before your child starts playing a kind of musical instrument, particularly a wind instrument such as a clarinet or saxophone, a New York orthodontist strongly recommends that you check first with your dentist. The dentist said that faulty alignment of teeth and gum difficulties are among the dental problems that certain individuals have because of the instruments that they play. He said in a report published in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association that millions of American children are playing some kind of instruments they selected themselves or are studying music in schools using instruments that may have been assigned to them on a haphazard basis.
There are just certain instruments that are not suited for children dentally or temperamentally, and this would be later on discovered by the children. Many would be a musician is handicapped from the start and will never be any more than mediocre in his field. Dentists who want to provide good service for their patients must remember to tell would be musicians, music teachers, and parents that some dental problems are caused by the playing of wind instruments.
Before the parents invest time, effort, and money to this musical pursuit, a dental consultation should be done first. There are a lot of dentists who claim that single reed instruments are usually to blame for cases of body tissue illnesses experienced by wind instrumentalists. The lower lip is supported by the teeth, and unfortunately, it is also here that a lot of weight from the instrument is applied. Applying pressure on the teeth reduces the blood circulation in the affected bone area.
The upper teeth may also be misaligned due to the pressure exerted by the lower jaw onto the upper teeth. Compression of the lips against the upper and lower teeth is the result of playing brass instruments like a trumpet. Tooth mobility may come as a result of playing these instruments for extended periods of time. A short upper lip prevents a person from playing the flute well and comfortably, while irregular teeth cause a person's lips to hurt while he is playing the oboe or bassoon.
Dental problems may arise because of string instruments also. Certain studies indicate that faulty bite is a common problem of violinists since a lot of pressure is put on their jaw when they play. These dental problems can be prevented if an oral examination is given to would be musicians. Proper early recommendations can ensure dental suitability and oral health so that a would-be musician is not needlessly handicapped in playing his or her favorite musical instruments, he said.
Getting check-ups before anything else is definitely a great way to make sure you don't get complications in the latter stages of life. Seeing your dentist beforehand is especially true when it comes to playing wind instruments. Seeing a dentist is never a bad thing.
Your choice of clarinet mouthpiece will largely affect the quality and type of sound that you will produce. After all, the mouthpiece is where sound starts and clarinet players have to use the right mouthpiece according to their level of expertise. Choosing a clarinet mouthpiece according to your specific needs and expertise is important to avoid problems while playing.
The mouthpiece has several purposes. First of all, it allows the user to get air vibrating through the clarinet in order to produce sound. And second, the mouthpiece works to hold the reed in place. A lot of things go into the decision on the type of mouthpiece that you should use. These include the material, interior and exterior design and the mouthpiece facing.
In a clarinet, facing on a mouthpiece is also referred to as the lay. This is the part where the reed sits in the mouthpiece. The size and length of the facing can affect the timbre of sound that the clarinet produces but it's not a focus of concern when choosing a clarinet mouthpiece.
Mouthpieces can be made of various materials. Most are made of plastic. Pieces made of wood or glass are rare. Even the material can affect the quality of the tone produced although many beginners cannot even tell the difference. As such, it's better to base your decision on your budget. You want to assess the practicality of purchasing a mouthpiece that is made from a specialty material in relation to the sound that it produces at your particular stage of expertise.
When choosing a clarinet mouthpiece it's also a good idea to look at the mouthpiece bore. If you want to produce a focused and compact tone, opt for a clarinet mouthpiece that has a small bore. A larger one is required if you want to create a dark and mellow tone.
Bb- and A-Clarinet, German System (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The clarinet family are some of the most expressive instruments in any orchestra, woodwind ensemble, or jazz band. They have a very distinguishable sound spanning all of the ranges: low, medium, and high. We are so attracted to the sound of clarinets because they sound so much like us. The "licorice stick", as it was once called, can express a full range of emotions from serious, happy, sensuous, exhilarating, sexy, dark, loving, dreamy, or melancholy.
The Beginning of the Clarinet Family
Clarinets were not invented, per se, but originally existed as folk shawms. Shawms can be dated back to the 1400 and 1500's and were known in France as "bombardes" or "chalameux" and in Germany as "pommern". They were slightly conical, had a narrow bore, 6 fingerholes, an open key inside a protective cylinder for the small finger, and a double reed like the oboe. In the late 1600's the renowned woodwind maker Johann Christian Denner of Nuremberg turned the chalameux into the clarinet when he made them into the shape of an oboe.
Clarinets were the first reed instruments to have a cylindrical versus a conical bore and were made of boxwood. Wooden tubes were cut into several joints with a separate bell. Early clarinets were played with the reed tied to the mouthpiece with twine and against the player's top lip, which often produced a shrill sound. It wasn't until 1831 in Paris that the reed was switched to the lower lip providing for a more pleasant tone.
The first clarinets in the clarinet family had a key above the front holes to produce a' and another key on the opposite side for b' and were pitched in C. In 1720 Denner's son modified the clarinets by moving the b' hole towards the top. With the vent hole at the upper end of the cylinder, the scale of fundamentals could sound a 12th higher. The hole was covered by a speaker key. When the third key was added, the range was extended down a semitone to make it possible to play the missing b. During this time it was difficult to play in different keys, so the body of clarinets were divided into 3 sections so the player could use interchangeable joints of different lengths.
In 1750 the fourth (Ab, Eb) and fifth (F#, C#) keys were added and clarinets were no longer just solo instruments, but were now accepted into the orchestra. Further refinements came in 1790 when the sixth (C#, G#) key was added and the pear-shaped barrel disappeared. Although, the mechanics improved with the addition of keys, there continued to be ongoing difficulties with fingering, correct embouchere, and intonation, so different clarinets were made for playing sharp keys and flat keys. Finally in 1809 Iwan Muller developed the prototype of what became the modern Bb clarinet with 13 keys. In 1817 this model was improved upon by using pads over the countersunk tone holes and the metal ligature was invented. In the mid 1800's the final major modification was made by Hyacinthe Eleanore Klose' who used ring keys like those that Boehm had used for flutes in order to make the fingering system more simple.
Bass Clarinets
The first bass clarinets in the clarinet family were developed in 1772 by Giles Lot in Paris. They were called basse-tubes. They are in the keys of Bb, C, and A, have an Eb key, and are an octave below the clarinet with the ability to span 3-1/2 octaves. Between 1772 and 1836 different musicians in various countries constructed bass clarinets, including Adolphe Sax in 1836. The bass clarinet is similar in appearance to the saxophone in that it has a curved bell and the mouthpiece is attached to a curved neck. Their tone is full and deep and are more popular in free jazz or avant garde versus jazz.
Alto Clarinet
Within the clarinet family the alto clarinet in the key of G existed in 1792 and was later changed to the key of F and Eb. It never acquired a role in the orchestra, but was used as a tenor clarinet in British military bands since the saxophone was not in existence yet. Its best quality was its ability to project sound extremely well.
Contrabass Clarinets
Another member of the clarinet family was the Bb contrabass clarinets which were in existence since the 1800's. They are an octave below the bass clarinet, have a rich tone, and are easily blown. Leblanc of France made a collapsible model with a mechanism which straddled the double tube. It was used in the London Symphony Orchestra.
Double Bass Clarinets
Playing at two octaves beneath the clarinet, double bass clarinets have a tone that is solid and full. Beginning in 1808, different versions were developed, but it was not until 1890 that finally an excellent one was made by Fontaine-Besson of Paris. The downside of this music instrument is that it was very expensive, so it was not used much.
Cousins To The Clarinet Family
Basset Horns
Basset horns were first made in 1770. They were made out of wood which was split lengthwise, then the two halves were hollowed out, and then glued together to form a crescent shape. This was then covered with leather. In 1800 the horn shape was changed to being sharply bent to an almost right angle. It underwent another shape alteration a few years later when Heinrich Gresner in Dresden tried to give it a straight form as it is today. Basset horns are basically an alto clarinet, but with a narrower bore, thinner walls, and four semitones below the low e.
Contrabasset Horns
Contrabasset horns were first developed in the beginning of the 1800's by Georg Streitwolf in Gottingen. They are in the key of F and one octave below the basset horn. From the 1880's into the 1900's some musicians tried to revise them, but they were not used much and are rare.
Even though the clarinet has been quite popular, especially during the early jazz years, not everyone knows that it has taken quite a long time for the clarinet family to evolve since its early beginnings as a shawm in the 1400's. It has many family members that are unique in their own way, yet very similar to the clarinet, just like any human family members. The sound of clarinets has also developed from a shrill, unpleasant sound to a tone that that is pleasant and captures a full range of emotions of the human spirit.
The clarinet is a popular woodwind instrument. Many people play this instrument in bands, orchestras, solo, and in small groups. If you’re trying to choose an instrument, you might wonder whether the clarinet is for you. There are pros and cons to choosing to play the clarinet. Before you buy your first clarinet, it’s a good idea to figure out whether this is the instrument you want to invest your time and money in.
What Kind of Instrument Do You Want to Play?
There are several different kinds of instruments, and different reasons why you might want to pick the clarinet or make a different choice. Are you going to play in the school band or in an orchestra? A clarinet is a good choice. Do you want to play in a rock band? While there are popular clarinet players, you’re probably going to want to go with something like the keyboard, drums, or electric guitar, at least as a primary instrument. If you want to sing while you play an instrument, you’re going to have to pick a different instrument. The piano is a popular instrument if you’re playing in church, but I do play my clarinet in church, alongside the piano and the organ.
If you decide that the clarinet is the right type of instrument for you, you’ll probably want to test it out first. Most people are able to play the clarinet with enough practice, but it’s still a good idea to try it. Many students like to rent instruments, but I don’t recommend renting to own one: it’s a much more expensive way to acquire an instrument than buying one outright. If you don’t know anybody that has a clarinet that you can try out, feel free to rent a clarinet for a month so you can check it out before you buy one.
You can find inexpensive instruments online, but keep in mind that the cheapest instruments don’t always have the best sound quality, and you may want to replace them with better instruments later on if you start off with one.
Reasons to Play the Clarinet
There are many good reasons to learn to play the clarinet. It’s a fairly easy instrument to learn to play; you don’t need extensive music lessons to be able to play this instrument. You can probably even teach yourself how to play this popular woodwind. If you want to play in the school band, orchestra, or at home for fun, this is a popular choice for many people, and may be right for you as well.
The Brahms clarinet quintet is one of the most popular pieces of music in the clarinet repertoire, but the connection between Brahms and the clarinet goes well beyond this one piece of music. Brahms is recognized as one of the greatest composers for the clarinet, and it was the clarinet that lured this great composer out of early retirement.
Brahms wrote for the clarinet in his earlier orchestral pieces, such as the two Serenades and his Symphonies, but his interest in the clarinet was to be expanded once he met a virtuosic clarinetist named Richard Mülfeld. Beginning his musical career as a violinist, Mülfeld soon rose to be the leading clarinet player of his generation. Becoming friends soon after being introduced, Brahms and Mülfeld would discuss the possibilities of the clarinet, with Mülfeld often playing pieces of the repertoire in his own style for Brahms.
Brahms had decided to retire from composing in the late 1880s, however he was so inspired by Mülfeld's playing that he gave up these plans, and composed the Clarinet Quintet (Op. 115) and Trio (Op. 114) in 1891, as well as two Clarinet Sonatas in F minor and E flat (Op. 120) in 1894.
The Clarinet Quintet was premiered by Mülfeld and the Joachim Quartet on December 12th, 1891. It has been considered a pinnacle of music written for clarinet ever since.
Most clarinetists will incorporate at least one of Brahms pieces for clarinet into their repertoire, with many clarinetists choosing to learn all Brahms wrote for the clarinet.
By Marc Hofkens
Written by Marc Hofkens. Please find hundreds of articles about the clarinet at 1st-clarinet-music
Lots of sheet music for the clarinet to download!
Article Source: EzineArticles
A clarinet is never complete with without a suitable mouthpiece that contributes to its overall timbre and pitch quality. Clarinet mouthpieces are generally attached on the instrument's top end. They can be made of different materials like hard rubber or plastic and they come in varying facing lengths. Using this clarinet mouthpieces guide, you can determine which type of mouthpiece is best for your instrument and your taste.
In this clarinet mouthpiece guide, we shall compare the 2 kinds of materials that make up most of the clarinet mouthpieces made nowadays: plastic and hard rubber.
Plastic: plastic mouthpieces for clarinets are made of durable and solid plastic. They are characterized by their lightweight and thin features, and because of these, you can only use them for a limited period of time only. They can eventually warp over time and can also crack without proper maintenance. However, they are readily available and inexpensive because of mass-production.
Hard rubber: made from heavy-duty rubber, it boasts high durability compared to plastic clarinet mouthpieces. Therefore, you can expect it to withstand cracks, scratches, and other types of damages. It is also more stable for a fuller sound and a longer balanced tone but it demands high maintenance and a high budget for buying.
What to buy
To end this clarinet mouthpiece guide, here are some tips you can use to buy the right one regardless of the material used to make them. For starters, check the mouthpiece bore because this can help determine the quality of sound that you can produce. A small bore produces a focused and compact tone while mellow and dark tones are produced by larger ones. Finally, check the facing length and make sure that it is long for improved flexibility and control. Long-facing mouthpieces also make stronger lows and vigorous sounds.
Important information
A complete clarinet mouthpieces guide is available PickyGuide, the authority in free consumer advice. Access top-ranked, best-reviewed, and most competitively priced clarinet mouthpieces in PickyGuide's recommended products section
Important buying tips
More information on clarinet mouthpieces is available in Picky Guide, one of the fastest growing online magazines giving free consumer advice and product information.
can be made of various materials. Most are made of plastic. Pieces made of wood or glass are rare. Even the material can affect the quality of the tone produced although many beginners cannot even tell the difference. As such, it's better to base your decision on your budget. You want to assess the practicality of purchasing a mouthpiece that is made from a specialty material in relation to the sound that it produces at your particular stage of expertise.
