Position:Home>Performing Arts> What is wrong with Alto Clarinet?

I love the alto clarinet (and cousin the Basset Horn) - they are beautiful instruments capable of great music!.

Here's the problem!. In many school bands, the alto and bass clarinet were historically considered "easy" and not all that important!. For that reason, band directors often put players from the bottom of the section onto those!. Those players were already not so good to begin with and handing them an instrument where they are the only one on the part just makes it worse!.

The alto and bass (and contras) are not easier to play than the soprano and so what we ended up with was poor players on the big clarinets who couldn't play in tune and usually played the wrong notes!. This gave the entire grouping a bad reputation!.

Then, to add to the problem, composers don't write a lot for alto clarinet!. There are some nice parts in some Grainger and Holst but for the most part it's simply doubling 3rd or 4th soprano in a range area that isn't the best for it!. In orchestra, it's all but non-existent with the basset horn preferred there!.

Then, some people starting playing politics with the alto and bass clarinet!. Since there are comparatively fewer players of these, some soprano players saw them as a way to weasel into seats in honor bands like all-state!. They would show up auditioning on alto and the competition was sparce!. This sometimes put a lower seat soprano player in the honor band on alto when the more dedicated and better soprano players faced serious competition for their seat!. This gave it a bad rep too - "if Suzie can get into all-state on alto, and Suzie isn't so great, then alto must be really easy"

Then there is a very real issue!. There is not a range on the alto clarinet that we truly need an alto clarinet to play!. The range of the instrument is completely overlapped by the combination of soprano and bass clarinets because clarinets have such an extensive range anyway!. Arrangers and composers haven't had a need to write anything that requires it because they can accomplish their task with the soprano and bass!. Bands have been able to eliminate the instrument entirely with no real loss (they think) in sound of the ensemble!.

This all creates a bit of a circle!. Since many bands (in some states most bands) don't use an alto clarinet or have a section - most composers and arrangers aren't writing for it at all!. It has become nearly extinct (replaced by soprano and bass) as has the Eb alto horn (replaced by the French Horn)!.

If your school owns one and it's not being used, asked if you can take it home to learn on while still playing soprano in band!. Say you're just curious about the whole clarinet family and might like to try a little clarinet choir work with it!. It's still an important member of the clarinet choir!. It's also a really good substitute for 1st bassoon when there isn't a bassoon player around!. Transposing from a bassoon part to Eb is easy!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Sounds like your band directors attitude is a bit off,!.!.!.

I do not allow beginners to start on alto or bass clarinet mostly because they are expensive and costly to maintain!. also, it is much easier for a begiiner to get a characteristic sound on normal Bb clarinet-so they do not get discouraged!

Most instruments do not "PLAY" in tune, the musician has to learn to adjust their embouchure & use their ears to make decisions about lipping up or down to get the pitch in tune!.
I am glad i had great band teachers when i was young,!.!.!.God Bless Mr!. Borkenhagen & Mr!. Vogel!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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Well, I don't see why starting off on the Bb clarinet would be much of a problem *and* you can learn along with the other clarinet players a little easier!. :-) Honestly, if you can play the clarinet you can pick up bass or alto clarinet so easily!. It does NOT make a difference!. The only thing you may find is that if you do get serious about music and end up trying out for all state or all region wherever you live, if you play bass clarinet or even Bb clarinet I suppose you're more likely to get a part!. There are just less people that play bass clarinet and even fewer that play them well!. Alto clarinet is not called for nearly as much as bass clarinet however, so do keep that in mind!. If you're not an excellent Bb player or a pretty good bass clarinet player you're probably not going to be able to get into these bands!. I enjoyed them because I could skip SO much school and hang out with friends at these festivals, it was a lot of fun!. I played Bb!. Good luck dear! Playing the alto clarinet in tune isn't much of a problem as long as you practice it in tune (with a tuner) and have a decent ear!.

By the way, your teacher sounds like an idiot!. If you WANT to play alto clarinet, you just go right out there and buy one!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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I played alto clarinet during 8th and 9th grade!. I started out on the regular Bb in 4th!. I didn't have a problem staying in tune, but then again it was junior high band, so the whole thing was probably out of tune!. :) In high school there were fewer alto clarinet parts, so I played bass clarinet!. I wasn't even very good, but the director wanted me to try out for districts because he said low reeds make it easily!. I'm an adult now, and I don't play anymore, but I really enjoyed the bass parts the most!. Hope that helps!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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I play "normal" Bb clari and love it!. I've played bass and a little Eb one but never an alto clari!. Maybe the intonation is difficult to get right (like sax)

Do you play clari already!? If not, get lessons!. If you do, maybe you could volunteer to try out bass if they need one!. It shows you're keen to try things and that you can hold your own part (they sometimes get some good solos!)

hope that helped!

x x xWww@QuestionHome@Com

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