hi guys.

could you please give me advice?

i recently swithched to the Eb clarinet in our school`s band.

before that i played the 3rd Bb part together with another guy.

now the most my part is the 3rd Bb part transposed a 4th lower so that it tunes with the 3rd clarinet. the rest is rests. the 4ht and 5th parts` notes is also a lot higher than mine.

he(and the 4th and 5th parts) plays about 30 bars more than i do in the 2 new songs we received for 2006. all the stuff he plays while i have rests i can play and im 2 1/2 grades ahead of him.

my part is also not indicated in the full score.

Eb is supposed to be about playing the high notes that are difficult on the normal clarinet with easy and precision.

i started in band a year ago when i couldnt play at all. the principal clarinet was supposed to teach me and help me but they never did. i got a good teacher and made a lot of progress but they have always made me feel like i cant play at all.

i made a lot of progress very quickely but it didnt matter which grade i was on they still made me feel like i couldnt play a note.

about a month before my grade 2 exam our teacher told them i was doing it and the principal clarinet said that he didnt even know there was such a grade as grade 2.

they principal clarinet always told me and the other 3rd part to play every thing an octave lower and the notes werent even very high. notes like the c above middle c.

i am now starting with grade 5 and nothing has changed. i switched to Eb because i couldnt take Bb anymore but it now its even worse.

the conductor knew before he started writing music for 2006 that i would be switching to Eb.

he said it was fine and i must come and show my instrument to him. i was grade 4 then. my part is still the 3rd bb part transposed down to tune with them with a lot more rest then the 3rd part.

i can play the clarinet but no one believes in me.

i also started with theory last year and everybody told me i would never make it, then i passed grade 5 theory with distinction.

what can i do to get more respect in the band and not just be someone who gets an easy part?

i love the band and all my friends are in it. its the only thing i do.
but im not so sure anymore if clarinet is worth it.

the band has been amazing but being a clarinet has been a nightmare.

we won the nationals last year.

i get along great with everyone in the band except the clarinets. There is just 1 huge personality clash in our section and a lot of bad memories.

what can i do to get respect as an Eb clarinet in the band. at the moment it doesnt really make a diffirence in the sound if i play or not and im not going to be able to just take it and say nothing for another year. my part is an insult for the Eb clarinet.

Should i even stay a clarinet or should i start learning another instrument so that in 2007 i can leave clarinet forever?

i wanted to be a professional clarinetist one day but now im not so sure anymore

Wow... That sounds awful.

Actually I don`t see why you`re conductor write music him self!? Is it a concert band or what is it? I`ve never heard of such thing as 5th parts in concert band music. I once played Percy Grainger Lincolnshire Posy (really good music) and that`s the onle time I`ve seen 4th parts!

I play the e flat clarinet myself. I actually just started playing it, but I`ve been playing clarinet for 11 years now so it isn`t a problem for me to play it(of course it`s a bit more difficult).

Well, back to you`re problem... Maybe you should believe a bit on yourself instead of letting all the others opinions influence on whether or not you should play the clarinet. Maybe you switched to the e flat clarinet to early. It`s quite important to be good at the regular before you switch The you could get a bit more respect in the clarinet group and then switch!

If everuthing goes wrong I would switch to the oboe. That`s a very nice instrument and it`s got LOTS of solo parts

Good luck!

Perhaps if you get to band early and warm up with some Bach sonatas people will take notice?

I remember my jr. high school director used to make his own arrangements, but it was really because people couldn`t read music and he was dumbing down parts.

thanx for all your advice.

we are a concert band so we have 5th parts and stuff.

im in south africa not the usa.

im on grade 5 standard(principal gr7, snd clarinet gr6, 3rd grade 3, rest no grade) and i cant switch to oboe because its a bit expensive and it has to be imported.

i imported the eb.


i checked with the conductor before i did.

i dont wnat to leave the band because were like 1 big family but im not sure if i can take another year of this.

i will try some bach sonatas.

i started playing violin as a second instrument so maybe ill switch to it if my 2007 parts still look like they do now.

actually our conductor just arranges and transposes pieces.

my first thaught of your problem was:
you are maybe a good clarinetist in the technical way, but your sound is poor, and that why your conductor dont want you to play the real Eb-parts.
i know by experience that it takes time before beeing really skilled on the Eb, and to make a great tone, and switching from 3-5th clarinetparts directly to the Eb isn`t maybe the best way to go.
most people in an orchestra is putted in certain parts/chairs because thats about their level in playing. i think that is what your conductor has done. doesn`t matter that much if you plays fast and is a good technical player, if your sound is crappy and poor, then your not yet a "good" clarinetist!!!
but i think that your fellows in the clarinet-section is really behaving bad. have never heard of anything like that. i have just met nice clarinetist in my career as one...
I DO BELIVE IN YOU! you got the right spirit and doesn`t sound like a quiter! so keep the faith and struggle with that intonation until it sounds like it should! then go and kick some 1st-chair clarinetists asses! and show them of with those sonatas!!!!!!

Hi guys.

Do you know of any good solos for Eb clarinet?

Stuff origionally written for the Eb?

What is good pieces to have in my repertoire?

hey guys.

thanx for all your advice.

my student quit the band so now its pointless for me to stick with clarinet. i think maybe the violin would be a better option.

in our band all the `seniors` in our band teaches some of the new kids who can`t play yet.

i had a student for about 6 months but now he has quit the band.

he was a nice guy with lots of potential...

but anyway thanx again for all your advice.

xxx

"I once played Percy Grainger Lincolnshire Posy (really good music) and that`s the onle time I`ve seen 4th parts!"

my all-city symphonic band is playing that in a concert tomorrow. its really good! =)

you should speak to the conductor after rehearsal one day and say that you find the music very easy and you would like a more difficult part, and request to play a piece for him to show that you are capable.

i would learn a nice solo piece for either Eb or Bb, whichever you think you are better at or would prefer to play, because if you do this well you will gain respect. you may even want to steal a copy of the hardest clarinet part, photocopy it, learn it well, and maybe even request to play that to the conductor as well. And work on perfecting your sound. practice every day on your own simple scales and just work on tightening up, building up the muscles in your jaw, and perfecting your embouchure. sit up very straight, take deep breaths and play from deep within your stomach area. you may be good at playing the notes and melodies but the way to really gain respect is to have a nice sound. anybody can play the notes with enough practice, sound is definately what distinguishes you from other players. I would suggest getting a good mouthpiece and playing better brand reeds(Vandorin or something, just not Rico) if you find it easy to make sound come out, move up in reed size. i would also probably go back to Bb clarinet because you are still new to the clarinet, and it will be easier to develop your sound.

don`t quit because of stupid fellow players. if you secretly learn their parts, you can happen to walk up next to them during warming up, and "sightread" their part, and if you play it better than they do, you will show them up.