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Post by altoclarinets on Apr 4, 2009 8:41:48 GMT -5
Yess! What had you had before?
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Post by Lprdgecko on Apr 4, 2009 12:55:15 GMT -5
The same one I'd gotten in 6th grade... A plastic Armstrong or something.
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Post by altoclarinets on Apr 5, 2009 15:37:53 GMT -5
Ooh. oi. Before I got my E11 I had had a Normandy 4. It's an OK horn- the tuning isn't the greatest but at least its wood- but the problem was, if I had it lined up straight, when I pressed the side key to finger Eb, it hit the post that the RH keys were hung on and didn't open all the way. So i had to turn the LH joint off to the left side. Which hurt... tremendously. Thankfully, I got an E11 and have since lived happily ever after... but it's time for something for college.
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Post by altoclarinet123 on Apr 6, 2009 16:14:22 GMT -5
Anyone play alto clarinet? my bd hates them, so we never get to use them for concert band even when there's a cool/important part, but my friend got to play it for clarinet choir and i stole it from her sometimes(with permission of course :-P). Those things are super-spiffy! I play alto clarinet! (for six years to anyone who thinks they can beat me - it is my first instrument). And to prongs4band all alto clarinets are disgusting unless you buy your own new one (I'm saving up until I can buy the Buffet Crampon). It's the most awesome instrument ever and a necessity if you are playing Grainger. I have played the solo in Children's March and hope to someday play the more pronounced solo in Lincolnshire Posy.
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Post by altoclarinets on Apr 7, 2009 17:47:06 GMT -5
And I am the original alto on this site! Psh. Yeah. I want to start an alto clarinet website. Maybe we could make a page on here.
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Post by altoclarinet123 on Apr 7, 2009 21:56:53 GMT -5
^^ Yeah, I know. That would be cool. I just noticed something odd when I was looking at all those pictures of professional altos. My alto is open-holed. And it has no serial number. That was kind of a problem when I went to get it fixed (which never ended up working, btw). It does have this logo on it that says Bundy __unite made by selmer elkhart, Indiana. The blank on it is where it is worn off. If anyone knows what the blank is, that would be helpful. My clarinet's plastic, by the way. I use a Neotech Bass Neckstrap (it took forever to find one that was actually padded, lol). I have a C* mouthpiece (which I adore - completely makes up for the suckish clarinet), 3 vandoren traditional reeds (I can play on 3 1/2, but I need to use up my 3's first), plain metal ligature (I know absolutely nothing about ligatures). There is a reason for that. They like to randomly explode and they're honestly a bit more trouble than they're worth. But I love playing it and I made region, so... hey, whatever. If they're in playable shape maybe you could use one for solo and ensemble (if that's your kind of thing). All of this has kind of got me thinking: how many clarinets do we have on this forum? Not to mention subcategories. I know we have at least one other altoist but I think I'm the only one who has ever personally played contra. There was a Bb contra player at region auditions... it was amazazing. I laughed when I read this. (to anyone who doesn't know I play the BBb). And as for the randomly exploding part, my clarinet goes more under the deteriorating category. Slowly, day by day, my B gets airier and airier until it works no more. Even though I finally figured out what's wrong with it, I doubt the idiots who run our nearby shop actually will get it. There is a weird balance of cork thickness in the pinky keys that are messed up. And I need to replace the one cork joint on the instrument - fun! My contra (school) is a tall leblanc. I play on an old mouthpiece from before they changed the size of reeds and mouthpieces so they are smaller, so my rico 2 1/2 's (as suggested by a visiting contra player) don't exactly fit on the mouthpiece . And if anyone had tips on jumping from D4 to B4 (as notated on the Bb soprano) quickly without squeaking?
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Post by altoclarinet123 on Apr 8, 2009 21:09:36 GMT -5
Heads up to everyone here who is looking for a cheap good mouthpiece (on Bb). The Mitchel Lurie mouthpiece ($150) is being sold for $30! This is the link: 1stopclarinet.stores.yahoo.net/miluprbbclmo.htmlMy BD recommended this site - I was browsing and found this amazing deal and had to share it with someone!
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Post by altoclarinets on Apr 10, 2009 12:58:27 GMT -5
And if anyone had tips on jumping from D4 to B4 (as notated on the Bb soprano) quickly without squeaking? If it is TR 123123D to long B of which you speak, you either have a bent key or need you B pad replaced. Get it looked at by someone othere than "the idiots at our local shop". And you can buy wine corking and glue to fix minor issues like that yourself. Use moderately binding glue, not superglue- you want any future technicians who work on it to be able to get it off without trouble, but it needs to stay on until then too!
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Post by altoclarinet123 on Apr 10, 2009 19:19:12 GMT -5
I am not sure if I was clear about it being the contra, I don't if you answered it that way or not... I said "as notated on the Bb soprano" because I actually think it would be D2 and B2 on the contra. I was talking about T 12 D and TR 123123B/E B and I think it is my mouth, because I can play B in a chromatic scale, but not after playing D. Also, on the contra, my Eb/Ab sounds really bad... But with the way that key works, it is probably the main body of it (it is made of metal) so I doubt that is being fixed - ever.
I might take your advice on fixing the alto myself, even though cutting a piece of cork in the right shape might be hard. Yeah, this part you may need to look at your alto to understand, but on the right pinky set of keys, there is a cork on the thing attached to the C/F key and in between the C#/F# key and the B/E key. The cork has a chip on it under the B key so the B key is wiggly and my trill is demented. Plus the fact that the cork on the key attached to the bell is not thick enough, so the B doesn't always seal completely, and if I replaced the chip in the other cork, it would make it even worse... It took me forever to figure out that relationship. I brought it to the shop once and they "fixed" it, but it slowly deteriorated back to the way it was and now it is less playable. I also have a air leak that makes my lower upper register really airy that I finally contributed to the fact the cork joint needs replacing, so I need to go to the shop anyway, so I will ask them to fix it (and give them the specifics) and if they fail I will ask my assistant BD, who might actually understand.
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Post by altoclarinet123 on Apr 11, 2009 10:11:35 GMT -5
How much does it cost to get your clarinet's thumbrest replaced or put in a different spot? My Bb's thumbrest is in an uncomfortable spot under my middle finger that makes my grip my clarinet harder, but I would live with it if it was really expensive - I want a new clarinet sometime anyway.
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hansel2011
Band Nerd
Music expresses the words which can not be spoken...
Posts: 211
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Post by hansel2011 on Apr 12, 2009 11:55:00 GMT -5
Yes!!!! A clarinet page!!!! I have been playing soprano clarinet since 6th...I am in 10th!!!! I love it more than anything in the world. I have played bass in honor band before and ever though I love how beastly it sounds, I can not leave my soprano.I have always wanted to try Eb but my bd will not let me do anything other than soprano...oh well. I will one of these days.
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hansel2011
Band Nerd
Music expresses the words which can not be spoken...
Posts: 211
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Post by hansel2011 on Apr 12, 2009 11:57:52 GMT -5
I went from having no solos to the entire marching show being revolved around my friend and I . I had a blast and loved it. I think it would be incredible to be in the Texas Wind Symphony...but any orchestra would do.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Apr 12, 2009 13:37:21 GMT -5
Question-what does open-holed mean?
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Post by Lprdgecko on Apr 12, 2009 13:51:47 GMT -5
Open: Closed: Flutes can be made with open or closed holes also. Open-holed simply means that there is a hole in the key that your finger must completely cover or else the clarinet will squeak, the note won't come out, etc.
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Post by altoclarinets on Apr 12, 2009 15:11:00 GMT -5
How much does it cost to get your clarinet's thumbrest replaced or put in a different spot? My Bb's thumbrest is in an uncomfortable spot under my middle finger that makes my grip my clarinet harder, but I would live with it if it was really expensive - I want a new clarinet sometime anyway. What kind of horn do you have? Wood vs. plastic, as well as age will make a difference here.
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