Does Kenny G. play the clarinet, or is it a sax.
Stormy
James Rainwater
Stormy <bolog...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:7k6rel$q2r$1...@bgtnsc02.worldnet.att.net...
> Just curious...
Soprano Sax
- James
http://baroque-music.com/
PWILLIS791
Peter
Find links to musical instrument manufacturers, stores, and more at mywebsite:
http://members.aol.com/PWILLIS791/index.html
dt king
<3uD93.201$0B1...@news.rdc2.occa.home.com>...
>
>Stormy <bolog...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
>news:7k6rel$q2r$1...@bgtnsc02.worldnet.att.net...
>> Just curious...
>
>
>Soprano Sax
What are the differences between the soprano sax and clarinet?
dtk
James Rainwater
dt king <dtk...@weblabs.com> wrote in message
news:xBP93.473$Ly.3...@petpeeve.ziplink.net...
> James Rainwater wrote in message
> >
>
> What are the differences between the soprano sax and clarinet?
>
> dtk
The soprano saxophone is made of brass and has a conical bore, whereas the
clarinet is made of wood (or plastic) with a cylindrical bore ...
- James
http://baroque-music.com/
Matt Palasik
bore. The Soprano Sax is in the key of Eb. he Soprano Clarinet is
either in the key of Bb, A or the very small soprano is in the key of
Eb. They use different size reeds. The Soprano sax is mainly a
commericial or jazz instrument where as the clarinet can be used for a
larger variety of work such as commercial , orchestral, jazz, dixieland,
etc.
James Rainwater
Matt Palasik <matt...@home.com> wrote in message
news:3767C9A7...@home.com...
>
> Actually there are more differences. The clarinet is a polycylyndrical
> bore. The Soprano Sax is in the key of Eb.
We musn't leave out the soprano sax in Bb.
> he Soprano Clarinet is
> either in the key of Bb, A or the very small soprano is in the key of
> Eb.
It's also possible to find soprano clarinets in C and high D.
Bob Fowler
>Actually there are more differences. The clarinet is a polycylyndrical
>either in the key of Bb, A or the very small soprano is in the key of
>commericial or jazz instrument where as the clarinet can be used for a
>larger variety of work such as commercial , orchestral, jazz, dixieland,
>etc.
>
>
Not to pick nits, but... not all clarinets are poly-cylindrical bore.
Sopranino saxophones are in Eb, sopranos are in either Bb or C. Soprano
clarinets are available in Bb, A, Eb, C, and D. Technically, the Eb soprano
clarinet could be considered a sopranino. There is also a sopranino
clarinet in Ab (hold your ears!). The Eb alto, Bb bass, Eb contralto, Bb
contrabass clarinets round out the rest of the family.
Bob Fowler
sax...@superlink.net
http://mars.superlink.net/saxman
Bob Fowler
>Just curious...
>
Is this a trick question?...
Dribbles97
yes he's most famous for the soprano sax. Ive never even seen him with a
clarinet
Matt Palasik
but i have ehard of C and D clarinets
they are just not very common
James Rainwater wrote:
>
> Matt Palasik <matt...@home.com> wrote in message
> news:3767C9A7...@home.com...
> >
> > Actually there are more differences. The clarinet is a polycylyndrical
> > bore. The Soprano Sax is in the key of Eb.
>
> We musn't leave out the soprano sax in Bb.
>
> > he Soprano Clarinet is
> > either in the key of Bb, A or the very small soprano is in the key of
> > Eb.
>
> It's also possible to find soprano clarinets in C and high D.
>
PWILLIS791
He's pretty much abandoned the larger saxes since he's found widespread
commercial success on the soprano. You can still find some of his earlier CDs
where he has big glasses, funnier looking hair (yes, it was possible in the
80s), and an alto in his hand.
Dribbles97
Bb is the only kind of soprano sax there is ...I think
Tim Roberts
>Not to pick nits, but... not all clarinets are poly-cylindrical bore.
>Sopranino saxophones are in Eb, sopranos are in either Bb or C. Soprano
>clarinets are available in Bb, A, Eb, C, and D. Technically, the Eb soprano
>clarinet could be considered a sopranino. There is also a sopranino
>clarinet in Ab (hold your ears!). The Eb alto, Bb bass, Eb contralto, Bb
>contrabass clarinets round out the rest of the family.
As long as were picking nits, the clarinet family should also include the G
sopranino, basset clarinets in Bb and A, the basset horn in F, bass
clarinet in A, the contrabass in GG, the contrabasset horn in FF, and the
EEEb octo-contralto and BBBb octo-contrabass.
I've never understood why the Bb clarinet is not called "tenor".
--
- Tim Roberts, ti...@probo.com
Providenza & Boekelheide, Inc.
Malcolm Tattersall
>
>
> As long as were picking nits, the clarinet family should also include the G
> sopranino, basset clarinets in Bb and A, the basset horn in F, bass
> clarinet in A, the contrabass in GG, the contrabasset horn in FF, and the
> EEEb octo-contralto and BBBb octo-contrabass.
Oy! You've left out the chalumeau! ;-)
Malcolm Tattersall
PWILLIS791
Because the alto clarinet would be lower than the tenor clarinet. Usually, the
names were assigned before there were 5,000 members to a given instrument
family. And how many of those obscure instruments are around or are actually
manufactured?
LeliaLoban
>
>Because the alto clarinet would be lower than the tenor clarinet.
Interesting point. Right now we've got two soprano clarinets, the Bb and the
Eb. Way too late in the day to change the names, of course, and I'm not
seriously suggesting it, but IMHO, among the common orchestra clarinets today,
the Eb should be called the soprano, the Bb soprano clarinet ought to be called
the alto, and the alto ought to be the tenor. Then there would be no gap
between the alto and the bass clarinet. Oh well. Too late now.
Lelia
Please delete NOSPAM from my address to reply by e-mail.
LeliaLoban
>
That's true of saxes made today, although obsolete saxes of other pitches, such
as the F mezzo-soprano, still turn up occasionally. There's only one
higher-pitched modern sax, the Eb sopranino.
Josh Rutherford
LeliaLoban <lelia...@aol.comNOSPAM> wrote in message
news:19990618144434...@ng-fb1.aol.com...
> Please delete NOSPAM from my address to reply by e-mail.
Well, while we're speaking of orchestral clarinets, don't leave out the
soprano clarinet in A. Sure, it's similar to the Bb, but it *is* in a
different key after all!
Josh Rutherford
Mark Bradley
> Interesting point. Right now we've got two soprano clarinets, the Bb and the
> Eb. Way too late in the day to change the names, of course, and I'm not
> seriously suggesting it, but IMHO, among the common orchestra clarinets today,
> the Eb should be called the soprano, the Bb soprano clarinet ought to be called
> the alto, and the alto ought to be the tenor. Then there would be no gap
> between the alto and the bass clarinet. Oh well. Too late now.
Well technically the range of the Bb and A soprano clarinet encompasses that of a
contra-alto and soprano instrument, and it does in fact play both roles in today's
orchestra. Maybe we could call the bass clarinet a tenor and the Eb contra-bass
the bass, and the Bb contra-bass the contra-bass? Looking at its counter parts in
the saxophone family, what we have now with clarinets and their range generally
matches their counterparts of saxophones. But with the clarinet it is often hard
to label it as one voice since it has such a large range, the standard clarinet
having nearly four octaves. Same thing with the french horn, it has a similarly
large range but what voice would you call it? I might call it an alto at one
point but it can also be a contra-alto or a bass too.
For those wondering, generally the clarinet family is made up of:
Ab sopranino
Eb soprano
C soprano
Bb soprano
A soprano
F alto (basset horn)
Eb alto
Bb bass
A bass
Eb contrabass
Bb contrabass
D soprano also exists but is more or less obsolete. The C soprano clarinet parts
today are often just transposed. Very few composers have written for the basset
horn, and in today's orchestra and wind bands the alto clarinet is often left out
of the orchestration. I don't know anyone who really uses an A bass but they are
there. I have in fact seen ads for G clarinets on the Internet, I can't remember
where, but unfortunately nothing much written in these fun keys. As for
saxophones, I have never heard of an Eb soprano but would not be surprised if it
existed, plenty of weird keys out there. All the soprano saxes *I* have seen are
in Bb.
-Mark
--
Mark A. Bradley
Chazy, New York
PWILLIS791
>existed, plenty of weird keys out there. All the soprano saxes *I* have seen
>are
>in Bb.
It's actually called a sopranino sax, an octave above alto. Tiny bugger.
If it were possible, I think the names associated with instruments should be
changed. Clarinets and flutes are bigger offenders than saxes. The most
common clarinets should be (and I'm leaving out the A, D, C, etc. which are
usually within a step of the Bb/Eb counterparts and can be grouped with them) :
Eb sopranino
Bb soprano
Eb alto
Bb tenor
EEb bass
BBb contrabass
Just a thought.
Daniel Smolenski
Eb Sopranino
Bb Soprano
A Soprano
Eb Alto
Bb Bass
Eb Contra-Alto (often mistakenly referred to as a Contra-Bass. The Contra
designation means an octave below, hence Contra-Alto = an octave below the Alto.)
Bb Contra-Bass
The Ab Sopranino, D Sopranino, C Soprano, Bassett Horns, A Bass and others are
generally considered obsolete. C Sopranos were used most commonly in the late
classical/early romantic periods, and their parts are now usually played on Bb or A
as the key dictates. D Sopraninos show up primarily in literature from the late
1800's/early 1900's, and their parts are now usually played on the Eb. The A Bass
became obsolete when someone put the low Eb key on the Bb bass to cover the one
note that the Bb previously couldn't reach. I have never known anyone that has ever
actually seen an Ab Sopranino, although I know they exist, and I am only acquainted
with one piece that includes a part for one, and it's optional at that and only
doubles the Eb part (a version of The Marriage of Figaro Overture for clarinet
choir published by Southern music Company in San Antonio. It also includes an
optional Bassett Horn part.).
As far as Saxes go, only four are in common usage:
Bb Soprano
Eb Alto
Bb Tenor
Eb Baritone
The Eb Sopranino and Bb Bass are no longer in general usage. The F Sopranino and
the C Tenor (sometimes called the C Melody Saxophone) are remnants of the family of
orchestral Saxophones pitched in alternating F and C, as opposed to the military
Saxes in Eb and Bb. The F Sopranino is the Sax that Ravel designated for one of the
main solos in Bolero.
An anecdote regarding C Tenor Saxophones:
I live in Dallas, Texas, and there is apparently a C Tenor that has been making
the rounds of pawn shops in the area for the past few years. Some unfortunate
student or parent will think that they're getting a great deal on a tenor and buy
it, not realizing that it is not a standard instrument. Of course, the pawn shop
personnel have no clue as to what they're selling. The hapless student will take it
to school and proceed to confuse himself in class (and often his band director as
well) when try as he might, he just can't seem to play in tune. Back it goes to
another pawn shop, and the cycle starts again. At least three Dallas middle school
band directors have told me that this instrument has shown up in their band halls
during the last four years or so, although I only confirmed one of these myself.
Any corrections? I'm sure that somebody somewhere will let me know. I guess
that's a bit more than two cents, but oh well. Sue me. :)
Danny
LeliaLoban
>An anecdote regarding C Tenor Saxophones:
> I live in Dallas, Texas, and there is apparently a C Tenor that has been
>making
>the rounds of pawn shops in the area for the past few years. Some unfortunate
>student or parent will think that they're getting a great deal on a tenor and
>buy
>it, not realizing that it is not a standard instrument. Of course, the pawn
>shop
>personnel have no clue as to what they're selling. The hapless student will
>take it
>to school and proceed to confuse himself in class (and often his band
>director as
>well) when try as he might, he just can't seem to play in tune. Back it goes
>to
>another pawn shop, and the cycle starts again. At least three Dallas middle
>school
>band directors have told me that this instrument has shown up in their band
>halls
>during the last four years or so, although I only confirmed one of these
>myself.
>
>Danny
Another good place to see C Melody saxes mislabelled is eBay. C Melodies are
frequently (I'm tempted to say *usually*) sold as altos or tenors there. Buyer
beware.
Mark Bradley
> I've got to stick in my two cents. Clarinets currently in common usage in the U.S.:
>
> Eb Sopranino
> Bb Soprano
> A Soprano
> Eb Alto
> Bb Bass
> Eb Contra-Alto (often mistakenly referred to as a Contra-Bass. The Contra
> designation means an octave below, hence Contra-Alto = an octave below the Alto.)
> Bb Contra-Bass
Whoops yes, you're right about the Eb Contra-Alto.
> The Ab Sopranino, D Sopranino, C Soprano, Bassett Horns, A Bass and others are
> generally considered obsolete.
D and Eb clarinets are soprano, not sopranino. The Ab sopranino is still used a bit
in Europe, and although much less common is not obsolete. C soprano and basset horns,
and basset clarinets for that matter, are still manufactured and marketed, in many
catalogs I've seen it will list basset horns & clarinets. A lot of people still play
C clarinets as well, less common but still used and not obsolete (The lyons' C
clarinet!!). I know at least Leblanc and Buffet make C clarinets.
> The A Bass
> became obsolete when someone put the low Eb key on the Bb bass to cover the one
> note that the Bb previously couldn't reach.
Yes, I can't imagine anyone who could afford--or want to carry around--a pair of bass
clarinets. Now, when full-Boehms were still popular in the first half of the century
why didn't the A soprano become obsolete as well? I would assume when the Eb was more
commonly used on the bass that the A became obsolete because most bass clarinet
literature is in Bb anyways, but I am not entirely familiar with that so I could be
wrong. Also, does anyone know when the basset exension to low C became part of the
common written range for bass clarinets?
> An anecdote regarding C Tenor Saxophones:
Yes there certainly seems to be as much diversity of keys in the sax family as in the
clarinet family, although more saxophones have already become obsolete.
Our school has a variety of weird instruments that my director's father occasionally
picks up, a C Melody sax happens to be one of them, I don't know if it is playable but
I would assume that there is not much music written for it anyways?
Josh Rutherford
Mark Bradley <ma...@slic.com> wrote in message
news:376BE9BE...@slic.com...
> Daniel Smolenski wrote:
>
> > The A Bass
> > became obsolete when someone put the low Eb key on the Bb bass to cover
the one
> > note that the Bb previously couldn't reach.
>
> Yes, I can't imagine anyone who could afford--or want to carry around--a
pair of bass
> clarinets. Now, when full-Boehms were still popular in the first half of
the century
> why didn't the A soprano become obsolete as well?
I'm not sure about the professional-level instruments, but I have tried
several intermediate instruments that have that "optional Eb key". Not only
is it an expensive option (well, I guess on the bass it is also), but that
key makes it easier to confuse keys on the lower joint - having the
third-space C#, B-natural, C-natural and low C# keys are difficult enough
for a student to handle. Adding another key on that joint just makes things
harder on anyone but the performing / professional musician (not to mention
the repairmen who fix them). Perhaps this is why that's an _optional_ key.
I always wondered why it wasn't placed in the same place as the bass, but
that's a design issue, I suppose.
Anyhow, given the different placing of that Eb key on the soprano, it's
easier to keep around an A soprano clarinet for negotiating those high-speed
passages that give us so much trouble on the Bb. Usually crowded with
accidentals, of course, they become more manageable transposed into the A
clarinet range. Of course, unless you play in a youth orchestra or choir of
sort, music with clarinet parts such as those usually don't come your way...
which proves the case that the A clarinet remains primarily in the orchestra
and out of the hands of your average student. In our high school band, half
of the entering clarinets last year didn't know that there was anything more
than a Bb soprano and Bb bass. When I mentioned the Eb alto (a more common
school clarinet; we had two but didn't use 'em) they were dumbstruck.
Anyone care to theorize WHY the Bb soprano clarinet was accepted as the
choice clarinet for educators, and not, say, the A or C soprano clarinets?
===========
Josh Rutherford
Olive Branch, MS
Mark Bradley
> I'm not sure about the professional-level instruments, but I have tried
> several intermediate instruments that have that "optional Eb key".
In the first half of the century, full-boehm clarinets were quite common, in
addition to the Eb key, it also had an articulated G#, extra G# key for the
right hand, and an alternate lever for Ab/Eb. The articulated G# is now not
found on many clarinets, probably because it disables a couple long fingerings
in the altissimo register since you cannot press the G# key if there is a r.h.
ring depressed. The alternate lever for Ab/Eb is still used on some clarinets,
and a great thing, especially the kind that allow you to remove it without
creating a space between the two keys. The extra G# key for the right hand
seems to have fallen out of use as well, I am not sure why but I can imagine
possibly because it is unneccesary? The Eb key I would begin to assume is used
to extend the range of a Bb clarinet, but I have a full-boehm A that also has
this extra half-step. Then, possibly is it used to correct the intonation of
the other notes in this part of the instrument, or some other acoustical
advantage? I believe this may be so.
> Anyhow, given the different placing of that Eb key on the soprano, it's
> easier to keep around an A soprano clarinet for negotiating those high-speed
> passages that give us so much trouble on the Bb.
Yes it does confuse the fingering, I often might hit the Eb key instead of the
E, but I suppose given enough time this is not really an issue, especially
considering the acoustic advantages of the added length (then why don't we use
basset clarinets instead????)
> Anyone care to theorize WHY the Bb soprano clarinet was accepted as the
> choice clarinet for educators, and not, say, the A or C soprano clarinets?
Over the years the Bb clarinet is the main one used in orchestras and wind
bands, so I would assume it is a question of literature. The music for school
bands in years past has usually written for Bb clarinet so it is a natural
choice. Orchestral music, too, is mostly written in Bb. C clarinets have
fallen out of use except in a number of orchestral pieces, again a question of
what the music is written in. I suppose if most of the lit. was written in C
then it would have been the choice.
Now, if any of you had read this far, I have a separate question on the old
open hole alto clarinet I had taken apart. Any tips on what to do with the
screws, rods, keys, etc., to make it better? I have some key oil, where, and
how much should I apply it before I re-assemble it?
I'll have this in another post anyways in case it is ignored by people not
following this thread.
Mark
--
Mark A. Bradley CCRS sophomore class of 2001
Chazy, New York http://ccrs.neric.org
Daniel Smolenski
Mark Bradley wrote: D and Eb clarinets are soprano, not sopranino. The Ab sopranino is still used a bit in Europe, and although much less common is not obsolete. C soprano and basset horns, and basset clarinets for that matter, are still manufactured and marketed, in many catalogs I've seen it will list basset horns & clarinets. A lot of people still play C clarinets as well, less common but still used and not obsolete (The lyons' C clarinet!!). I know at least Leblanc and Buffet make C clarinets.
Thanks for the correction on the Eb and D soprano, not sopranino clarinets. ("My bad" as current parlance would have it.) As for usage on the rest of the instruments you mention, I did qualify that I was addressing current common usage in the U.S., but even if Ab & C clarinets and basset horns are still being manufactured, that doesn't mean they are being written for on a regular basis. I would be truly amazed if anyone could come up with any signifcant list of new literature written for any of those instruments in recent years. People might be playing them, but if composers are not calling for them, that to me signifies obsolescence. Does anyone out there care to delve more deeply into the topic of literature for Ab clarinet, C clarinet and basset horn? I'd be interested to see what someone might come up with.
Danny
Daniel Smolenski
Josh Rutherford wrote:
Anyone care to theorize WHY the Bb soprano clarinet was accepted
as the
choice clarinet for educators, and not, say, the A or C soprano
clarinets?
When the modern school band movement first started really catching on
in the first few decades of the 1900's, the model was the military band,
where the Bb was already the accepted standard.
Danny
Matt Palasik
question on the old
open hole alto clarinet I had taken apart. Any tips on
what to do with the
screws, rods, keys, etc., to make it better? I have some
key oil, where, and
how much should I apply it before I re-assemble it?
I'll have this in another post anyways in case it is
ignored by people not
following this thread.
ok taje these steps first. witha pipe cleaner clean out the post holes
and the holes in the keys drill rod to remove any built up corrosion
inside. to clean the screws you can simply use soap and a rag. once
everything is clean this is the best places for oil.
On pivot screws (The reall small ones) place a drop on the threads of
the screws. You can also place a drop in the post hole where the screw
goes. For hinge screws (The long screws) place a drop of oil on the
threads and on the top post hole before inserting the screw. That way
as you push the scre through the post the oil wil coat the entire screw.
Aside from oil the screws you will want to place a drop of oil at any
point where there is meal to metal conact. For example beteen the hinge
rod of the thumb ring and both of its posts. In you find your bottle of
oil not good enough to control the flow of oil, there are a couple
options. The best IMHO s to goto your local harware store and pick up a
bench oiler. Its a squeeze like botttle with a very thin piece of metal
simmiliar to a neddle sticking out. These work great you get very fine
amounts of oil out with them. TYThe other opion is to take the point
ofg a needle or pen or something fine like a screwdriver head and use it
to apply th eoil from the bottle to the clarinet
Matt
Dribbles97
a soprano. The thing was pretty useless
LeliaLoban
>buy
>a soprano. The thing was pretty useless
>
Well, diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks, I guess. I bought a C Melody on
purpose because it was $15 in wretched condition at a yard sale and I figured
it was expendable enough for me to use to learn to re-pad a sax. Figured I'd
get rid of the corpse later, at my own yard sale. Surprise! I like the C
Melody so much that I kept it. I use it for playing music written for
C-pitched instruments and voice, without transposing. The tone of a C Melody
is softer and more mellow than that of other saxes. Over on the sax NG, Paul
Lindemeyer pointed out that the C Melody was made for the home market, for
playing around the home piano, so it didn't need to be a screamer. I think
it's a completely legit instrument, a useful one, and a bargain right now,
since it's not much in demand. Resale value won't be much good and of course
there's no professional music out there.
PWILLIS791
>all
>time, Rudy Wiedoeft (spelling?) Frequently played a C-Melody sax in his
>recordings and in his stake performances.
True, but he's about it. There aren't (note present tense, not 70 years ago)
that many pieces written for or transcribed for a C sax. It's not much use for
playing a sax part in an ensemble unless you're going to transpose. Play
violin, flute, or oboe music with it. Play it at church so you can read the
piano or C instrument book. If there was a lot of literature, and consequently
demand, for a C sax, don't you think someone would be making them? Selmer,
Yamaha, Keilwerth, Yanagisawa, nobody. No literature, no demand, low prices.
Decent C horns can be had for $200 while similar vintage alto or tenors of the
same brand could fetch almost 10 times that.
Bob Fowler
<19990622131804...@ng-bd1.aol.com>...
>>No professional music? Go back in time. One of the premier saxophonists
of
>>all
>>time, Rudy Wiedoeft (spelling?) Frequently played a C-Melody sax in his
>>recordings and in his stake performances.
>
>True, but he's about it. There aren't (note present tense, not 70 years
ago)
>that many pieces written for or transcribed for a C sax. It's not much use
for
>playing a sax part in an ensemble unless you're going to transpose. Play
>violin, flute, or oboe music with it. Play it at church so you can read
the
>piano or C instrument book. If there was a lot of literature, and
consequently
>demand, for a C sax, don't you think someone would be making them? Selmer,
>Yamaha, Keilwerth, Yanagisawa, nobody. No literature, no demand, low
prices.
>Decent C horns can be had for $200 while similar vintage alto or tenors of
the
>same brand could fetch almost 10 times that.
>
>Peter
C-Melody saxes CAN be screamers IF you set it up correctly. Put in new pads
with the biggest resonators you can fit, use a short shank metal tenor
mouthpiece and it will scream! One good use for the C-Melody is when you
jam with guitar players who only know tunes in the keys of D, A and E ...
robsc...@my-deja.com
http://www.arista.com/aristaweb/KennyG/event.html
on July 6th, 1999 at 9pm eastern time.
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.
broo....@fifeschools.com
> Just curious...
kenny g plays the selmer mark2 alto and tennor saxaphones
--
**** Student email is for educational purposes only. **** **
broo....@fifeschools.com
> Just curious...
cdggod...@gmail.com
vanwinkl...@fallongreenwave.com
> Just curious...