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Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2000 15:28:15 -0700
From: Grant Green
Subject: [CB] Re:My $0.02 on several topics
>the conductor has stopped. Georgie W., second basssoon. Always there at
>the base of the chord, certain of what he ought to be playing, faithfully
>following the part, but too often too quiet.Yes, but the question is: should he conduct? ;-)
>7. What are these freaking umlauts and agues and other stuff that my new
>computer keeps giving me when I type (see items 4 and 6 above)?Am I correct in assuming that you have just switched to using a Mac? You're getting umlauts and accents because you're hitting the "option" key, which does *not* really correspond to the "Alt" key on the PC. Check your apple menu for an applet called "Key Caps": this shows you a depiction of the keyboard. When you press the option key, the display changes to show you where the accents and umlaut etc. are. You can generate accented characters by hitting, for example, option+u (for umlauts), followed by a vowel (including y). The keys that behave that way (adding an accent to the key that follows) are shown in Key Caps surrounded by a dotted line (the remaining keys, like the £ are shown normally). If you try to put an umlaut on a letter that can't have one (actually, it is probably more a matter of which characters belong to the font set), you'll get instead the accent over a blank space followed by the second character.
Enjoy!
Grant
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant Green
ecode:contrabass http://www.contrabass.com
Professional Fool -> http://www.mp3.com/ProFools
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------------------------------------------------From: LeliaLoban
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2000 21:57:09 EST
Subject: [CB] Odd bass clarinet in BostonI also posted most of this message on the klarinet list.
During a weekend with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Kevin (my husband)
and I visited the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. We went to (dare I mention
this...?) a special exhibit, "Dangerous Curves: Art of the Guitar." The
exhibit included more than 130 guitars, from the Renaissance to the present.We also looked at the museum's regular musical instruments exhibit, in one of
the museum's smallest galleries. The wind instruments include an Adolphe Sax
alto sax ca. 1844; a suona from which I was finally able to obtain the
details of what the reeds for my suonas ought to look like; a serpent that
may be the one Doug Yeo has played in Boston concerts; a bass ophicleide; a
gorgeous bass recorder made of boxwood with a brass C key ca. 1700 by Johann
Christoph Denner; and a fancy German alto recorder made of heavily carved
ivory with the head joint carved into a dolphin's head, ca. 1710.The clarinet family there includes a Raymond Griesbacher basset horn, made in
Vienna, of boxwood, ivory and brass. Another clarinet is about the size of a
clarinet in A. Michel Amingue of Paris made it, ca. 1794, of ebony, ivory
and brass. It has 5 keys (oblong and flat, made of bare brass), with the
wooden mouthpiece turned the opposite of the way we play it, so that the reed
would touch the upper lip. The clarinet that interested me most was an
Italian bass clarinet by Nicola Papalini (no date), made of pearwood with
three brass keys. The shape was partially serpentine, in tight bulges, so
that it bore a disquieting resemblance to a short section of intestines, but
slightly flattened. The fingertips would cover some of the holes while other
holes would lay under other parts of the fingers. This clarinet was,
overall, shorter than a modern alto clarinet. The idea seemed similar to a
bass racket, which produces startlingly low bass tones from a small-looking
instrument. From the bulges, I couldn't tell whether the single piece of
wood on the outside might conceal a labyrinth of separate chambers inserted
down the bore, as in a racket. I couldn't guess at how to finger a scale.
Has anyone here played this instrument or anything like it?This collection has discontinued publishing a booklet, so that the only
information readily available to the public now appears on the small cards in
the displays. The cards didn't specify what keys any of these clarinets play
in, alas. The museum has a web site, http://www.mfa.org, but the only
instrument I could find discussed there was the fine Broadwood piano, the
first known model with six full octaves.Lelia
~~~~~~~~~~~
On the keyboard of life, always keep one finger on the escape key.
---------------------------------------------------------From: Fmmck
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2000 22:39:36 EST
Subject: Re: [CB] Re:My $0.02 on several topics
In a message dated 12/5/00 6:29:15 PM, gdgreen writes:
<< Am I correct in assuming that you have just switched to using a Mac? >>
Grant-
I see an equals-two-zero at the end of many of your lines (=20), comparable
to the characters that apparently correspond to his umlauts and agues. The
thing is I'm using a Macintosh, and frequently see messages here with garbage
characters substituted for various non-standard-ASCII ("High ASCII")
characters. I had assumed that he was NOT using a Mac since I didn't see the
same characters he saw. Perhaps he did accidently hold down a Control, ALT
or Command key while typing, as you suggested.Some people may have used a separate word processor to compose their message,
which has its own set of special characters for things like quotes and
apostrophes. As an example, Microsoft Word on a Windows machine, will
convert the characters one-slash-two into a single character that looks like
a one-half. If that text is pasted into a message, the one-half character
will appear as an omega symbol when read on the Macintosh. I'm not sure what
the effects are for the "curly" quotes and apostrophes.Fred McKenzie
MMB
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Tue, 05 Dec 2000 22:54:00 -0500
From: jim & joyce
Subject: [CB] interesting eBay listingI think one of these was posted before -- maybe the same one, since the last one
had a high, unreached reserve.What sort of range does this thing have? has anyone on the list ever played one?
It is not a metal clarinet, so don't expect me to bid.jim lande
---------------------------------------------------------
From: "Tom Izzo"
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2000 23:47:17 -0600
Subject: Re: [CB] Odd bass clarinet in BostonLelia,
> We also looked at the museum's regular musical instruments exhibit, in one of
> the museum's smallest galleries. The wind instruments include an Adolphe Sax
> alto sax ca. 1844; a suona from which I was finally able to obtain the
> details of what the reeds for my suonas ought to look like; a serpent that
> may be the one Doug Yeo has played in Boston concerts;Doug plays his own. He has three Church Serpents, a Serpet (Tenor Serpent),
a Worm (Soprano), and George, The Anaconda (Contrabass Serpent).
He did demonstrate the museum's Serpents in their Serpent Night at the
Museum last year, but plays his own in the BSO & BPO.
>
> Has anyone here played this instrument or anything like it?
>
That wasn't the "Russian Bassoon" was it?> This collection has discontinued publishing a booklet, so that the only
> information readily available to the public now appears on the small cards in
> the displays. The cards didn't specify what keys any of these clarinets play
> in, alas. The museum has a web site, http://www.mfa.org, but the only
> instrument I could find discussed there was the fine Broadwood piano, the
> first known model with six full octaves.Doug has pictures & more details about a lot of the instruments on his website:
http://www.yeodoug.com> Lelia
> ~~~~~~~~~~~
> On the keyboard of life, always keep one finger on the escape key.hahahahahaha Great .sig!
Tom
---------------------------------------------------------
From: "Tom Izzo"
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2000 23:50:57 -0600
Subject: Re: [CB] Re:My $0.02 on several topics> Some people may have used a separate word processor to compose theirmessage,
> which has its own set of special characters for things like quotes and
> apostrophes. As an example, Microsoft Word on a Windows machine, will
> convert the characters one-slash-two into a single character that looks like
> a one-halfThere are also keyboard "ALT" commands that will produce that. 3/4 ---3/4 in one space.
¿Comprendé??Tom?
---------------------------------------------------------
From: "Tom Izzo"
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2000 23:53:24 -0600
Subject: Re: [CB] interesting eBay listingJim,
----- Original Message -----
From: jim & joyce
Subject: [CB] interesting eBay listing> I think one of these was posted before -- maybe the same
> one, since the last one
> had a high, unreached reserve.
>
> What sort of range does this thing have?"This thing"?
To what are you referring?
has anyone on the
> list ever played one?Played one what?
You don't quote anyone nor show a direct link, so I don't know to what you
are referring.
> It is not a metal clarinet, so don't expect me to bid.
>
On?
Tom
---------------------------------------------------------
From: "Peter Hurd"
Date: Tue, 5 Dec 2000 22:01:08 -0800
Subject: [CB] Details- H listDear Grant,
A few small details for the Hph list:
spelling- Becher, Heinrich Ansbacher
change- Isaacs (not yet published) to ms
spelling- Koechlin seul
add to- Lerstad (ob, ob d'am, EH, Hph)
change- Pappadakis (not yet published ) to ms
spelling- Mielenz
change- Spevak (not yet published) to msadd to msic in transcription:
Traditional: Sixteen Christmas Carols for
2 oboes and 2 bassoons
(optional parts for oboe III, oboe d'amore,
and bass oboe) BMC (BMC- 119)
When you have entered these changes, would you kindly send me the entire list as an e-mail attachment? Thanks!!
With best wishes, Peter---------------------------------------------------------
From: "Rich Haynes"
Date: Wed, 06 Dec 2000 16:03:26 +1000
Subject: Re: [CB]so whats the go with Ab clarinets? are they common? easy to play?
ridiculously high? im so excited!rich
---------------------------------------------------------
From: "Rich Haynes"
Date: Wed, 06 Dec 2000 16:10:52 +1000
Subject: Re: [CB] specializingwow thanks for the mammoth info jean!
with pit orchestra parts, what instruments are in which book? are there set
groups or just as needed?rich
---------------------------------------------------------
From: "Tom Izzo"
Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2000 01:15:42 -0600
Subject: Re: [CB]> so whats the go with Ab clarinets? are they common?
Only Selmer is currently making them.
Buffet used to also. minor 7th above the Bb Soprano, perfect fourth above the Eb Sopranino.
At one time there was even a C Piccolo Clarinet (9th above the Bb Soprano)
Anyone have one of those? The "Fountain pen".Tom
easy to play?
---------------------------------------------------------From: "Rich Haynes"
Date: Wed, 06 Dec 2000 16:22:17 +1000
Subject: Re: [CB]thanks tom. are they practical? any major intonation issues?
rich
---------------------------------------------------------
From: "Tom Izzo"
Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2000 01:22:34 -0600
Subject: Re: [CB] specializingYou Bass Clarinet-o-philes would love West Side Story.
WW1, WW2, WW3, & WW4 alll call for Bass Clarinet. Only WW5, does notGreat book
Tom
- Piccolo & Soprano Flute, Soprano & Bass Clarinet, Alto Sax
- Sopranino, Soprano & Bass Clarinets
- Piccolo & Soprano Flute, Soprano & Bass Clarinets, Tenor & Bari Sax
- Piccolo & Soprano Flute, Sop & Bass Clarinets, Oboe & English Horn, Soprano And BASS Sax
- Bassoon
---------------------------------------------------------
From: "Tom Izzo"
Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2000 01:30:35 -0600
Subject: Re: [CB]
> thanks tom. are they practical? any major intonation issues?
A good Clarinetist should have no problem unless you have very large fingers :-)
I've only seen them written for in Clarinet Choirs,Tom
---------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 06 Dec 2000 00:32:31 -0800
From: bitwise
Subject: Re: [CB] Odd bass clarinet in BostonLelia -
I have seen that bass clarinet in books - I was wondering where
it lived. I am reasonably sure the 'bulges' are hollow, i.e. contain
channels - the bore wouldn't be long enough to qualify as a 'bass'
otherwise. If dimensions could somehow be obtained, an educated
guess could be made as to key - at least the pitch of the lowest
note. Aside: I believe I read (yes, Grant, it's that same book I've
been looking for) that this particular horn is in A, but I can't be
certain.As one who believes musical instruments exist to be played, I
have a bit of trouble with the concept of locking them away behind
glass. Nice to look at they may be, but that isn't their primary
purpose. If a particular specimen is too fragile to be played,
the person(s) responsible for the exhibit could at least take
complete measurements and make those available.
Other museums do this. Some museums even make drawings
of some specimens, for those who wish to build replicas.Craig
---------------------------------------------------------
From: "George Wright"
Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2000 08:58:12 -0500
Subject: RE: [CB] Odd bass clarinet in Boston> During a weekend with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law,
> Kevin (my husband)
> and I visited the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.Lelia's message reminds me to mention something I saw at Rod Baltimore's
shop at 48th and Broadway this past weekend. I was looking for a
40's-vintage Buescher Aristocrat baritone, but no luck on that.They did have an all-metal contrabass clarinet on display. Forgive me,
but I can offer no more information. I know I may get drummed off this
list for that lack of attention, but I was distracted by a rare Conn F
mezzo saxophone that ended up absorbing all my musical toys budget.They also had on display a tenor shawm, available for $1,500. It looked
about a meter long, had a rosewood body, a flaring silver bell, and a
wide double reed at the other end.BTW, this is the place that, for years, had a contrabass sax on display.
This is the sax that Lenny Pickett would occasionally play on SNL. The
sax is gone. It was sold to somebody who, according to Rod, made a lot
of money in the trucking business. It now resides in this guy's living
room in San Francisco.Geo
---------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2000 10:08:37 -0800
From: Andrew Stiller
Subject: Re: [CB] specializingAt 1:22 AM -0600 12/6/00, Tom Izzo wrote:
>You Bass Clarinet-o-philes would love West Side Story.
>WW1, WW2, WW3, & WW4 alll call for Bass Clarinet. Only WW5, does notWW5 is for bsn. alone, and takes the instrument up to G atop the
treble staff--fortunately well hidden. I wonder if anyone has ever
actually played the note (a dotted 8th in allegro, approached from
well below, then descending scalewise).--
Andrew Stiller
Kallisti Music Presshttp://www.netcom.com/~kallisti
Ut Sol inter planetas, Ita MUSICA inter Artes liberales in medio radiat.
--Heinrich Schuetz, 1640
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2000 10:23:11 -0800
From: Andrew Stiller
Subject: Re: [CB]>> so whats the go with Ab clarinets? are they common?
>
>Only Selmer is currently making them.I find this hard to believe, since entire sections of them are used
in Italian carabinieri bands, where they play the first violin parts
in opera transcriptions etc. BTW, the instrument is called "sestino"
in Italian (cf "ottavino" for the piccolo). The Abcl is very rare in
the US, but quite common in many European countries, esp. in the
south-central part. When I wrote a piece that I knew would be
recorded by the Warsaw Orchestra, I included an Abcl. part because I
knew there would be no trouble getting one.>easy to play?
>> ridiculously high? im so excited!
>>
> > richI had the opportunity to play one once, and took it right up to the
top a''' (sounding f'''') without difficulty. The fingers do jostle
one another a bit, but no worse than on a piccolo. Neat inst., IMO.
Should be more often heard.--
Andrew Stiller
Kallisti Music Presshttp://www.netcom.com/~kallisti
Ut Sol inter planetas, Ita MUSICA inter Artes liberales in medio radiat.
--Heinrich Schuetz, 1640
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2000 10:58:35 -0500 (EST)
From: Eric Mumpower
Subject: Re: [CB] Odd bass clarinet in Boston> From the bulges, I couldn't tell whether the single piece of
> wood on the outside might conceal a labyrinth of separate chambers inserted
> down the bore, as in a racket. I couldn't guess at how to finger a scale.
> Has anyone here played this instrument or anything like it?I've seen this instrument several times. My understanding of it was that it
was constructed from a single block of wood, split in half, hollowed to have
a single highly-serpentine bore which winds its way from the mouthpiece to
the bell, and then reassembled. (Much like a Serpent, only with many more
turns and with the loops of bore adhered to one another by the virtue of the
wood between them never having been removed.)
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2000 12:00:14 -0700
From: Grant Green
Subject: [CB] Acoustic Laser
Just ran across an interesting article in Echoes (Vol. 10, No. 3,
Fall 2000) (OK, so I'm a little behind in my reading...) regarding a
thermoacoustic laser that one can easily build at home. It describes
how to build a device using a test tube and a nichrome wire capable
of producing "an uncomfortably loud tone" when powered by a standard
6v lantern battery. A porous ceramic frit starts the air moving in
the right direction when the wire is heated. The frit material is
apparently used in automobile catalytic converters, and the minimum
order size is $150 (enough for about 500 devices), but you can order
a kit for $10 (check payable to Penn State University) from: Acoustic
Laser Kit, Graduate Program in Acoustics, P.O. Box 30, State College,
PA 16804-0030 USA. The kit includes 4' of magnet wire, a Pyrex test
tube, three chunks of the ceramic (that you can shape with hacksaw
and sandpaper), step by step instructions and suggestions for
experiments.The Pyrophone returns! (?)
The article doesn't mention the pitch that results, or if it can be
adjusted, but it sounds to me like some experimentation is in order.
Two possibilities occur to me: if the pitch is a function of the
resonant cavity formed at the end of the tube (by the space between
the frit and the end), then one should be able to tune a series of
the tubes by adjusting the frit spacing, either fixed (for "keyboard
style") or moveable (for "slide" laser). If the pitch is a function
of the heat gradient, it may be possible to alter the tone produced
by adjusting the voltage to the wire. If so, one could wire up a
series of tubes, and even provide MIDI control (with the appropriate
DA converter, of course).Finally, the article says that one can power the device using a solar
collector. This suggests to me a sonic sculpture, having a series of
tubes that interact with a sculptural element (possibly mobile in
itself) that refracts/focuses/ reflects sunlight in a way that
changes throughout the day, producing a series of shifting harmonies
that varies with time of day. If I had an ounce of skill in the
material arts, I'd be taking the day off right now... ;-)Enjoy!
Grant
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant Green
ecode:contrabass http://www.contrabass.com
Professional Fool -> http://www.mp3.com/ProFools
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2000 12:09:13 -0700
From: Grant Green
Subject: [CB] More thermoacoustics
Forgot to mention the Thermoacoustics website (which may have
additional helpful information): see
http://www.lanl.gov/thermoacoustics/Enjoy!
Grant
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Grant Green
ecode:contrabass http://www.contrabass.com
Professional Fool -> http://www.mp3.com/ProFools
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Wed, 06 Dec 2000 16:16:12 -0500
From: Chris Rubenacker
Subject: [CB] (no subject)Jean,
Thanks for the offer. I'll keep it in mind. I am also toying around on a
bassoon and I've become fairly proficient on it; nothing spectacular
though. I would love to try a contrabassoon though. I also agree with
you about the whole instrument thing. I have played most of the
clarinets-Eb and Bb soprano, Eb alto, Bb bass and contrabass-are the
ones I have played. I consider myself comfortable and proficient on all
of them. I also play the saxophone. I only have experience on three of
them-alto, tenor and bari. I play mostly tenor. I play it for marching
band and jazz band. I occassionally play the bari for marching (if I
don't play tenor). I have only played the alto a few times though.
Clarinet is my primary instrument but I am about as good on a sax
(especially tenor). My band director thinks its great that I play
numerous instruments. In my own opinion, I think knowing how to play a
number of different woodwind instruments is very useful and can make you
a very versatile musician. I don't have any problems with my embouchure
when switching instruments. Once I start playing an instrument, I'm able
to "remember" the embouchure. Most of these instruments I don't actually
own. We have about 15 clarinet players in my high school band, yet I'm
the only one that plays the bass clarinet. It's kinda weird but I
suppose it happens frequently.
ChrisP.S. If I decided to major on an instrument, it would probably be the
bass clarinet.---------------------------------------------------------
From: RBobo123
Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2000 17:40:45 EST
Subject: Re: [CB] specializing
In a message dated 12/6/00 10:03:55 AM, kallisti writes:
>At 1:22 AM -0600 12/6/00, Tom Izzo wrote:
>>You Bass Clarinet-o-philes would love West Side Story.
>>WW1, WW2, WW3, & WW4 alll call for Bass Clarinet. Only WW5, does not
>
>WW5 is for bsn. alone, and takes the instrument up to G atop the
>treble staff--fortunately well hidden. I wonder if anyone has ever
>actually played the note (a dotted 8th in allegro, approached from
>well below, then descending scalewise).Ouch, i can play that note (And up to Bb on a good day) but i would never
consider that within the normal range of the instrument. I hope (pray) that
the part is doubled on a clarinet or an instrument more suited.
Also, i haven't had much experience with these kind of woodwind doubling
parts, are they common. As a bassoonist/saxophonist/clarinetist who recently
started flute this gives me something to look foward to in the future, i love
doubling. Anyway, just thought i'd add my pointless comments.Richard Bobo (Bassoon, etc.)
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