[Dixielandjazz] Tuning the clarinet

[Steve barbone]

on 11/10/05 5:22 PM, Russ Guarino at russg at redshift.com wrote:

> Steve,
> 
> Thanks for the info.  You are a master of resources.
> 
> When  Ridenour speaks of "professional" clarinetists, I have a hunch he is
> thinking of those who perform in orchestras playing classical music.  In these
> settings, from my experience, it is not necessary to play loud.  Instead
> conductors want color and sometimes very soft passages about the strength of a
> whisper.  I would not use a wide bore clarinet for such work. In this type of
> setting, intonation becomes critical and loud and out of tune does not cut it.
> 
> When my friend from the Monterey Symphony played with my Dixie band,  he was
> so
> soft and delicate, he could hardly be heard, aside from his struggle to find
> the
> right notes.  The best technical clarinetists I have known have been
> classically
> trained guys and, of course, the jazz headliners, Bob Draga, etc. By the way,
> when I listen to Draga and the other great modern day jazz clarinet guys, I
> don't hear out of tune. They play loud and in tune.

Glad to pass it on Russ. You are right on about sound. The classical guys do
play softly and into mics if necessary.

Ditto Eddie Daniels et al.

But guys like Davern, Draga, et al (and I) also play very loudly, and quite
in tune these days.  My circle of players (about 45 that I work with) all
tell me I am the loudest clarinet they ever heard. But still, Davern is the
loudest I ever heard.

Cheers,
Steve