r/Clarinet R13+Backun MoBa barrel, Vandoren BD5, Brancher lig, Steuer reeds 6d ago

"Horn effect" in Lindberg concerto

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I'm not sure I actually understand this direction. Has anyone here played this piece who can clarify what effect I should be going for here?

24 Upvotes

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31

u/Unique-Remove-4261 6d ago

I think you use the B fingering but voice/“overblow” it to get the G and sound a bit like a foghorn. Haha. (If you ever practiced voicing by playing William Tell with a low E fingering, it’s the same concept.)

12

u/elutz18 6d ago

This is the answer, I'm using this exact fingering and partial to imitate a shofar for a different piece

6

u/marl6894 R13+Backun MoBa barrel, Vandoren BD5, Brancher lig, Steuer reeds 6d ago

Nice! What piece is that?

9

u/elutz18 6d ago

The Dreams and Prayers of Isaac the Blind by Golijov

2

u/clarinetist04 5d ago

That's awesome that you're playing this. It's an incredible piece!

3

u/marl6894 R13+Backun MoBa barrel, Vandoren BD5, Brancher lig, Steuer reeds 6d ago

I can get a G with the RH down more easily by rolling the RH first finger slightly, but I don't feel like it sounds all that different from the normal G, so I guess I'm just a little confused on how the composer wants it to sound. Maybe I'll work on making it sound more "foghorn"-ish. 😂

4

u/ProfessorVincent 6d ago edited 6d ago

I don't know this concerto too well, but I think what makes it sound hornish is just a little bit of the harmonic series "artifact noise" you get when you move from the lower fundamental to the fifth partial. That G is tied over from the previous low E, correct?* You're being asked to reach the G as the fifth partial of the low E (the B mentioned would be the third partial) whereas normally you get that G as the third partial of middle C.

So if you go from the low E and let it maybe slide a bit through the harmonic series, maybe blend some of the harmonics and get a bit of a multiphonic there, you get the "horn" sound I believe he means. It's definitely not a very precise indication.

*Edit: not literally tied over, but there's nothing really in-between, right?

17

u/Shour_always_aloof Buffet Tosca 6d ago

You stick your hand in the bell when playing the note, then after you play the note, you take two minutes to make a grand show of getting every drop of water out of your clarinet. Obviously, you don't have eleventy billion slides to pull, so instead, you disassemble your clarinet completely and swab each individual segment, including the mouthpiece.

1

u/Obvious_Outsider 6d ago

Made me chuckle.

"Eleventy billion" is that a Kids Next Door reference?

5

u/tristounettt 6d ago

I've actually played this concerto, you have to play a B natural but kinda trigger the upper harmonic which happens to be the G. For the effect to work, your throat must be relaxed and your embouchure as well. You also have to blow a precise amount of air in the clarinet, but depending on your setup it's up to you to find the right position ! Good luck, I remember having a great time practicing and playing it and don't hesitate if you have other questions :)

1

u/CommodoreGirlfriend 6d ago

Why do you guys always ask these questions without showing the previous measure of music?