Clarinet For Fun?

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seenoevil II
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Clarinet For Fun?

Post by seenoevil II » Mon Jan 17, 2022 9:18 pm

So, I'm always on the lookout for fun "side quest" musical endeavors. Things that are fun, easy to get started, not too expensive.

I thought I really had a good one with tin whistles. But 3 problems came up. 1. I'm not into traditional folk music. 2. I have to wear hearing protection as they reek havoc on my hyperacusis. 3. The diatonic thing means I can't play jazz/blues/soul/arty whatever music.

I grew up playing trumpet. I like the idea of getting into that again, but it's a bit loud.

Ideally, I'd love a saxophone. But they are very expensive. Even at the student grade.

So, I'm thinking about a clarinet. Go full Squidward on everyone's asses.

I always remember seeing them in pawn shops for mad cheap. Even new ones can be had for about $100.

So, any clarinet peops hang out here who can give me some pointers what to look for? Am l barking up the wrong tree?

Also, any suggestions on other instruments that meet my criteria?

Cheap, melodic, chromatic, jazz compatible, small, not crazy loud or shrill (no ear plugs for me or my neighbors, actually, fuck my neighbors, I play drums for crying out loud.).
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Re: Clarinet For Fun?

Post by Singlebladepickup » Tue Jan 18, 2022 3:40 pm

Go for a 34-key chromatic kalimba. Sounds great, especially mic'ed with effects, is inoffensive and not too loud, and meets your budget. Nobody wants to hear you play ok clarinet or sax. Maybe melodica if you want an instrument to drool into.

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Re: Clarinet For Fun?

Post by seenoevil II » Wed Jan 19, 2022 7:09 pm

Singlebladepickup wrote:
Tue Jan 18, 2022 3:40 pm
Go for a 34-key chromatic kalimba. Sounds great, especially mic'ed with effects, is inoffensive and not too loud, and meets your budget. Nobody wants to hear you play ok clarinet or sax. Maybe melodica if you want an instrument to drool into.
Eh, I don't wear enough open toed shoes for a kalimba. Besides my badass aunt brought a real one back from Nigeria in the 80's so I'm a bit spoiled.

Honestly, I'm not looking for another chordophone. They're all kind of the same after a point. Piano is a piano, a guitar is a fretted clavichord, a kalimba is a Rhodes with the key mechanism removed.

I actually busted out the old trumpet last night. It's not as loud as I remember. It needs to be resoldered as zip ties are holding the bell section on, but I mothballed it well enough so nothing is frozen. I might try to find a cheap bucket mute for it. Trumpet is weird. On most chordophones, all the notes are there to be played, and your job is to play them in the right combinations and order. On a horn, you have to spend some time just finding all the notes and making them sound good. Then you can think about playing tunes.

I want to hear myself playing the clarinet or saxophone just ok. Especially on recordings for added color. But really just for fun.

My bigger regret is giving away my accordion.
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Re: Clarinet For Fun?

Post by DrQuasar » Thu Jan 20, 2022 4:44 pm

Someone once gave me an accordion! He thought it was broken but it just had a block come loose inside and it was a 5 minute fix.

I played oboe in high school and it was fun. I think about getting a clarinet sometimes too because I like listening to Anat Cohen. I'll do it at some point. I want to get an oboe as well but they're more expensive and really I don't want an oboe, I want an english horn (which I also played in high school) but there is no such thing as an inexpensive english horn.

Maybe rent one of each (clarinet/sax) for a couple months and see which you like better?

If you want something super simple and clarinet-like, take a look at the Nuvo Clarineo. It sounds like a clarinet and it's in C so you won't have to do any transposing.

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Re: Clarinet For Fun?

Post by Telliot » Thu Jan 20, 2022 5:00 pm

DrQuasar wrote:
Thu Jan 20, 2022 4:44 pm

If you want something super simple and clarinet-like, take a look at the Nuvo Clarineo. It sounds like a clarinet and it's in C so you won't have to do any transposing.
This looks fun!
The cool thing about fretless is you can hit a note...and then renegotiate.

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Re: Clarinet For Fun?

Post by mackerelmint » Thu Jan 20, 2022 7:35 pm

Shopgoodwill.com has tons of unloved student band instruments for dirt cheap. It'd be a real good time to just bid on a bunch of horrible noisemakers and invite your friends and just party.
This is an excellent rectangle

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Re: Clarinet For Fun?

Post by Larry Mal » Thu Jan 20, 2022 7:36 pm

Yeah, I bought a clarinet there for my kid a couple years ago for like $30. It's not a bad instrument.

I am in favor of this clarinet idea.
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Re: Clarinet For Fun?

Post by PixMix » Thu Jan 20, 2022 7:39 pm

I don't now anything about clarinets, but some of the most kick-ass use of clarinets that I have come across comes from the Epirus region, Northwestern Greece and Southern Albania. Folk music, really warm and fat sounding clarinets with absolutely amazing feel and emotion. Balkan blues, if there was one. I wish I could play clarinet just for the sake of playing this sort of music.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EfzMscfaIA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jumEDURM3Bc

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Re: Clarinet For Fun?

Post by seenoevil II » Thu Jan 20, 2022 10:09 pm

seenoevil II wrote:
Wed Jan 19, 2022 7:09 pm
My bigger regret is giving away my accordion.
DrQuasar wrote:
Thu Jan 20, 2022 4:44 pm
Someone once gave me an accordion! He thought it was broken but it just had a block come loose inside and it was a 5 minute fix.
Dang,I knew I shouldn't have given my accordion to you!

That training clarinet does look interesting. Transposing is a bear. I have a chromatic finger chart for my trumpet (also b flat) mapped on a keyboard. I learned the transposed sheet music so c is b flat is the black key below c is first fret on A. All this is happening when I try to play.

I hear you on really wanting something else. Like I'd love a bass clarinet like Eric Dolphy. So deep.


mackerelmint wrote:
Thu Jan 20, 2022 7:35 pm
Shopgoodwill.com has tons of unloved student band instruments for dirt cheap. It'd be a real good time to just bid on a bunch of horrible noisemakers and invite your friends and just party.
I love that site! I used to think it was magic until I actually tried to buy something and got picked at the very last second every single time. At least with guitars, things don't wind up going that cheap anyway. Although I bet it's easier to get a deal on more esoteric instruments. I have to fight myself not to bid on all the things on there. Surely, I need a French horn.

I'd love to do what you describe. Honestly, I'm pretty sure there's a community orchestra of West Philly I could join (amongst many others in sure). It reminds me of in bootcamps (not me, family) and they get all the former band geeks to fart out Souso at commencment.
Larry Mal wrote:
Thu Jan 20, 2022 7:36 pm
Yeah, I bought a clarinet there for my kid a couple years ago for like $30. It's not a bad instrument.

I am in favor of this clarinet idea.
They're so cheap. Low risk, high reward. They could be the next Benny Goodman.

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PixMix wrote:
Thu Jan 20, 2022 7:39 pm
I don't now anything about clarinets, but some of the most kick-ass use of clarinets that I have come across comes from the Epirus region, Northwestern Greece and Southern Albania. Folk music, really warm and fat sounding clarinets with absolutely amazing feel and emotion. Balkan blues, if there was one. I wish I could play clarinet just for the sake of playing this sort of music.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EfzMscfaIA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jumEDURM3Bc
You mean southwest Macedonia! Jkjkjk. Please don't hurt me.

That's amazing stuff. Almost sounds Asian with the portamento.

I feel like clarinets are so cheap that they make their way into lots of folk music traditions.
If it wasn't for disappointment, I wouldn't have any appointments.

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Re: Clarinet For Fun?

Post by PixMix » Fri Jan 21, 2022 5:15 am

seenoevil II wrote:
Thu Jan 20, 2022 10:09 pm

PixMix wrote:
Thu Jan 20, 2022 7:39 pm
I don't now anything about clarinets, but some of the most kick-ass use of clarinets that I have come across comes from the Epirus region, Northwestern Greece and Southern Albania. Folk music, really warm and fat sounding clarinets with absolutely amazing feel and emotion. Balkan blues, if there was one. I wish I could play clarinet just for the sake of playing this sort of music.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EfzMscfaIA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jumEDURM3Bc
You mean southwest Macedonia! Jkjkjk. Please don't hurt me.

That's amazing stuff. Almost sounds Asian with the portamento.

I feel like clarinets are so cheap that they make their way into lots of folk music traditions.
Lol! I think of Epirus music as quite distinct from the music of neighboring regions, including both Macedonias (the North and the Greek one).

Here's another one, but in a more modern context: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNjwcGqpbvs

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Re: Clarinet For Fun?

Post by DrQuasar » Fri Jan 21, 2022 3:43 pm

You should totally get a clarinet. If I played brass like you, I'd get a euphonium and/or a flugelhorn. Get my Chuck Mangione on.

If you've ever owned a travel pump organ, then you really might be the guy that gave me an accordion.

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Re: Clarinet For Fun?

Post by Dok » Wed Feb 02, 2022 3:26 pm

Clarinet is probably the trickiest of the keyed reeds excepting the bassoon or oboe, and it has a lot to do with the embouchure - there are two registers to the instrument and you access the higher one by basically blowing a little bit harder and changing your embouchure in a very specific way, which is really hard to figure out on your own especially until you have the right kind of chops built up. A lot also depends on the reed stiffness/thickness that you're using and if you don't have it positioned just right, it's curtains. That being said, it's absolutely possible to get there with some consistent practice, but I'd say that lessons are a MUST for a couple of months until you start getting the hang of things. But the rewards are big because it's super fun to play and sounds great.

An alto saxophone is much easier to make sense of and start playing effectively right away and could probably be gotten away with without needing lessons, should you find one that's affordable.
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