Exam 2 Woodwinds

Triple Winds

Piccolo
2 Flutes
2 Oboes
English Horn
2 Clarinets
Bass Clarinet
2 Bassoons
Contrabassoon

Flute

Concert Pitch

Range (B3) C4 - G6 (C7)

(Lower is quieter

Low and high trills difficult

Overblows 8va

2nd octave the golden spot)

Piccolo

Sounds 8va

Written Range D4 - G6 (C7)

(Below D5 doesn’t carry well)

Alto Flute in G

Sounds P4 below written

Written Range C4 - G6 (C7)

(Flutes are the least air-efficient, so shorter phrases are better)

Oboe

Concert Pitch

Range (Bb3) D4 - F6 (G6)

(Limited capacity for tuning

Unisons iffy

Sweet zone within the staff and a bit above

Don’t write low trills, C#4 - D4 a big shift

Great for staccato & lyrical

Less flexible than flutes)

English Horn (in F)

Sounds P5 below written

Written Range D4 (B3) - D6 (F6)

(Sweet spot G4 - G5

The best at lyrical lines)

Bb Clarinet

Sounds M2 below written

Written Range E3 - G6 (A6)

A Clarinet

Sounds m3 below written

Written Range E3 - G6 (A6)

Eb Clarinet

Sounds m3 above written

Written Range E3 - G6 (A6)

Alto Clarinet (in Eb)

Sounds M6 below written

Written Range E3 - E6

(Chalumeau E3 - D4

Throat F4 - C5

Break between Bb4 and B4

Clarino E5 above)

Bb Bass Clarinet

Sounds M9 below written (French system, German in bass clef sounds M2 below written)

Written range Eb3 (length variations) - G5 (C6)

Eb Contralto Clarinet

Sounds M13 below written

Written range Eb3 - G5 (D6)

Bb Contrabass Clarinet

Sounds M16 below written

Written range D3 - G6 (D7)

Clarinet Family

Only woodwinds with niente attacks

Can play quietly at the bottom of their range

Subtones use tongue depression for further dynamic control

Bassoon

Concert Pitch

Range Bb1 - G4 (C5)

(Lower = louder, B2 the loudest

Tenor clef

Fingering lower = playing higher

Bocal adjusted for tuning, turkey butt is cap at end

Ivory ring = German bassoon

Technical stuff at registral extremes are difficult, avoid tremolos there and any exceeding a P4)

Contrabassoon

Sounds 8vb

Written Range Bb1 - Eb4 (F4+)

(The best at staccato

2nd in lyricism

Blends w/everybody

Louder at lower range

Lightest F#3 - D4

Most penetrating D4 - C5

Bolster the bassline

Open-structured scoring

No tremolos greater than P4)

Eb Sopranino Sax

Sounds m3 above written

Written Range (Bb3) D4 - D6 (F6)

Bb Soprano Sax

Sounds M2 below written

Written Range (Bb3) D4 - D6 (F6)

Eb Alto Sax

Sounds M6 below written

Written Range (Bb3) D4 - D6 (F6)

Bb Tenor Sax

Sounds M9 below written

Written Range (Bb3) D4 - D6 (F6)

Eb Bari Sax

Sounds M13 below written

Written Range (A3) D4 - D6 (F6)

Bb Bass Sax

Sounds M16 below written

Written Range (Bb3) D4 - D6 (F6)