Music Composition DUMmIES

E flat clarinet .......................................................................................

Sometimes called the “baby clarinet,” the E flat clarinet is the highest-pitched

of the clarinet family. It’s the only clarinet tuned to an E flat instead of a B flat.

To write music for the E flat clarinet, you have to first transpose the music a

diatonic sixth (six scale degrees) up and then down an octave — or down a

minor third. Its written range is E3 to E6 (Figure 14-4).

To hear Write

CA

C#/D% A#/B%

DB

D#/E% C

EC#/D%

FD

F#/G% D#/E%

GE

G#/A% F

AF#/G%

A#/B% G

BG#/A%

English horn/cor anglais....................................................................

The English horn, or cor anglais, is a close cousin to the oboe but is one third

longer. Like the oboe, it’s a double reed instrument, and because it’s longer,

its range extends a full fifth deeper than the oboe’s. Its slightly flared bell

makes for a more nasally timbre than the oboe, creating a sound that’s a little

like four parts oboe, one part trumpet.

&

√

w

Eb (baby) clarinet

concert range

Most effective range

w# wb wn w w

Figure 14-4:

The E flat

clarinet

range,

transposed

to concert

pitch.

170 Part IV: Orchestration and Arrangement