The bass clarinet, developed almost a century after the soprano clarinet, isrelatively young compared to many modern instruments and consequently possesses a
comparatively small repertoire. Until the mid-20th century, composers did not view the
bass clarinet as a solo instrument and instead perceived it as cumbersome due to its low
pitch and predominant use as an accompaniment instrument, resulting in a dearth of solo
repertory for the bass clarinet before this time. Bass clarinetists desiring to perform
repertoire from the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods must then appropriate
music from other instruments. Through this study, I identify and detail a process for
creating informed transcriptions of music for the bass clarinet to increase its body of solo
and chamber literature. I examine the original scores and existing transcriptions of
Concerto in C minor by Henri Casadesus (attributed to Johann Christian Bach) for cello,
Bassoon Concerto Op. 75 by Carl Maria von Weber, Trios, Hob. IV:1-4 “London Trios”
by Joseph Haydn, Kol Nidrei, Op. 47 by Max Bruch, and Clarinet Concerto in A Major,
K. 622 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to identify methods for the transcription process. I
compare this to the transcription process for other instruments through examination of the
Clarinet Sonatas, Op. 120, Nos. 1 and 2 by Johannes Brahms, which were transcribed
from clarinet to viola by the composer himself. In this document, I discuss the historical
background of the selected pieces, the selection process, editing considerations,
performance practice, and the usage of transcriptions as a pedagogical tool. Although
transcriptions for the bass clarinet already exist, appropriation of music from other
instruments will continue to supplement and diversify its repertoire. These pieces serve to
develop important technical and musical skills and allow the bass clarinetist to play
music across various style periods. In this project, I select and transcribe three pieces for
the bass clarinet: Sonata for Cello No. 1 in F Major by Benedetto Marcello, Grand
Concerto for Bassoon and Orchestra by Johann Nepomuk Hummel, and Serenade in F
minor, Op. 73, by Robert Kahn. The transcribed scores are included in the appendices of
this document.

As clarinet students progress in their studies, there comes a point at which many are assigned to perform contemporary repertoire that is either overplayed due to accessibility and use in pedagogy, or includes difficult extended techniques like microtones, multiphonics, and more. This project identifies a “gap” in unaccompanied clarinet repertoire and seeks to expand this repertoire by outlining a program of study featuring five newly commissioned unaccompanied clarinet solos through which students can learn both traditional and untraditional techniques. Each of the first four works focus on one aspect of clarinet technique—musicality, the altissimo register, microtones, and multiphonics, respectively—and the final work is a culmination of all these techniques. Included in this document is biographical information for each composer, program notes, a brief description, and a performance guide for each piece. Additionally, each work was recorded by the author and included with this document.

Two different techniques utilizing vocalization in clarinet performance were examined through a research study in which one subject (the author) played several tasks utilizing each technique with different played pitches, vocalized pitches, and dynamic levels for each task. The first technique was singing while playing, which is also sometimes referred to as growling. This technique is produced by engaging the vocal folds during regular clarinet performance to create a second vocalized pitch that resonates in the oral cavity and exits through the mouthpiece as part of the same air stream as that used by the vibrating reed. The second technique studied was a much more recently pioneered technique that the author has labelled humming while playing due to its similarity to traditional humming in vocal pedagogy. This technique is produced by filling the oral cavity with air, sealing it off from the rest of the vocal tract using the tongue and soft palate, and humming through the nasal cavity. The cheeks are simultaneously used to squeeze air into the mouthpiece to maintain the clarinet pitch, much like in the technique of circular breathing.

For the study, audio, nasalance, and intraoral pressure data were collected and analyzed. Audio was analyzed using spectrograms and root mean square measurements of sound pressure for intensity (IRMS). Analysis of the nasalance data confirmed the description of the physiological mechanisms used to generate the humming while playing technique, with nasalance values for this technique far exceeding those for both singing while playing and regular playing. Intraoral pressure data showed significant spikes in pressure during the transitions from the regular air stream to air stored in the oral cavity when humming while playing. Audio analysis showed that the dynamic range of each technique is similar to that of regular playing, and that each technique produces very different and distinct aural effects.

This information was then used to help create a method to assist performers in learning how to produce both singing and humming while playing and a resource to help educate composers about the possibilities and limitations of each technique.

Despite the growth of technology in music composition and performance, professional clarinetists maintain that air microphones are superior to piezoelectric pickups. Pickups offer increased mobility, isolation, and reduced feedback, but air microphones are used simply for the perceived sound quality. In this study a ported barrel pickup and a contact transducer pickup placed at various intervals on the clarinet were sampled and compared to a reference recording to determine how the sound differed for each method. In addition, the history of wind instrument pickups, the acoustics of the clarinet, and the basics of piezoelectricity were discussed to help examine the results. The pickups were examined in three ways: overall level in decibels, frequency cutoff, and overtone displacement. Through these results it was determined that the most accurate methods of clarinet pickup are the ported barrel pickup, contact transducers closer to the vibration of the reed such as the ligature or barrel surface, or a transducer placed at the end of the bell. These findings were consistent with the discussions regarding history, clarinet acoustics, and piezoelectricity. This study also produced a reference for the sounds associated with different pickup methods, as well as possible improvements for clarinet pickup design.

Throughout western clarinet art music, there are not only a large number of great performers and classical works, but also a valuable body of literature that has laid a solid foundation for clarinet development and global dispersion. By contrast, Chinese clarinet literature is lacking in quantity and global distribution. However, this is the first comprehensive study that discloses the mysterious mask of China’s clarinet art.

This study does not merely discuss the Chinese clarinet history, but it also introduces important historical events that influenced the development of the Chinese clarinet industry (excluding manufacturing), including Chinese military bands, clarinet music, pedagogy, clarinet figures, and its future direction.

In the conclusion of this paper, the author discusses the deficiency of the Chinese clarinet industry and makes suggestions for solving problems with clarinet players practicing more technique rather than focusing on musicianship, educators’ lack of concentration on teaching and academic research, and the shortage of Chinese clarinet works. Additionally, the author appeals to Chinese clarinet players to actively participate in international activities and the Chinese government to increase incentives to introduce high-level Chinese talents overseas to help make China a better country in any field.

Voicing, as it pertains to saxophone pedagogy, presents certain obstacles to both teachers and students simply because we cannot visually assess the internal mechanics of the vocal tract. The teacher is then left to instruct based on subjective “feel” which can lead to conflicting instruction, and in some cases, misinformation. In an effort to expand the understanding and pedagogical resources available, ten subjects—comprised of graduate-level and professional-level saxophonists—performed varied pitch bend tasks while their tongue motion was imaged ultrasonographically and recorded. Tongue range of motion was measured from midsagittal tongue contours extracted from the ultrasound data using a superimposed polar grid. The results indicate variations in how saxophonists shape their tongues in order to produce pitch bends from F6.

Four new duets by different composers were commissioned for this project that utilize the clarinet and bass clarinet with tenor saxophone and bassoon. The pieces are Three Southwest Landscapes by Dan Caputo, Gestures by Michael Lanci, Connotations and Denotations by Jeffery Brooks, and Lyddimy by Thomas Breadon, Jr. The present document includes background information and a performance guide for each of the pieces. The guide gives recommendations to aid musicians wishing to perform these works. Also included are transcripts of interviews conducted with each composer and performer, as well as full scores of each piece. In addition to the document there are recordings of all four pieces.

New music is often created as a product of commissions resulting in a collaborative effort between the performer and the composer. This performer-composer relationship represents an important component of the role of the artist in expanding the repertoire of the instrument. Belgian composer, Norbert Goddaer (b. 1933), has written numerous works for clarinet that are the result of such collaborations. Mr. Goddaer's works for clarinet are well-crafted and audience-friendly, and are thus good programming choices for students and professionals alike. His clarinet works have been performed worldwide in artist recitals, conferences for organizations such as the International Clarinet Association, The Midwest Clinic, and the Texas Music Educators Association, and have been commercially recorded and released by some of the foremost contemporary clarinet artists. These works have a great education value given the fact that they are appropriate choices for such a wide range of clarinetists. In an effort to contribute to this body of performance history, the author has produced a recording of five of Goddaer's previously unrecorded works, accompanied by a performance guide to each work. This document provides detailed performance notes with corresponding musical examples, basic formal analyses, and musical suggestions for Las Mañas, Conversations, Ballad, Duets, and Restless by Norbert Goddaer. The author has included a full transcript of an interview with Norbert Goddaer, which includes a first-person discussion of each work, and additionally includes biographical information supported by concert programs and an annotated list of all of Goddaer's works for clarinet, and a discography of his works for clarinet.