Have you ever played the wrong clarinet in a concert?

If you play in an orchestra, band, or even in chamber music, and you鈥檙e switching back and forth between Bb and A clarinets, it can sometimes be a little bit too easy to grab the wrong one. Has this ever happened to you? What was the piece, and how did you deal with it?

4 replies

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    • Jesse_Rogers
    • 3 wk ago
    • Reported - view

    I have grabbed the wrong clarinet several times in rehearsal and once (mea culpa) read an entire atonal piece for orchestra with the wrong clarinet (no one noticed).

      • Head of Clarinet
      • Heather
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       I did this once with Stravinsky - was playing the Soldier's Tale in the version for trio with piano and violin; the entire thing is on A clarinet except for the last movement which switches to Bb, and I forgot to switch. It kind of sounded amazing and the only person who said anything was another clarinetist... 

      • Jesse_Rogers
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       Thank you Heather, that has been a private source of embarrassment to me for years.

      • Head of Clarinet
      • Heather
      • 2 wk ago
      • Reported - view

       well thank you, then! I'm so glad you shared it. (To tell you the truth, I once shared this story with one of my clarinet heroes and he said, "I did the same thing!" and we bonded so much over it - that's what led me to think it'd make a nice discussion of the week!)

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  • 2 wk agoLast active
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