Modifications to clarinet for carnatic music

inopeek · Post by **inopeek** » 24 Aug 2008, 07:18

The genious of AKC Natarajan mesmerized the world with the clarinet and the modification he had done to the instrument to get the essense of gamakkas in carnatic music. I have a old clarinet which I am trying to modify. Any one tried this on tthe clarinet?

carmus · Post by **carmus** » 03 Jun 2009, 00:14

inopeek wrote:The genious of AKC Natarajan mesmerized the world with the clarinet and the modification he had done to the instrument to get the essense of gamakkas in carnatic music. I have a old clarinet which I am trying to modify. Any one tried this on tthe clarinet?

Very interesting that you take clarinet!!! AKC is indeed exceptional.

OK. Let me try to answer based on my experience which composed of more from the theory side and some from technical side.

What is the difference between Nadaswaram and Clarinet?

Nadaswaram is a double reed instrument (like oboe), has open fingering holes, can go upto 2.5 octaves. The semi-tones are played by changing the pressure of air stream thru the reeds. Gamagams are very well executed in this instrument by the air stream and the open fingering holes.

Clarinet is a single reed instrument, a much stronger in single reed instrument family can cover 3 octaves well with individual keys. There are about 6 open holes but still combined with metal levers to execute other holes. The semi tones has its own combination of keys.

If you want to play ragas with semi tons (like R1, G1, N1), that is possible only with the keys in clarinet if it is not modified. But you can not play comfortably as the key executions are hard in that speed.

You may have to first remove the metal keys that interfere your major octave notes and then block them permanently. The lowest octave is anyway not required, same is for highest octave. Next, you have to see if you can produce the same semitones with half hole fingering + adjusting air stream.

Basically, you are bringing the clarinet to the Nadaswaram level, just like a "single reed nadaswaram".

You must keep in mind that, AKC has worked very hard on getting the gamagam in the single reed instrument, also he has noted that he converted the "European Clarinet" not the "American clarinet". Yes, there are suble difference between the german makes and us makes in the specification.

Clarinet is an expensive instrument, may be you can buy a student level plastic clarinet and try to convert it.