Klarinet Archive - Posting 000597.txt from 1997/05

From: mdelceg@-----.nz (Michael Delceg)
Subj: Re: Does anyone know about this one..
Date: Sat, 24 May 1997 07:21:00 -0400

>> I'm curious how you ended up *starting* on bass clarinet?
>
>I've been playing bass clarinet for 7 years now, I was asked if I wanted to
>play it back in 5th grade band, and I accepted. Surely thats not too
>uncommon. It gave me a better advantage though because most of my directors
>have moved their last chair clarinets with weak embochures to bass clarinet,
>which accounts for 0 competition :) but I'm surprised more people don't start
>with it. Now that I've started playing clarinet I've found out that bass is
>a lot harder to start with, but it can be done, and I wouldn't trade all the
>fun and great parts I've had with it for anything..
>
>--Stephen C. Moore / itssteve@-----.com

I started on bass because it is the natural double for the baritone sax,
which is my main instrument. This might be fairly common for big band
players. That said, I learned the fingering on a soprano beforehand so that
I'd be ready when I got my hands on a bass, but I only play the soprano
when the gig calls for it.
Mike