Klarinet Archive - Posting 000447.txt from 1997/07

From: "Frederick S. Sterns" <fssterns@-----.net>
Subj: Re: Bass clarinet friend
Date: Tue, 15 Jul 1997 13:10:50 -0400

You wrote...

>My friend will be going to a music camp this summer with me. She
>normally plays the tenor sax, but she was chosen to attend playing the
>bass clarinet. She has little clarinet experience--she started on
>clarinet, and then switched to tenor, and she was in my school's clarinet
>choir last year (on contrabass). She is really nervous about going since
>she is having difficulty playing the bass. Does anyone have any
>suggestions or advice to make the transition easier? Anything that she
>can do to improve her range? She can currently play from a low Eb to
>about a fourth-space E or a fifth-line F. Her clarinet squeaks a lot b/c
>her embouchure isn't used to it. She is really getting discouraged.
>Please help us--I need for her to play better so I won't have to hear her
>whining at camp! ;-)
>
>Thanks a lot in advance! :-)

...such a transition can be lengthy...if my experience is any indication.
It involves a lot of experimentation and experience. At a primer level,
however, I think four things are critical and suggest your friend
concentrate on:

[1] a "good" mouthpiece/reed set up...especially for someone used to a
saxophone embochure. The simple procedure, of course, is to try several,
remembering that ease of use must be balanced with tone quality.

[2] a bass clarinet embochure...which is more "clarinet" than "saxophone."
I could characterize it like "a soft smile." The "typical" sax embochure is
akin to the phonetic "O" while that of the bass clarinet is more like the
phonetic "E," but not as "tight" as a soprano clarinet embochure.

[3] an open throat. Nothing helps more in the second register...indeed in
all the registers...than a truly open throat. It's a lot like flute
playing...keep saying "Ahhh" [not really, but that's the configuration of
the throat!] all the while you play.

[4] a solid, steady stream of air. Saxophone players are lucky...you
usually don't have to concentrate as much on airflow. But the bass
clarinet, probably because of the cylindrical bore, calls for a lot of
airstream support all the time.

Note that this is only one person's experience and there may be other
approaches infinitely more useful.

If your friend can find an *experienced* bass clarinet player in your area
a couple of hours' discussion and playing could prove invaluable. A
"clinical" approach is always better than a "theoretical."

Best of luck to you both...Fred S.