Klarinet Archive - Posting 000670.txt from 1997/10

From: Craig Ruff <cruff@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: Clarinets players becoming sax players
Date: Wed, 15 Oct 1997 21:19:08 -0400

At 11:46 AM 10/15/97 +0100, Ian Dilley wrote:
>Strangely I had a similar experience just yesterday. I tried playing a
>bass clarinet for the first time. Even though it's many years since I
>played a saxophone I kept trying to use my LH middle finger for first
>space F and C above the stave.

I've had this problem with my new-old contrabass clarinet occasionally. :-)

>Incidentally, on this bass clarinet I had a lot of trouble playing the
>notes from G just above the stave up to C but above C it became a lot
>easier. Can someone tell me if this is normal for bass clarinet, or was
>it a bad instrument/mouthpiece/reed or is it just me?

On my CB, I can hit these notes solidly. The 4th space E has problems,
but I believe it is due to a leaky pad. I will have to repad this
instrument. I'll have to figure out some altissimo fingerings that are
usable, though. At the moment, trying to play above the altissimo D is
touchy, but then I need more practise on this instrument.

Interestingly, the original mouthpiece for this model 342 Leblanc straight
model requires a larger reed than is commonly used on CB clarinets these
days (22 mm across the tip vs 20.5/21 mm). Once I bought a new mouthpiece
that can use the contra-alto/contra-bass reeds, this instrument plays much
better! This model has two register vents that switch over at the 4th space
E, which exacerbates the leaky pad problem. It has a true throat Bb pad,
and the mechanism for the thumb to actuate this pad and the 2 register vents
is truly amazing!