Klarinet Archive - Posting 000326.txt from 1999/02

From: Dodgshun family <dodgshun@-----.nz>
Subj: Re: [kl] Getting used to a bass clarinet
Date: Mon, 8 Feb 1999 15:53:27 -0500

At 08:32 PM 7/02/99 -0500, you wrote:

<snip>

>If any of you dedicated bass players have suggestions, I'm MORE than happy
>to hear them. As long as they don't involve changing mouthpieces: the damn
>Selmer Paris mouthpiece was a fortune as it was:-).

I've already posted some of these, I think....

1) Blow fast and get heaps of air through the instrument. My teacher is
always telling me "more air, more air" even if I'm breathing every bar anyway!

2) If you squeak, don't back off - blow harder and support more. It feels
weird - totally opposite to what you normally do, but it works.

3) Make sure you have enough mouthpiece in your mouth.

4) Play it like a Bb soprano. I was having a few problems on bass, and my
teacher said "stop thinking of it as a different instrument. Play it like
you'd play your normal clarinet" and it worked.

5) Quick tonguing helps to start on a low note; prepare the note. High
notes are a matter of practice (or were in my case) - apply what I've said
above and it should help.

I'd just like to point out that I have only been studying bass for a short
time, but most of these tips are verbatim from my teacher anyway!

Anna

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