Klarinet Archive - Posting 000202.txt from 2000/02

From: "Dodgshun family" <dodgshun@-----.nz>
Subj: Re: [kl] That thing is *huge*!
Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2000 23:00:08 -0500

> Today I blew (barely) into a bass clarinet for the very first time. I
> feel very proud of myself. The boy sitting next to me was helping the
> girl on the other side with a part in a piece..
> He doubles on bass and asked me if I'd like to try it. "Sure," I
> said. That mouthpiece is huge.. I blew for a second or two before I got
> a wonderful squawk out of it. Maybe I'll even try to play it sometime,
> but I think my hands are too small!

> p.s. I'm not really *that* tiny, 5' 3", but bass clarinets are Big Things
> to me.

5' 3'' isn't that small! I'm smaller than that, at about 5' 1'' and I have
no problems with the bass. I say go for it - bass is great! The only thing
with having small hands is that you have to have the bass in the right
position, or else you'll start to hurt. I find it's not so much my hands
and wrists that take it, but my back. I've become quite picky about the
chair I sit on, and the peg has to be at the right height. This where brass
players can be useful - they all have big hands and can do the peg up much
more tightly than I can, so it doesn't slip! I also find that a neckstrap
helps the bass stay where I want it, particularly up in the higher
registers. You quickly get used to the wider mouthpiece, especially if
you're doing shows and have quick switches between b-cl, bari sax and Bb
clar - then your Bb mouthpiece is the one that feels strange!

I began doubling bass when Reuben, our regular youth orchestra bass player,
couldn't be at a concert. Without ever having played bass before, I
volunteered for the job and was given it. It took a bit of getting used to,
and I had a few struggles with it, but when Reuben quit, the same year, I
just seemed to take it on permanently. I did get some help with it about 18
months ago, which has made a big difference. Now, I wouldn't give it up for
anything. One of the other youth orchestra players said at the end of last
year, "so, that bass is mine next year, isn't it?". Basically, my response
was "touch it and die." I still have the instrument sitting in my room, and
the conductor seems to be of the opinion that I'm the official bass player,
so I'm safe for now!

Anna

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