Klarinet Archive - Posting 000336.txt from 2004/01

From: Martin Arnold <martin@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Bass Clarinet Scale Book
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 2004 13:14:00 -0500

> > Subject: Re: [kl] Stupid bass clef bass clarinet question!
>
> On 1/11/04 8:00 AM, "Patricia A. Smith" <arlyss1@-----.net> wrote:
>
>> All right, I knew eventually I'd betray a certain lack of knowledge and
>> get whipped with a wet noodle on this list.
>>
>> Despite having actually performed certain parts ON bass clarinet IN bass
>> clef, I STILL am confused at what is SUPPOSED to be regular practice:
>>
>> When you play bass clarinet in orchestra (or band for that matter) and
>> your part is in bass clef, do you read the part in concert pitch, or do
>> you read it as Bass clarinet in Bb?
>>
>> I know, it's a stupid question, but I ended up basically playing my
>> parts by ear and hoping for the best! (It turned out okay, and I DO
>> read bass clef! Difficult to play piano and not do that!) Talk about a
>> pain in the...
>>
>> Patricia Smith
>>
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>>
> Dear Patricia;
>
> Not a stupid question at all, in fact notation for the bass clarinet is a
> real can of worms. First there is NO regular practise. As Joseph mentioned
> there are the French and German ways of notating.
>
> As for the second part of your question, bass clarinet is GENERALLY in Bb,
> and obviously you should check the part at the top. You can also check
> inside the part as it may change from bass clarinet in Bb to clarinet or
> bass clarinet in A or C, so that might give you a clue as to which
> instrument you were to start with. Also you could check with the clarinet
> players to see if they have the same key signature as you do and whether
> they are on A, Bb or C clarinets, which would tell you which instrument to
> use or which transposition to make. The score might also help you with that.
> As for band parts, my experience is that they are in treble clef and played
> as written, instead of up the octave. Figuring it out by ear is okay but
> you'll definitely make some clams and you'll gain more points if you try
> some of these above mentioned techniques so only right notes come out of the
> bell.
>
> You are lucky you play piano and therefore know bass clef. Many, myself
> included started on clarinet and therefore were not familiar with bass clef.
> The idea of my Bass Clarinet Scale Book is to start playing the scales in
> the treble clef and then practise them in the bass clef. Accommodations are
> made for those with bass clarinets to low C or Eb. Eventually you will be
> comfortable with whichever clef, and then transposition in A and C, reading
> up an octave and changing clefs all in the same work will be easier. The
> audition piece that I played in the orchestra was Wagner's Prelude and
> Isolde's Love Death from Tristan and Isolde in BASS clef and TREBLE CLEF
> READ UP AN OCTAVE, AND ALL IN A. So you wanna talk about pains in the...
>
> For a more mellifluous response to your question please see the introduction
> to my book at the aztecpress web site listed below.
>
> Martin Arnold
> Clarinet and Bass Clarinet
> Mexico City Philharmonic: http://www.musicos-ofcm.com/martin/
> Bass Clarinet Scale Book: http://www.aztecpress.com.mx

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