Klarinet Archive - Posting 000079.txt from 2006/09

From: "Keith Bowen" <bowenk@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Re: Bass Clarinet for Beginners?
Date: Fri, 08 Sep 2006 03:55:14 -0400

Yes indeed.

Added is the fact that bass clarinets do need more maintenance than sopranos
since the mechanism is more complex. It's not that they stop working but
that they stop working well, and to seal the holes simultaneously you need
excessive finger pressure, which limits mobility, etc. If playing such an
instrument the first thing I would do (or have done) is check all the pads
and the regulation.

Plastic instruments would mostly also benefit from gentle deburring/rounding
out of the insides of the tone holes. It reduces turbulence and makes notes
easier to produce. This is a bit scary to do the first time but saved my ass
once (for the huge solo in Albert Herring).

A useful hint for a new player is in playing the low notes of the clarinet
register, which on some instruments can be tricky. Play the twelfth below
then stick the register key on without changing anything else. A common
fault is to pinch too hard and then these notes won't come out - the
embouchure should be similar to the twelfth below.

The proportion of mouthpiece in the mouth is the same as the clarinet, but
the actual amount is a lot more. A common problem is not putting enough in
the mouth. Not only does this pinch the reed, it reduces the oral cavity,
which has quite a big effect on the bass.

Keith Bowen

-----Original Message-----
From: klarinet-return-88551-bowenk=compuserve.com@-----.org
[mailto:klarinet-return-88551-bowenk=compuserve.com@-----.org] On Behalf
Of Michael and Linda Marmer
Sent: Friday, September 08, 2006 1:11 AM
To: klarinet@-----.org
Cc: Joseph Lechner
Subject: Re: [kl] Re: Bass Clarinet for Beginners?

I can relate to the comment made by someone, on how school Bass Clarinets
are in terrible shape.

As a junior in High School in 1972, I played Bass Clarinet for the
Montgomery County High School Band in MD. I used a school Bass Clarinet, as

the school had two of them.

They were in terrible shape!

I remember dragging in both of them to Chuck Levin's who at the time, had
the county contract to fix county instruments. Dragging them on a bus,
public transportant, was no fun either, to Chuck's.

The tec said they would be better off as lamp post. Well, I had a matching
set, then! Too bad, we did not have Ebay back then, as that is where they
could of gone, Bass Clarinet Lamp Posts, Rare matching set. Comes in
Aligator type case.

They worked over both of the bass clarinets and I did okay with one of them
for a trip to Europe we did.

Mike Marmer

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