 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: karibu
Date: 2003-08-05 13:19
Hi, first I must say that I'm spanish, so please excuse me if my english is no so good.
I had a Buffet Prestige bass clarinet to low C, it's no mine, is property of the band where I play, but I had been playing it for more than a year, and I think it's a good instrument, with a round sound and well tuned.
Nowadays I'm using a Selmer F mouthpiece, first I tried the Selmer G, but I found it too open and hard for me. I had been playing with it several time and I like it, it gives me a round low register and I had no problems with the high register, neither with the harmonics, all these using vandoren 3 or 3 1/2 reeds. In my opinion it's a "no bad" mouthpiece for chamber music, but it's true that it needs a considerable quantity of air, and I haven't try many other mouthpieces...
I had always said that the clarinetist is more important than the material, and I hadn'd never been so worried about it, I just play with what I have the best I can.
But recently the director of my band has requested me about playing the Concert for Bass Clarinet and Band of Kees Vlak, do you know about it?, I like it and I'm studying, but I have a problem:
my actual mouthpiece (selmer f) doesn't allow me to play as loud as I need!!! I must to play ff with a wind band, and when I have mp I really playing mf or f sometimes. I need a more "powerfull" mouthpiece if I want to be able to resist 20 minutes playing, and the more important, doing music. ANY SUGGESTION PLEASE???
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Author: Bob A
Date: 2003-08-05 14:14
You should get many responses to your question from excellent Bass players on this BB. All have many years experience. Me, I'm a 'noodler' of no great experience but here is what I play.
Clark Fobes make several models of Bass Clarinet mpc's which might meet your needs. I have his "NOVA" it projects very well.
I also have an Annello 'OR' which will fill a large hall nicely.
David Spiegelthal gave me a "Jazz" mouthpiece of his construction which is very open but, unfortunately, I do not really have enough air to drive it really well. He can be counted on to reface any of your mouthpieces to a more powerfull facing.
I also have a Walter Grabner but it is a more "conservative" concert facing.
I guess what I am saying is that mpc selection is a very personal thing. No two people would generally get the same results/response from the same mpc--oral cavities, embrochure not being identical etc.
Fobes, and others, will be willing to send you a couple of mpc's to evaluate (custom's permitting etc). Check on the right lobe of this BB under "Mouthpieces and Barrels" for a listing of sponsors, all of whom are willing to discuss your personal needs with you.
Good hunting and don't worry about your English. It's a lot better than my Spanish and I lived in Madrid for about five years. 'Con Dios'
Bob A
Post Edited (2003-08-05 14:24)
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2003-08-05 14:22
We have had mp discussions here and on the Yahoo Group Bass-Clarinet site. My preference [for my Selmer 33] is for Pomarico glass-crystal "medium-open" #3 [now diamond-sapphire?]. The VanDoren B45 and 40 and the Selmer C* are favorites of others. I have problems of solo volume also, mainly versus a baritone sax, no problem with our bassoon!! Your Engish is very good. I hope others more familiar with Buffets will respond, also look at the B C mp comparison tables/charts in the catalogs. Best wishes, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: William
Date: 2003-08-05 14:35
I also play a Buffet Prestige low C bass clarinet (arn't they great??) and use a Walter Grabner re-faced Selmer mouthpiece--his CXBS, I believe. I play the bass clarinet in a fairly good wind ensemble as well as an "ok" concert band and am able to provide a good balance of "quality" sound for all tutti situations. My bass mpc of choice "before Grabner" was a VanDoren B45 with a special facing for use of tenor sax reeds, and it worked well for the low register. But my new Grabner seems to free up the upper register as well with improved response--especially on the "problem" notes, G#5 & A5--and tunes well throught the entire range of the instrument. I have tried other bass mpcs as well, custom and stock, but the Grabner customized Selmer plays the best for me.
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Author: ron b
Date: 2003-08-05 20:40
Hi, Karibu -
Interesting subject (and your English is excellent too ). Thank you for raising the question. I began playing bass clarinet about eight months ago. I use a Woodwind [company],Vito II mouthpiece with an ordinary Rico #2 reed. If I were to change anything at this time it would be the reed strength, rather than the mouthpiece. My reason is that reeds are far less expensive than mouthpieces and, for a beginner like me, the reed will make almost as much difference in individual response as the mouthpiece. When I get the sound I want, or close to it, with the combination I finally decide to use, then maybe I will try a different mouthpiece. I feel that if I really feel I need to change anything at a later timeI will then have a much better idea of what I'm looking for.
- r![[cool]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/cool.gif) n b -
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Author: mnorswor
Date: 2003-08-05 20:48
Hi Karibu,
I'm a freelance player and do a lot of bass clarinet work with new music.(on my Selmer 37 low c bass) I just purchased, about 3 months ago, a Clark Fobes HB facing mouthpiece and I HIGHLY recommend it for new music playing that requires control and lots of volume. You will have to contact Clark about this facing as he only makes them to order.
I've played on the Selmer F and it does well for most things but you are correct, it does not allow for the volume that you need to play a concerto. Speak with Clark or email me privately and I'm happy to help you get in touch with him.
Best regards,
Michael Norsworthy
mnorswor@gis.net
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2003-08-05 21:09
You mentioned one crucial point. If this is a concerto for Bass Clarinet and you are the soloist the band should be playing under you. FF as a dynamic is relative and as a soloist you set the dynamic not the band, when playing with the ensemble a bass clarinet is never going to be the loudest instrument and nor should it. I wouldn't suggest changing mouthpiece for this reason alone.
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Author: mnorswor
Date: 2003-08-06 04:05
True, however, with a mouthpiece that CAN produce the necessary volume, one can also play at all the softer dynamic levels as well. I play on these types of mouthpiece as does my teacher, Richard Stoltzman.
For what it's worth,
Michael
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Author: Robert Small
Date: 2003-08-06 23:19
Charles Bay's mouthpieces can play very loud, especially the more open models. They tend to be a little bright, though. And I might get some argument on this but I believe there is an inevitable trade-off between power (volume) and richness or quality of tone. A mouthpiece capable of playing at great volume isn't going to be as rich and dark as a softer sounding mouthpiece. Personally I like alot of power and am willing to sacrifice some tone quality (but not alot) to get it. I use a pretty open Bay mouthpiece that I had him make to my specifications.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2003-08-08 13:29
To be loud a mouthpiece need not necessarily be extremely open --- a closer mouthpiece can also be powerful if (1) the facing is relatively long; (b) the transition ("break") between the flat table and curved facing is reasonably sharp and the curved area just up from the break curves away sufficiently, and (c) a hard reed is used. If all three conditions are met one can play loud, with projection AND good tone, without the reed "closing up" and limiting the dynamic range. However, this ideal is hard to reach in practice, yet it's certainly do-able and is my goal with most of the mouthpieces I've refaced. I've used and refaced Bay bass clarinet mouthpieces in the past and for my purposes (mainly classical) they have too 'hard' or 'brittle' a sound and not enough focus, but lots of players, such as Robert, get good results with Bays for big band/show/jazz/doubling work.
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