 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: saxophone_lex
Date: 2022-11-28 22:56
I am fairly new to bass clairnet. I have an audition this coming saturday and i really need help. My bass clairnet cant play above a high F otherwise it sounds airy and kind of growly. Could someone help or show me what im doing wrong. I dont know if its my reed, mouth piece, or something else. I just got it back a few days ago from Buddy Rodgers because of a leak (and i couldnt play the same notes. But i get it back, expecting it to work, but it doesnt. So im assuming its just me, but im not sure what im doing wrong. Ive played alto saxophne for 6 years so i already have a base on how to play an instrument. I can play these notes when i go up the scale, but if i wanted to play a above staff A, it deosnt come out.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2022-11-29 01:08
The first thing is that no one will be able to " show me what im doing wrong" over a BBoard with any reliability. The best you'll get are good guesses. The worst you'll get are useless guesses, and you don't have time between now and Saturday to try all the guesses and sort out which are which.
The best way to figure out what's really going wrong is to find someone who can listen to you live and, maybe, try your equipment out to locate the problem.
If you have other reeds, it would be a quick test to try them to see if a different reed solves the problem or at least makes the notes easier. If you don't have other reeds, you should buy some.
I don't know who Buddy Rogers is or why you didn't try the instrument as soon as you got it back "a few days ago," but if he's local to you, I would recommend taking it back to him and asking him to re-check the instrument. The place where you begin to have problems is where an automatic double register mechanism should be shifting over, so that would be the first I'd check. If it's out of adjustment, fixing it could lessen or eliminate the problem.
If you tell the make/model of the instrument, someone here may be familiar with some other mechanical problem that's unique to that type of instrument.
It's probably too late to go mouthpiece shopping, but if you're using the right strength reed (in particular, one that's not too hard), you should be able to get by with your mouthpiece until you can get other ones to try.
Good luck.
Karl
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Author: David H. Kinder
Date: 2022-11-29 03:07
I'll go the opposite of what Karl said regarding your reed/mouthpiece.
Your reed may be too soft for the tip opening of your mouthpiece.
A softer reed will vibrate too much and vibrate itself closed so no air gets through.
A harder reed will vibrate better for those higher notes, of course it takes more air and air support to make that work.
It's worth checking out.
Getting back into playing after 20 years.
Ridenour AureA Bb clarinet
Vandoren M15 Profile 88 (non-13) mouthpiece
Vandoren Optimum Silver ligature (plate 1)
Vandoren blue-box #3.5 reeds
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Author: lydian
Date: 2022-11-29 22:13
I haven't played bass clarinet since the 70s, but make sure you're covering/uncovering that little hole on the left hand index finger key appropriately. Also, really old vintage ones might have two octave keys.
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Author: Mikael
Date: 2022-11-30 23:08
If your reed is **** and you don't have a replacement bass clarinet reed, try a tenor sax reed, they work just fine.
That's all I got.
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