 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: NewBass
Date: 2006-05-11 20:50
(warning, could be longish..) OK, I'm new at this clarinet thing. Sort of. Played soprano clarinet two years in high school (long time ago). Been noodling on alto sax on and off for a couple years. Lurking here, I've learned a few things, and that's made my sax playing better.
A couple months ago, someone asked if I'd consider bass clarinet. Actually, until then, I hadn't heard of such a thing. Do some research and "hey, this sounds like my kind of instrument". So I'm going to try it. The advice I need is things that will generally make it more approachable, particularly at first. I'm not looking for that last 0.001% of tonal perfection; I'd be satisfied with tolerable tone and fun to play. I'll work on excellence after finding basic competance.
So. My general plan of attack is:
1) go rent a bass clarinet. I'm expecting this would be a basic student model. Question #1: is it worth messing around with anything other than a generic cheapie mouthpiece at this point? Or save that for later? The goal is to play the thing, not fight with it. If Yes, Question #1a is: how would one go about that at this (beginner+) level?
2) plan out a course of instruction similar to beginning soprano clarinet. Probably use the same books for awhile. Work fingering, tone, scales and intervals, lotsa just playing. Get advice from my wife (a flute teacher), and other musicians I know. Question #2: Any recommended course / study / book recommendations for the offbeat / ADD type student? Frankly, drills and such are helpful and necessary, but if my brain tunes too far out, it doesn't come back for awhile. I know there's no shortcuts - if you want the skills, you gotta put in the (grand) effort.
3) Do it. Question #3 probably has something to do with "do I need a teacher?" and finding one and all that, but I 'm out of time. So I'll ask that later.
W
Tonemeister Productions - All things audio
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2006-05-11 23:05
Everyone thinks they play bass clarinet badly until they've played on a good one.
At the very least, do get a better mouthpiece. Perhaps after you've been playing a month or so, find someone who's experienced on bass and have them go with you.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2006-05-12 00:52
NewBass,
I only worry that you will be comparing the "feel" and or sound to the sax. The bass clarinet is a different animal than the soprano clarinet but it is more akin to its smaller cousin than the sax.
Just make sure (with the assistance of a bass player) that the horn you're getting doesn't leak like a sieve. Even a cheapy, ebonite model that only plays to written low E can be a decent horn.
By all means, try for a good mouthpiece. The Hite bass mouthpiece is VERY servicable and very (relatively) inexpensive.
As for repertoire, it does help to look at music for the horn since the writing for bass is usually idiomatic, playing to its strengths (more chalameu, less altissimo).
Happy playing,
.........Paul Aviles
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Author: diz
Date: 2006-05-12 01:25
My two cents' worth ... soprano clarinet is a a strange term to me ... simple "clarinet" is fine (the extended family are then easily identified by their own handles: alto, E-flat, Bass, Contrabass, etc).
As to the bass clarinet ... I first played one in high school and loved it. Had no problem whatsoever crossing from B-flat clarinet to it, as they are basically identical. However, the School's bass clarinet was a professional Buffet and almost played itself.
The mouthpiece adventure seems to be an obsessive topic on this illustrious forum, enough to put the average punter to sleep quicker than reading a stock market report ... but I do agree, you probably would best best served by taking the bass with you when you purchase one.
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
Post Edited (2006-05-12 03:28)
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Author: NewBass
Date: 2006-05-15 19:17
OK, thanks for the advice, all.
Soon, the adventure begins....
Tonemeister Productions - All things audio
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Author: NewBass
Date: 2006-05-30 19:52
Off to a bumpy start here. Have the thing, and a couple trips back to the store, and ....
I've "played" it a handful of times. Still working out the proper reed and such. Think the ones I've got are a bit stiff. Yes, after a little more time on it, I will need to call in a proper teacher as well as move toward a mouthpiece that works for me.
Paul's comments were on the money - it plays a lot more like a regular clarinet than a sax. Which is slightly dissappointing, but not unexpected. When the sound comes out right, it's what I was looking for.
There's a couple things maybe you all could help with in the mean time.
I've got a couple notes that just sound horrendous. Flaccid. wheezy. These would be F - F# - open G. E is fine, and A is crisp. Don't remember about G#. Is this likely a user problem or instrument problem? How would I chase it down?
Also having trouble holding the thing. It's got a "right angle" sort of bend to the gooseneck (whatever it's called), which puts the mouthpiece at a higher angle than I'm used to on alto sax. Is this something to learn or what? It's tempting to put a chest harness on it and hold it like a bari sax, although I don't know that would actually work. Throw in trying to keep the music stand in range of the bi-focals, and positioning everything gets to be .... interesting.
W
Tonemeister Productions - All things audio
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2006-05-31 12:33
I assume you mean the throat notes. Sometimes the G# key does not sit all the way down when the adjustment screw on the A key is screwed in too far. Just make sure there is a tiny bit of play between these two keys where they cross (often a major place to check on.........dare I say.......soprano horns!).
...........Paul Aviles
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Author: pmgoff78
Date: 2006-06-02 15:05
I would actually advise playing on a crappy mouthpiece to start. You'll learn alot about control by playing this way. I played a Yamaha 4c until my sophomore year in college. In my scholarship audition where I went to school they raved about my tone. I made the local youth orchestra on Bass alone, and I was Principal in the All-State Band 3 years in a row, on a "crappy" mouthpiece.
I would also advise playing on a "crappy" horn. I spent every fall playing a Plastic Bundy for Marching Band. I learned alot about control on that thing. Still have it too!
I feel, personally, that if you jump to really nice equipment right away you'll never be challenged, or found out if you're up to it. That's just me.
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Author: Tony Beck
Date: 2006-06-02 17:14
I don't think a 4C, or a Bundy necessarily qualifies as crappy equipment. (I still have both myself.) The definition of crappy is a warped/chipped mouthpiece on a horn with leaky pads and out of adjustment key work. That clarinet would be an albatross around the neck of any player, even if it's an R-13 or Opus. A well adjusted beginner horn with medium close faced mouthpiece won't hold any beginner back, and probably not most intermediates either. Sure it will have intonation issues, but that's the least of your problems at that stage.
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Author: pmgoff78
Date: 2006-06-02 20:35
Well, on boards, including this one, that equipment has been termed crappy. I'm just going with the "flow."
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Author: NewBass
Date: 2006-06-05 18:55
Thanks, Paul. Adjusting G# seemed to help. It was a bit tighter than it ought to be.
Also still experimenting with reeds, getting closer to a working set-up. Actually made some tolerable-sounding notes last week.
W.
Tonemeister Productions - All things audio
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