 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: thomas
Date: 2001-12-18 11:41
I have some questions concerning bass clarints.
I live in Germany and play german (of course) and Boehm clarinet. I want to start playing bass clarinet (Boehm) and have some Questions:
1) my neighbour (a prof. german Bass cl. player) told me tha in German B.C.s he can play with ease from the low C to C4. He told that the high notes with Boehm B.C.s are very hard to play, he did not achieve. Is this true or is it a lack of experience with Boehm B. C.s? he had some prejudices concerning the sound of the Boehm Bass Clarinet.
2) I wanted to start with a student model (I thought the Buffet student Bass Clarinet. Does this make sense or has a plastic clarinet (Selmer/Vito) the same sound quality (from soprano I would say No!)
3) Does it make sense to start with a instrument whithout ext. to low C? Where is this needed?Or should I start with a Buffet or Selmer top model because of the extension?
4) I thought of buying a students model but (my experiences with german and Boehm clarinets told me to do so) buy the best mouthpiece I can find. Which are the best Models of MPs (classics, no jazz) , Which reeds are commonly used (for these questions I did not get a lot of answers in Germany).
Thank you for your advices in advance
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Author: Don Poulsen
Date: 2001-12-18 12:57
I don't feel fully qualified to answer all your questions, but I'll expound on a couple of them.
1) The high notes on a Boehm bass clarinet can be played relatively easily if you have a good, well-adjusted instrument, a decent mouthpiece and reed and the proper breath control.
3) You probably don't need an instrument with a low-C extension. Very few pieces of music go below E-flat. Most bass clarinetists do fine without the extension.
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Author: Mitchell
Date: 2001-12-18 17:47
Thomas-
I and many of the other clarinetists that I play with prefer the Selmer c* mouthpiece for bass clarinet with 3 1/2 or 3 strength Vandoren bass clarinet reeds. If you are going to play bass clarinet in orchestra and you have enough money, I would advise you to buy the Buffet Prestige R-13 because it is only around $500 more than the model to low Eb and many of the twentieth-century orchestral works use the extension, such as the Bass Clarinet duet with flute in Shostakovich's Violin Concerto.
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Author: Robert Small
Date: 2001-12-18 18:06
Get a low C. As Mitchell points out there are enough orchestral works that call for the extended range notes to make the low C a neccessity. Plus with the low C you can play the Bach Cello Suites which are tremendous fun. And do not buy a low C bass without trying out the Selmer 37. Big sound and excellent keywork.
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Author: Ted Donaldson
Date: 2001-12-19 01:25
Depends on what you play... if you are in school bands (6th through 12th) you will never ever ever ever never ever (etc, etc.) play low c except in scales... IF you play in orchestras get it... I wish i had a low c clarinet :(
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Author: Aaron Diestel
Date: 2001-12-19 02:31
Thomas.
Sind Sie Studnet oder professional? Studieren Sie ins Universität oder in Gumnasium?
now in English.
I have played both Deutsches and Boehm system clarinets and bass clarinets. I do agree that the altissimo register in the boehm bass clarinets are hard to project...BUT ONLY ON STUDENT LINE HORNS, unless well adjusted. I have a Buffet Prestige (low C) and it plays just as easily as any Bb clarinet. The pro model boehm clarinets are well made horns and play with the effort of a Bb, at least it seems that way to me. The new Buffet Prestige and the Selmer 37 are the only ones to touch if you are thinking of buying a bass clarinet.
Buffet DOES make a Student line Bass clarinet. It is made of wood and only goes to Eb. I have heard many good things about this bass. It plays well, and os a good instrument. Also is considerablly cheaper than the Buffet Prestige or Selmer 37.
Selmer C* is definately the mouthpiece to go with. It is a cheaper mouthpiece and every professional symphony player I know uses a C*.
My reccomendation für Sie......Kaufen Sie die Buffet. Student oder Prestige, machts nichts, Beide sind sher gut. Mundstück....Selmer C*. Buffet ist billiger als Selmer und sind so gut wie Selmer. Spielen Sie in ein Orchester, Stadtkapelle, Blaserorchestra?
E-mail mit fragen. I hope I have been of help.
Tschus!
Aaron Diestel
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Author: javier garcia
Date: 2001-12-20 13:37
I play the student buffet bass (1180 model). I have no problem to play notes in the high register. Some notes are stuffy, as low B, medium B with all holes closed, high F# (a twelve above low B) and G#, although low C# isn't. I can play all notes until very high G, without problems.
The horn have a beautiful sound, I use Vandoren B44 mouthpiece and Vandoren 3 reeds.
And the horn is cheaper (almost a half) that the 1193 Buffet or the Selmer 37
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