 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: CJB
Date: 2003-05-24 18:42
I've just acquired a bass (Yamaha to low C) and am having one or 2 problems. The most annoying of these is the slight (or not so slight!) squeak I'm creating when playing low staccato notes. I'm certain the problem is me not the instrument as I've had similar problems when playing other large clarinets. I'm sure the solution is practice but has anyone got a few tips to speed up the process? I'm supposed to be playing the bass part in John Barnes Chance's Incantation and Dance in a few weeks time which seems to highlight the problem spectacularly!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Robert Small
Date: 2003-05-24 20:16
I use Fibracell reeds on bass. They can sound almost as good as cane, have a very good response, and seem to be practically immune to chirping and squeaking. On all the various saxes and clarinets that I play bass clarinet is the only one that I use a synthetic reed on. It just eliminates alot of hassle.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Don Berger
Date: 2003-05-24 21:01
Unless you are slightly touching/opening the G# "knuckle"key, a banana key, the Eb/Bb "trill key et al when reaching for the low notes, I'd guess that you have a slightly-leaking pad, prob. in the U J, possibly the low F/C, try fingering both it and the low E to see. It took me a year to find and fix leaks, the thumb pad was my worst! Yes, some mps squeek easier than others, I like my wide Pomaricos for that reason. Luck, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: lowclarinetman
Date: 2003-05-25 05:13
it also takes time to "learn" a new bass. I am a big believer in learning the placement of notes on your bass In many ways it is like a brass instrument and you have to learn where the parshals are.
as far as pratical information, make sure that u are playing low enough on the reed. Often just taking a bit more mouthpiece or moving the bottom lip forward a bit will solve this particular problem, assuming the instrument is in proper repair. Another solution might b to go to a softer reed, but i would need to knwo ur setup before i really recommended that.
How old is your bass and was their work done on it recently? I find that new instruments will need some basic maintaince after about 6 months, anything before that would b a problem the manufacture/seller didn't correct properly.
I am also a big fan of the pomarico mouthpieces for bass.(i play an HB, which is a rather open version). it is a VERY open mouthpiece but allows many different tonal colours and just plays like a dream in many ways.
As far as fibracell reeds go... well i was once an avid user. I used them throughout college and played many a concerto and concert on them. They have their place in the learning of the bass clarinet, but i honestly feel that there is a point that they outlive thier usefulness. The sound is not quite as rich as a cane reed, but the fibracell reed can play easier. The fact that the sound is not there is enough for me not to use them. I use Marca Excel tenor sax reeds... they are pricey but i get 10 wonderful reeds per box. One or two boxes get me through a season in the professional symphony i play in, with very little hassle... they come highly recommended. I recommend th fibracell reeds for students of mine that are having trouble articulating in the G above staff to the high C above staff(the tricky range on the b cl) but once you have mastered that move back to a cane reed... the sound is everything. just my .02 cents
good luck with the chance! it is a fun little bass clarinet part and it has a high likelyhood of coming up in auditions for military bands.
sincerely
bob hoit
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: CJB
Date: 2003-05-25 15:14
lowclarinetman
I think you've hit the nail on the head with the 'learning the instrument' comment - the problem comes mostly when leaping down onto a lower note, I don't think I'm aiming at the right pitch yet. Moving my bottom lip forward has also helped.
For the record the instrument is brand new and was checked for leaks before I picked it up. I'm using the Yamaha 4C mouthpiece that it came with with a Vandoren 2.5. I'll aim to replace the mouthpiece once I've got to know the instrument properly.
I'm highly overexcited about playing it in a concert - I'd only taken it into the rehearsal as it wasn't insured in my car. Discovered our regular bass player wasn't there and asked if I could play for 1/2 hour or so in pieces where I didn't have a part. I normally play Eb but there aren't many parts in the forthcoming concert.....now to overcome the challenge of doubling bass and Eb in the same concert.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: clar_g
Date: 2003-05-26 23:44
Hi,
I have only played bass for a little while, but one thing that helped me a lot was fixing the reeds. I would first definitely use a different strength reed. maybe a 3 vandoren. and what i found was that the reeds i was using that made me squeek were warped. if you put the reed on a flat surface and it wabbles back and forth then its warped. then what i would do is rub the back on fine sandpaper like 1200 or 600. dont rub hard of course. just until it isnt warped anymore. do this in a circular motion so it is even throughout the reed. for a suggestion of a mouthpiece you may want to try a b40. ok i hope this helps.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ron b
Date: 2003-05-27 05:31
As a short time bass 'dabbler' I soon discovered that a much softer reed (than I like for soprano cl) and almost swallowing the mouthpiece worked wonders almost immediately. *Almost* as good as a tuba 
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2003-05-27 17:06
CJB -
Assuming the pads are sealing (never a sure thing on bass), the problem is probably with the reed.
The curve on a bass mouthpiece is quite a bit longer than on a soprano, and the reed has to wrap around it. If you set the reed so that the tip is exactly even with the mouthpiece tip, it's going to be a little short when it lays along the curve. Thus, you should set the tip of the reed about 1/2 mm. above the tip of the mouthpiece. Any leaking can cause squeaks.
The other difference with larger reeds is that there is more room for the reed to swell as it gets wet. The large area of bark on top means that bass reeds almost always swell on the bottom down the middle. Wet the reed thoroughly and press it against the bottom of a piece of glass. You'll probably see it dry down the middle and wet along the sides. You need to take off every bit of swelling to avoid leakage.
The mouthpiece may also be crooked, which causes squeaking. The problem is that comparatively few bass mouthpieces are sold compared with soprano, so the makers (particularly Selmer) can't justify the expense of adjusting their machinery. Roger Garrett refaces bass mouthpieces for a very reasonable price.
Your only consolation is that the problems are even worse on contra.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: bassclarinetchicka88
Date: 2003-05-29 01:47
i used to have this problem too! it's really annoying and disruptive - especially since i'm the only bass clarinetist (my school has a really small band) so there was no one to blame it on! haha... well... i can give you 2 tips
1. if you get nervous (and this was my problem) you tend to squeeze the hell out of the mouthpiece with your lips and tighten off your throat. this can cause squeaks, and in some cases, no sound at all. try to loosen up your throat. playing double lip for a while helps big time, because if you bite hard with a double lip embouchure, it kills your top lip, and soon you can go back to the single without a problem - sort of retraining your lips.
2. it helps to sit comfortably and bring the instrument to you instead of sticking your neck out to reach the instrument. find your position first - and make sure you are comfortable. one day i was having a really bad case of the squeaks, and it was so embarrassing that i just stopped playing. my band director's husband was there, and he gave me this advice, and i thought "this guy is a trombonist - what the hell does he know?" but it worked like a miracle!
:) so, good luck!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2003-05-29 11:57
Don seems to have made a pertinent observation. Big wide mouthpiece and soft tubby reeds. It is about the only thing that makes them work.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2003-05-29 13:48
There's some disagreement about whether to have the bass mouthpiece come in horizontally (like a sax) or angled (like a soprano clarinet). I prefer to have it angled.
Bay makes a replacement neck, but it's around $300 (or maybe higher now), and it's always a crap-shoot whether it will work well. The bass clarinet virtuoso Josef Horak showed me a no-cost trick many years ago.
Sit forward in the chair, with your left foot forward and your right heel tucked back against the right front chair leg. Then set the floor peg in the angle between your right heel and the chair leg, leaning the instrument forward and to the left. You'll need to rotate the mouthpiece and neck slightly. It doesn't have to be an extreme position, but it may help to use a neck strap.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
