 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Don Poulsen
Date: 2003-12-04 15:06
While trying to help a colleague find an easier alternate way of fingering some notes in a passage, I noted that the paperclip contrabass she was playing only had one side trill key -- that used for first line E-flat. Is this a characteristic of all contrabasses? I noted that the contraalto she sometimes plays does seem to have the full complement of four trill keys.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2003-12-04 20:18
Don -
The Leblanc contras (Eb and BBb) have only the single side key. You have to learn to play the throat F# with the left index finger. The Selmers and Buffets have all four, as do the plastic Vitos
When I was in the West Point Band years ago, we had an excellent pianist, and an arranger with nothing better to do transcribed the Ravel Concerto for the Left Hand. The band's contrabassoon was inoperable, so the I got to play the contrabassoon cadenza near the end, which had some noodling around involving F# and F. It took me about 15 minutes to get it into my fingers, but after that it was OK.
As a rule, though, contra parts are pretty slow-moving, so it's not much of a problem, though it's annoying at first.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2003-12-04 21:36
diz -
The Selmer/Bundy/Linton Eb contras have lots of agility. I find them easier to play than a bass clarinet, and just as quick. Ditto for the Vitos, and, presumably, the Buffets, though I've never played one of them.
The metal Leblancs have a much larger bore and considerably slower response. You could play the Mozart concerto on one, but, say, the sextuplets at the end of the Weber #2 finale would be at or a bit beyond the limit of the instrument's keywork and speed of movement from note to note, at least in the high register.
Also, recall that only the top-line Buffets have the equivalent of the pierced pad for the left index finger, so altissimo fingerings are completely different.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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