 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: GKF
Date: 2004-10-02 13:00
I am a middle school band director, and also hold a masters degree in clarinet performance. I've played a little bass, but it's not my strong suit. The student-model basses my school owns are old and beat up but have recently been repaired to playing condition by a trusted repairman. Yet, I cannot get them to play above a G (just above the staff).
WHAT BASS CLARINET MOUTHPIECES WOULD HELP WITH HIGH NOTES?
Or, if you think there may be an underlying problem with the instrument, let me know -- angle, embouchure, reed strength, etc. do not SEEM to be the problem, but I'm open to suggestions.
THANKS!
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Author: pewd
Date: 2004-10-02 18:43
i usually put middle school kids on selmer C* mouthpieces, and vandoren #2.5 or #3 reeds.
i play on a C* with a #3 or occassionally a 3.5, and a rovner ligature.
usually failure to go up high is a loose adjusment screw or leaky pad. are the adjustment screws for the register key mechanism where they should be? also check the screws adjusting the bridge mechanism - make sure all the pads close when they're supposed to.
i can usually hit a double c - when it messes up its almost always a leak caused by an adjustment screw shifting, or sometimes, an extremely soft reed.
hope that helps - what kind of mouthpiece/reed/ligature are you presently using?
-paul
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2004-10-02 22:03
Good advice, pewd, in our comm. band, I usually run my Selmer bass from low Eb to the altissimo to show the Bb clarinets that we can "get up there too". I play on glass Pomarico wide lay mps, so I use 1 1/2, 2 and 2 1/2 reeds, seldom have anything above the staff to play. As with sop cls, the middle B will tell you if the horn is tight, its even more necessary [squeeks] than on the sops. "Some" C*/Bundy 3 mps may play adequately, but most of us bass players go to a pro mp before long. Keep at it !! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: JessKateDD
Date: 2004-10-02 22:15
It might be the bass clarinet itself. Models that have the register key on the body instead of the neck usually have a horrible break in the sound between G and A above the staff. If the register key is on the body, the higher notes will be tough regardless of mouthpiece.
I second the C* as a good jr. high level mouthpiece. I've also had good results with the Hite, which is a bit less expensive than the C*.
Of course, the Bay neck/mouthpiece combination might help, but that's really expensive.
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Author: Iacuras
Date: 2004-10-05 00:13
What kind of clarinet do you use? I have a new Vito 7166 student model that is hard to play between G and C right above the staff. However, everything else plays fine. My private teacher (working on her docterate in clarinet perfomance) says it probably just needs some fine tuning by a good tech. It might be the same case for you.
Steve
"If a pretty poster and a cute saying are all it takes to motivate you, you probably have a very easy job. The kind robots will be doing soon."
"If you can't learn to do something well, learn to enjoy doing it poorly."
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Author: jack
Date: 2004-10-05 05:28
GKF,
Sorry to say, but it's the instrument, not the mouthpiece. Most likely culprit is the octave key mechanism. Solution boils down to this: you need a better technician. That simple. Only consolation: Many brand new low and highest quality bass clarinets have the same problem.
My personal solution was to take my one year old Buffet Model 1193, low C bass clarinet to the Brannens in Chicago. They did such a marvelous job on every aspect and nuance of my bass clarinet that I will gladly shout their praises to the world any time. My bass clarinet is now easier to play in any register than my soprano clarinets. It's been "Brannenized".
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2004-10-05 14:00
The problem doesn't sound like it got anything to do with the mouthpiece, since you should be able to play all the notes with any mouthpiece (if I could do it with a Buffet mouthpiece everyone can).
Anyway, here are in my opinion some good mouthpieces. Pomarico, Ridenour, Selmer.
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Author: LeeB
Date: 2004-10-05 19:14
<<<They did such a marvelous job on every aspect and nuance of my bass clarinet that I will gladly shout their praises to the world any time. My bass clarinet is now easier to play in any register than my soprano clarinets. It's been "Brannenized".>>>
I've read that bass clarinets need frequent adjustment. How often does your instrument need to return to the Brannens to stay in good playing condition?
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Author: Don Poulsen
Date: 2004-10-05 21:51
I'm only a dedicated amateur, but I get a very nice sound from a Vandoren B45 mouthpiece and have no trouble hitting high notes or any others.
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Author: GKF
Date: 2004-10-05 23:28
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR INPUT -- IT'S MUCH APPRECIATED. I FEAR IT MAY BE THE INSTRUMENT, BUT I'VE ORDERED THE C STAR MPC. -- I FIGURE THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY TO KNOW FOR SURE.  EITHER WAY, ANYTHING'S BETTER THAN THE AWFUL STOCK MPC HE'S PLAYING ON... COULDN'T HURT!
THANKS AGAIN!
-GKF
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