 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Fred
Date: 2000-04-10 16:08
I've played Bb clarinet for 25 yr. and am considering buying an old bass clarinet from a fellow band member (20 yr. old Emil Lyon Superior A France) and have some questions.
The instrument definitely needs some work but I got it to speak from the throat Bb to the low E with great effort. I could not get anything but squawks in the clarion register. My chief concern is can learning this instrument have any detrimental effect on my soprano clarinet playing? The embouchure (if I had it correct) was very wide and my jaw very low, and the finger stretch, especially in the pinkies was very awkward.
Secondly any suggestions on beginners mouthpiece & reed set-up? I use a Vand. B45 & M.Lurie 4 !/2 on my soprano.
Third the case is very musty,short of buying a new case,any hints on getting the smell out?
Lastly anyone ever hear of this make? I can find no reference to it anywhere. My band mate is selling it for 200 and it will take a standard overhaul to get it playable. Is it worth it?
Thanks for any help or suggestions.
Fred
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Author: Fred McKenzie
Date: 2000-04-10 17:08
Fred wrote:
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I've played Bb clarinet for 25 yr. and am considering buying an old bass clarinet from a fellow band member (20 yr. old Emil Lyon Superior A France) and have some questions.
Fred-
Assuming you will end up investing $400 or so after repairs, I think the price is probably quite good. I'm not familiar with the brand, but my concern is whether or not it was made to play in tune at A=440 Hz.
Does the neck have some kind of adjustment mechanism, or do you just pull out at the mouthpiece or the neck, like you would on a Soprano Clarinet? If an adjustment is provided, I think that is mechanically better than just pulling out.
If adjusted for a low G, is the open G far out of tune? If so, that would be an indication the instrument was made for a different pitch.
I can't answer the question of how it would affect your Soprano embouchure over the long term. However, you may notice a short term effect if you switch between the two without waiting a while.
Fred 2
<A HREF="http://www.dreamnetstudios.com/music/mmb/index.htm">MMB</A>
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2000-04-10 18:33
I have several B C's, and am presently restoring an old plastic Linton, and generally agree with Fred #2's comments. Offhand, I'd suggest looking on EBAY under a bass cl search to become acquainted with the various basses. As to neck tuning adjustment, my best, a Selmer 33, and my Sel Alto cl also has it, and, to me its very desireable as it "remembers the pitch" and avoids mp or neck pulling. Also desireable, to me, is the "double register key" mechanism [in spite of additional keying and its adjustment problems], since it clears-up the lower clarion notes, sometimes hard to come-by. It is usually distinguished by the presence of a reg. key-pad on the neck. You should look to find if your prospect has the low Eb [actuated by a 5th right-little-finger "touch"], some oldies don't, not that you will find many low Eb's in community band music!! Some basses also have additional keying such as the alternate Ab/Eb, which is quite useful [if you can reach it!!]. As to embouchure, I don't have problems unless "doubling" rapidly. I hope I've touched on most of your questions, will be happy to add to the above. Don
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Author: Fred McKenzie
Date: 2000-04-10 19:43
Fred wrote:
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I've played Bb clarinet for 25 yr. and am considering buying an old bass clarinet from a fellow band member (20 yr. old Emil Lyon Superior A France) and have some questions.
Fred-
Does "Superior A France" mean it is in the key of A? I think you will find a Bb instrument more useful!
As far as the musty case is concerned, there was a discussion about that several days ago in http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?id=19837. One of the comments suggested that it had been discussed before. You can search for earlier threads by listing older messages.
Fred 2
<A HREF="http://www.dreamnetstudios.com/music/mmb/index.htm">MMB</A>
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2000-04-10 20:59
I believe that the "A France" merely means "made in [from] FR" ; look for a B [earlier meaning Bb] and an LP to be sure you are not getting a "high-pitch" horn [quite un-usable]. Often you can find this out by just trying to play it along with FM music, you should be able to match some notes!! Re: the case, yes, look up previous threads, just cleaning and exposing it to bright sunlight and oxygen will help a lot. Don
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Author: Lelia
Date: 2000-04-10 21:34
I'm an amateur. FWIW, I haven't found that playing bass sax spoils my clarinet embouchure. It's more challenging for me to go from the soprano to the larger mouthpiece than the other way around, because each time I have to convince myself to stuff enough of that huge mpc in my mouth. Since I started on soprano clarinet back in the late 1950s, that smaller mpc continues to feel the most natural to me, even if I've been playing bass sax a lot. I do need some time to adjust back and forth. I also think that if I played bass sax exclusively for more than a few days at a time, I might start losing my sop. clarinet chops, because the sop. clarinet requires a firmer embouchure and a stronger lip. I have to keep that embouchure trained or else it gets flabby.
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Fred wrote:
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I've played Bb clarinet for 25 yr. and am considering buying an old bass clarinet from a fellow band member
[snip]
My chief concern is can learning this instrument have any detrimental effect on my soprano clarinet playing? The embouchure (if I had it correct) was very wide and my jaw very low, and the finger stretch, especially in the pinkies was very awkward.
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Author: SusieQ
Date: 2000-04-10 21:44
Lelia is right about the embouchure. I mostly play bass clarinet and I don't keep up on the soprano like I should. My tone on the soprano is awful, the higher I play the flatter I get, because I don't have the chops anymore. The bass clarinet is a great instrument, but don't let up on the soprano. I am learning the hard way. Hope this helps a little.
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Author: gRAHAM
Date: 2000-04-10 22:58
Fred,
I am by no means a prof player. I play the bass clarinet and soprano clarinet in our local youth symphoney. I have had to switch instruments several times during a concert many times during one piece. I found that if you practice each instrument about the same amount every day and every time you pick up a different instrument during the same hour play the cromatic scale about 5 times on the second instrument and then you make the transition easily. For the case, i had a case like that for a tenor sax. I left it open on the back porch for 5 days. It didnt help so I got some febreeze. It got the smell away but also added a different scent. Then I tried putting bakeing soda in it directly on the inside for a few days. I kept the case closed and then I vacumed out the soda and left it open again on the porch. That worked wonders. If the instrument is wood and is not an A bass clarinet than its a good price. But A bass clarinets could come in handy. I have had to play A bass clarinet parts and have had to traspose the music. Thats why bass clarinets have low Ebs, To each the low E on an A bass.
If you have the money and you want to play around with the instrument then go ahead and buy it. Follow your heart. Thas what I did with an old C melody buescher sax. I love it. I can play oboes, piano, guitar, flute music and the sound is wonderful. I think that old instruments at least saxes have a soul. I replaced the pads and regulated the keys my self so I saved alot of money.
Good luck,
Graham
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Author: Willie
Date: 2000-04-11 04:54
I play a contra alto in one community band, but a soprano in the other. The only time I had a problem was when I didn't touch the "little one" for almost 6 months because of my work schedule. When I did pick it up again, my chops were OK, but those keys seemed so tiny and much closer together than before.
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