The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Maw
Date: 1999-03-08 02:47
Benefits for playing bass clarinet in High School Band. Clarinet x 7 years. Benefits of making the switch. Draw backs???
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Author: Fred McKenzie
Date: 1999-03-08 04:03
Maw wrote:
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Benefits for playing bass clarinet in High School Band. Clarinet x 7 years. Benefits of making the switch. Draw backs???
Maw-
If you don't have the "passion" for Bass Clarinet, then you may not be happy with it. On the other hand, it would broaden your experiences. If you have the opportunity, also try the ContraBass Clarinet as well as the Eb Soprano and Alto.
Benefit of playing Bass Clarinet: less competition!
Fred McKenzie
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Author: Someone Who Can Spell BASS
Date: 1999-03-09 01:54
I play bass....I switched over from Clarinet and less competition has gotten me far. Not too many draw back or whatever....nice instrument...doesn't wail as much as clarinet....
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Author: Richard A. Sharpe
Date: 1999-03-09 03:14
Switched to basss when in high school in the late 1950's. Less comp. to be sure. Also did the Baritone sax in dance band at the same time. This all lead to playing the contraa bass in college. Am now 2nd clarinet of Newark, Delaware Civic Symphony. Go for it!
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Author: Contragirl
Date: 1999-03-09 18:14
Benefits--too many to count.
Draw backs--heavy case.
I started on the bass clarinet because there were no soprano clarinets to be found. It was wonderful, I like the dark sound, but the case was heavy. Now, this was way back in sixth grade, and now I have no problem with the contra's case. If you have a passion for the instrument, the case deal is nothing. The parts are boring (especially for me, I play alto clarinet parts), but if you like playing loud (like me) you will LOVE IT! I like to play loud, and I love low notes, so the contra is perfect for me. Less competition is a plus, but I switched because I want to play loud. If you don't like to play loud, the bass clarinet is not for you.
(PS I'm in high school too)
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Author: Daniel
Date: 1999-03-09 23:02
Contragirl wrote:
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The parts are boring (especially for me, I play alto clarinet parts), but if you like playing loud (like me) you will LOVE IT! I like to play loud, and I love low notes, so the contra is perfect for me. Less competition is a plus, but I switched because I want to play loud. If you don't like to play loud, the bass clarinet is not for you.
(PS I'm in high school too)
Good music since the 40's and so and good orchestral transcriptions, there are plenty of good bass clarinet and contra-alto(bass) parts. With lots of notes. And if you have a full clarinet section, with the right number of basses, you shouldn't need to play loud to be heard.a wind ensemble generally needs one bass per 3 or 4 sopranos. And usually shouldn't have more than about 9 sopranos. And concert band generally has about 20-26 clarinets and up to about 6 basses (which works out roughly to 1:3 or 4.
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Author: Contragirl
Date: 1999-03-10 17:49
Daniel wrote:
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Good music since the 40's and so and good orchestral transcriptions, there are plenty of good bass clarinet and contra-alto(bass) parts. With lots of notes. And if you have a full clarinet section, with the right number of basses, you shouldn't need to play loud to be heard.a wind ensemble generally needs one bass per 3 or 4 sopranos. And usually shouldn't have more than about 9 sopranos. And concert band generally has about 20-26 clarinets and up to about 6 basses (which works out roughly to 1:3 or 4.)
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Who said anything about playing loud to be heard? I play loud because it's the only way to play! And, there are nine clarinets to one bass, and me.
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Author: Richard A. Sharpe
Date: 1999-03-11 02:34
Contragirl has the standard problem with high band instrument distribution. When I was in high school, playing the bass, there had to have been 20 clarinets and 20 flutes in the band....and me on the bass. I did play loud as the band director need bass sound. There was only one tuba and me to provide the foundation of chord structure. Ultimately, I started to play the bari sax in band as it was even louder than the bass clarinet. Now, in the symphony orchestra, I play the bass clarinet with style and grace. The days of honking away as loud as possible are a distant (40 year) memory of things past.
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Author: bruno
Date: 1999-03-11 17:08
if you think bass clarinet is boring, listen to Louis SCLAVIS (French player) , try to compete.... good luck.
No compete is also good to share sensibility music. I don't play bass like SCLAVIS, PORTAL, MILLER, ... but i enjoye it. Try to play solo, not in harmony, the way is different.
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