 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: MichaelR
Date: 2008-12-04 19:32
With a new bass clarinet in the house I'm looking for advice on playing one - the types of hints that someone migrating from a soprano clarinet will appreciate being told.
What suggestions do you have to make the transition less error filled?
Searching through the board I found, and am reading through, these threads:
Bass Hints
Bass Clarion Register
High Note Howto
Bass tone
Bass v. Soprano
Lyrique Low C
Bass Woes
Are there other threads you'd recommend?
And if you just happen to know a bass teacher in Portland, Oregon I'd appreciate an introduction.
--
Michael of Portland, OR
Be Appropriate and Follow Your Curiosity
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2008-12-04 20:03
I think the most important thing, right from the start, is to get a good concept in your head of the tone quality you'd like to achieve, if you haven't got that already. When I was starting out many centuries ago, my "heroes" were Ron Reuben of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Rosario Mazzeo of the Boston Symphony for "the sound". Even nowadays, with all the homogenization of tonal quality through the international soprano clarinet community, there remains (I believe) a wide range of bass clarinet sounds being played, and not all of them are good (to my ear, anyway).
I hope Larry Bocaner will chime in with a good list of whom to emulate, and whom to stay away from!
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Author: William
Date: 2008-12-04 20:11
I play a Buffet Prestige 1193-2 bass and have found that a good mouthpiece makes a "world" of difference, especially in the clarion registers. Two models that I am having a lot of success with are: 1) a Walter Grabner CXBS model (which has been discontinued in favor of his newer LB model using a Zinner blank) and 2) a Pomarico Jazz * model crystal--full, rich sound (not "buzzy" or "jazzy") with ease in upper register articulation.
Play with a more relaxed embouchure than you use for soprano, a softer than harder reed, use steady breath support--think of playing with "warm air", and think of "placing" those high notes when articulating rather than "attacking" them. Interestingly, if you play saxophone, you will be surprized how easily those low Bb's speak after playing a lot of bass clarinet. It's all in the breath support.
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Author: EEBaum
Date: 2008-12-05 00:13
Make sure your bass has been worked on recently by an excellent tech. I know countless people who think they're bad at bass or that something's hard on bass, and most of the time the problem is the instrument itself.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
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Author: pewd
Date: 2008-12-05 02:14
get one of henri bok's recordings. listen. try to match that sound.
plus what alex and david said. not to discount david's post, but alex's should be in bright red, bold font, and blinking. have the bass thourghly gone over by a pro repair person.
take a few lessons from a good clarinet professor.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2008-12-05 11:27
I'm not in agreement with Paul above regarding using Henri Bok's sound as a guide for a 'newbie' to the bass clarinet. Just my opinion (of course), but while I have tremendous respect for Bok's technique, I find his sound overly harsh and gritty and lacking in warmth. I believe there are far better sounds out there to emulate; however most of them exist in the ranks of orchestral section players rather than in bass clarinet 'soloists' such as Bok.
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Author: TCrane
Date: 2008-12-05 13:39
Michael
Re: Bass Clarinet instruction In Portland. Randy Burlingame teaches the
Bass. He teaches lots of folks on soprano clarinet and sax, and is great on jazz which is what I enjoy. He has a web
page up with contact information. I have been tempted by the lure of the Bass but still have too much to do on soprano.
I'd be interested to know what you end up doing. Good luck.
Tim
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Author: LarryBocaner ★2017
Date: 2008-12-05 15:25
With all due respect for my friend Dave Spiegelthal (who produces a very nice sound on his bass clarinet) I am an unabashed admirer of Henri Bok's approach to the instrument. When I complimented Henri on his "macho" bass clarinet tone, he was quick to reply: "Thank you, but I can play sweetly, too!"
Re Paul's advice to find a "good clarinet professor": There are many "good clarinet professors" out there who don't know beans about the bass clarinet.
Better to locate someone who can demonstrate excellent bass clarinet lore to you.
Dave mentions Rosario Mazzeo as someone to emulate. I had the honor to coach with R.M. for two summers at Tanglewood. Although I was a great admirer of his intelligence and musicianship, I always found his bass clarinet sound a bit "funky". Of course it has been over 50 years since he retired from the Boston SO, so memories of his playing are shrouded in time!
There are a number of orchestral players in the US whose sound you would do well to emulate. This guy in the London SO also sounds pretty good to me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dABZ2D5e32I&NR=1
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Author: MichaelR
Date: 2008-12-05 15:25
Tim, you can edit your profile here to allow off list replies.
Thanks for the pointer to Randy. He seems to be a saxophone and soprano clarinet player and teacher. Which is just like my current teacher. I have emailed him in case the bio I found for him is misleading.
--
Michael of Portland, OR
Be Appropriate and Follow Your Curiosity
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