 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Tom Piercy
Date: 2010-04-09 10:01
Hello.
Curious - to those who stand while playing a Low C Bass clarinet, which neck strap(s) do you use?
I've used several different makes and am still looking for one that balances the instrument , takes some of the weight off the right hand and keeps it steady.
Thanks
Tom Piercy
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2010-04-09 12:01
I can't use just a neck strapfor bass clarinet, it's too heavy if I play for a while. Maybe it is ok for you. But generally I like BG neck straps, though as long as the neck strap is like any regular one, it won't make any real difference to the position of the instrument, so just use the most comfortable one if you like to play this way.
I use a harness and prefer Neotech. For some reason I don't like the BG harness at all. There are many and I tried many but there are a lot I haven't tried too. I hold the instrument in a way I never thought I would until I tried it, with the bell to the side of the body like some saxophone players play.
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2010-04-09 13:50
Tom, I generally use a standard-width Ray Hyman sax strap, but that's less relevant than the location of the strap hook on your instrument, which is critical for good balance but is often not quite in the optimum spot. Also, neck angle makes a big difference in how the instrument balances when you're standing.
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Author: davetrow
Date: 2010-04-09 16:37
Stephen Fox makes a peg for playing a bass clarinet while standing.
http://www.sfoxclarinets.com/Accessories.html#bass%20clar%20acc
Dave Trowbridge
Boulder Creek, CA
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Author: Tom Piercy
Date: 2010-04-09 21:54
Hi Dave,
I have Steve's peg - and his Low C extension to my bass.
I really like his peg when I'm playing some music, but for some of the more crazy, extravagant contemporary pieces I play, I need to be able to move around a bit more.
I've used a bass cl./sax harness before but didn't like the feel of it around my body.
Tom Piercy
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2010-04-10 06:11
I also used a long peg and pretty much gave that up as feeling too restrictive.
If you want to stick with a regular neck strap then none would make a difference to the balance of the instrument. Just get the one that has the most comfortable strap and padding.
Some especially have a lot of padding like http://www.wwbw.com/BG-Yoke-Saxophone-Strap-465113-i1418935.wwbw and http://www.wwbw.com/Neotech-Soft-Sax-Strap-367524-i1130869.wwbw
There are straps with two hooks if you have two rings on your instrument. You can also try two seperate straps.
It could be a wrong hook ring position that is causing you problems. Consider turning the neck and mouthpiece differently than when you sit. I use a different positions of the neck and mouthpiece when sitting and standing.
If you haven't tried playing both with the clarinet in front of you and to the side, try both ways. Like I said I never considered playing to the side comfortable until I gave that a chance for a while and now I prefer it.
There are more unique types of straps/harnesses you can try. One is the strap by Philip Everall (sp?) I think Mike Lowenstern sells them. If I remember it connects to the back side of your belt. Some people seem to like them a lot. I didn't even try it because it would be uncomfortable to me for some reasons but maybe ok for you.
Another is the Saxframe http://www.saxframe.com/en-products.html
Another thing is a "belly stick". I first saw this when Herni Bok was playing and I had one made by Steve fox. Since then he offers this on his website. I eventually stopped using it.
Good luck.
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