 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: fargus
Date: 2011-05-11 21:16
Hi bass players. Sorry if this has been discussed already. I'm just wondering what your (daily?) practice routine is. I don't take lessons and these days I'm thinking about how I stick to the same keys, patterns, phrases a bit too much. I really want to improve my sight reading and also I want to get more into playing phrases across the whole range of the instrument. I welcome any advice. Thanks.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2011-05-11 21:20
I play (or try my best to) a rearrangement of Bach's Cello suite. There's years worth of practicing hidden in these pieces - sight reading, breathing technique, musicality, you name it.
I get a wee bit better at it every day.
--
Ben
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Author: concertmaster3
Date: 2011-05-11 22:09
That, and all those etudes you have played (or should have played!) for Bb will be good too. That's also good for agility, since most people don't think of the bass as being as agile as the Bb.
I practice Rose and Klose on Eb and Bass when I have the chance.
Ron Ford
Woodwind Specialist
Performer/Teacher/Arranger
http://www.RonFordMusic.com
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2011-05-12 00:57
To keep you connected with the orchestral repertoire, it's fun to play through Michael Drapkin's series (up to Volume Three) now of "Symphonic Repertoire for the Bass Clarinet". Start with Volume One, overall it has more excerpts that you're likely to encounter than do the follow-on volumes.
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Author: fargus
Date: 2011-05-12 15:47
Hey.. thanks for your advice. I do practice some Bach sometimes (need more discipline!) but I don't have the other two books mentioned. I'll look for some cheap copies.
Clarnibass, if you're out there, I'd be interested to know your practice routine these days seeing as you mentioned before how you don't like to practice using conventional scales and exercises, etc.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2011-05-12 17:13
fargus -
Just as with the soprano clarinet, you need to get the scales and arpeggios (Baermann III) into your finger memory, which means slow, concentrated practice. The maximum time anyone can hold full concentration is maybe 10 minutes. Stop the moment you begin making mistakes.
Then go on to etudes (Rose 32 and 40, for example), working for accuracy (particularly on wide intervals, as in Rose 40 #1) and musicality.
Of course you also play for pleasure. Every bass clarinetist works on the Mozart Concerto, even if you wouldn't perform it in public on bass.
Don't restrict yourself to clarinet music. Play the vocal lines of, say, Schumann's song cycle Dichterliebe. While you must of course make your own music, it helps to listen to a recording to hear the cantabile and expressiveness that's in the music.
Listen to Casals's recording of the Bach Solo Cello Suites <http://www.amazon.com/Bach-Cello-Suites-Nos-1-6/dp/B00004VXD2/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1305220066&sr=1-2. Listen to a few bars at a time and match his intensity and breadth of tone.
Listen to any recording by John McCormack. This one, for example: http://www.amazon.com/Wild-Irish-Rose-John-Mccormack/dp/B000003G6Z/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1305219599&sr=1-1. Work on finding how to produce his matchless legato and musicality.
Do the same for Mable Mercer. http://www.amazon.com/Art-Mabel-Mercer/dp/B00005MKCN/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1305219790&sr=1-1
Many, many more, of course. The main thing is that you can play what you please and make music all the time. It's very possible to make good and even interesting music with Three Blind Mice, or the A minor scale in thirds.
Ken Shaw
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Author: fargus
Date: 2011-05-13 06:25
Thanks Ken. Great stuff to work with there! And Tictactux, thanks for the link.
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Author: fargus
Date: 2011-05-29 13:13
Just to let you know how I've been getting on.... I've been practicing the Klose studies. They've been helping a lot. Just need the discipline to keep trying them in more difficult keys. I'm hoping to get on to those Rose etudes soon. Unfortunately I can't find the symphonic repertoire books anywhere. Even Ebay!
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2011-05-29 14:22
The Drapkin orchestral excerpts books can be purchased online at:
http://www.bassclarinet.net/
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Author: William
Date: 2011-05-29 16:14
The only regular practice I do is with my soprano clarinets. Basically, I seldom practice the bass except when there is a passage that I need to techically master for an upcoming performance. Most bass clarinet music is not that difficult and is easily readable, at least, for me and my Buffet Prestige low C bass. I might add, however, that most of my bass playing is done with local wind ensembles--band music, lol--with only frequent orchestral or film score dates. And then, I only practice what I need to learn to play. Not the recommended way to play bass clarinet, but it works for me........
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2011-05-29 17:18
William, there's a lot of very difficult bass clarinet music in todays orchestra repertoire. Strauss, Ravel, Schostakovich just to mention a few. All the suggestions above are good. When I teach a clarinet player to play bass I use the Rose 32 etudes, and the original Bach cello suites to learn to read bass clef. Of course using any clarinet etude book that one likes is good to use. Baermann, Kroepsch, Rose etc. The main thing to do is to practice different styles and challenge yourself. ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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