 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: HisMusicalMuse
Date: 2011-11-10 04:37
Hi everyone! I'm new to the board.
I'd like to ask for advice.
I'm a high school student who played clarinet for six months freshmen year, and was switched to bass clarinet shortly after. I am a senior now, but to be honest, I have not improved significantly in the past two years and a half.
I play on a Selmer model, but it is not in the greatest condition. I also play on a stock mouthpiece and Vandoren #3s. That has been my setup these past two years and the best feedback I've gotten is a decent tone. My technique is weak, and I strongly believe that my embouchure is as well. I'd love to have lessons, but money is a large issue. MY question is, I still consider myself a beginner and therefore was wondering what mouthpiece I should try out. More importantly, I had to switch to a brass instrument for marching season, which may have caused me to further regress in my bass clarinet playing. Any advice?
I am also displeased with the inconsistency of Vandoren blue box reeds. Any other brands that are good for beginners/advancing students?
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2011-11-10 05:49
The stock mouhtpiece, if it's a Selmer, can be anything from great to terrible, but IME with tons of them they are rarely actually terrible. Do you have a teacher? I know a local player that was in a pretty similar situation, wasn't really improving for a few years. He them started with a new teacher and I only heard him a year later and the difference was dramatic for a year, especially considering how little he improved in several years before.
If your instrument has mechanical issues that make you struggle that can be a problem and best to solve that first (get it repaired?). Maybe a good bass clarinet player can check your mouthpiece? Possibly you are not using the best strength reeds (especially for a beginner)?
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2011-11-10 09:05
Much of band bass clarinet music won't teach you technique at all. The meatiest parts double the bass trombone so you WILL (or should) learn rhythm and pitch though. I'd try to practice as much soprano clarinet music as you can such as the Rose Etudes, Baermann Scales etc. This is where you'll build technique.
I've never really just been a bass player, so I can't imagine life without a soprano, but unless you're looking at the big orchestral excerpt literature or solos written specifically for bass, you'll just have to hunt out technical material for yourself.
...................Paul Aviles
P.S. You can try a good synthetic reed such as FibraCell. Legere are fine for bass but I find them too tubby sounding.
Post Edited (2011-11-10 09:07)
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Author: davyd
Date: 2011-11-10 12:09
One the one hand, it's good to be able to explore different instruments. You never know what you'll turn out to be good at.
On the other hand, you say "I was switched to bass clarinet ..." and "I had to switch to a brass instrument ...". At what point can you say to your band director that you would prefer to concentrate on one instrument, preferably one that's in good working order?
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Author: DougR
Date: 2011-11-12 14:21
When I started taking bc lessons from a local symphonic pro, the first thing that he changed was my AIR. I was used to breathing high in my chest, and clarinet, particularly the bass, needs a BIG column of air all the way down to your butt, frankly, and you're always playing the horn with "compressed" air (I understand Tom Ridenour has a metaphor, "like a spray can emitting spray" to capture the sense of compression, maybe you can find the video on Youtube). (If you google "first three lessons with Joe Allard" you should come up with a decent model for how breathing should be done).
Another metaphor for breathing that I find helpful is Yehuda Gilal's "Breathe all the way down into your lower back.")
Then my teacher showed me a warmup he does: quarter-note staccato major chord arpeggios, up and down, but with LOTS of compression and plenty of volume, maintaining compression throughout. (you need to be able to access lots of unforced, un-distorted volume on the horn in order to cut through the low brass/low strings/low "whatever" when necessary). The first time I tried this arpeggio exercise, my reed closed right up, indicating a much too wimpy reed. (I started out using 3's on bass; now I use 4's.)
I almost think you need to SEE this kind of air demonstrated by someone who knows what they're doing: if regular lessons are problematic, can you find a GOOD (as in, the best available) bass clarinetist (not a doubler) who can give you ONE good lesson? (record the lesson, transcribe the notes, keep the notes in front of you when you practice).
I haven't looked at the Lawrie Bloom Youtubes, (or are they on the Rico website?) but I'd go there as well, esp. if you're working entirely on your own.
I'm inclined to say, don't change mouthpiece yet, until your air gets bigger and more robust. Once that's under your belt (haha, it IS, actually) then futz around with mouthpieces. PS, your embouchure may well need tweaking too, but one thing at a time.
Good luck!!
PS, if I were you I'd maintain my brass chops too, as long as you've learned the horn(s). Check out "Bones" Malone, in the David Letterman band--he does everything from the "Stars & Stripes" piccolo obligato to bari sax to trombone and seems to be having a great time at it.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2011-11-13 17:12
I always suggest the Selmer C* MP as a good starting point, though there are many other good MPs. The C* is reasonably priced and assessable. I suggest you order 2-3 from a mail order store and pick the best one and return the others. I suggest using the Rico Grand Concert bass reeds, That's what I use as a pro. You can practice using any clarinet etude books including the scale books etc. Ask your band director if you can march with a Bb clarinet instead though I've seen marching banda march with bass clarinets using back supports. ESP
eddiesclarinet.com
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