 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: CuriousClarinet
Date: 2012-02-29 01:35
Any bass clarinetists out there that have performed in a floor length skirt? I usually just wear black slacks when I have to dress up to avoid the awkwardness that accompanies playing bass in a skirt, but it would be nice to be able to wear a skirt for a change. So I'm curious, before I go out and spend money on one, is it possible to comfortably play bass clarinet in a floor length skirt, or does the fabric just get in the way of the keys, resulting in having to play it off to the side, like in a short skirt? Thanks!
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Author: gsurosey
Date: 2012-02-29 03:01
I've never tried it, but I guess it would depend on if the skirt itself. If you can get the bass in a comfortable position to play that the skirt won't interfere with, then it may work. If you can, bring something with you when you go to try on skirts that will mimic having your bass in playing position (or heck, bring the bass to the store if you can).
I'm guessing something looser in the leg area would work better than something that tightens up. I'm not a girly girl by any stretch of the imagination (I think I'm allergic to dresses and anything that resembles dresses), but that's what make sense to me. I can visualize what I'm trying to say, but I'm not saying it very well.
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Rachel
Clarinet Stash:
Bb/A: Buffet R13
Eb: Bundy
Bass: Royal Global Max
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Author: kimber
Date: 2012-02-29 17:05
Have you tried either of the two professional concert dress websites (concertblack.com and concertdress.com) to see if they had something you liked or give you ideas? I'd probably look at palazzo pants as a dressy option.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2012-03-02 17:03
Well let me first say that I'm a guy and I never wear a skirt or dress. :-)
A few times in my career I've got the material in my pants caught in one of the lower pads so the notes wouldn't come out. I learned never to wear pants that have "too much material" on the legs and not to keep my legs too close to the horn. I've seen women play with their legs sort of side saddle when playing in a dress. One of the service bands insists, or at least did in the past, that the women wear dresses for the concert band. That's how they solved the problem.
ESP (a guy) eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2012-03-03 09:32
My bass has a key guard over the F# hole. Don't know if this is for sartorial reasons, though.
--
Ben
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Author: eac
Date: 2012-03-05 17:10
Any full length skirt will likely drag on the floor (which are often dusty on stage) if you sit to perform. I wear a calf length pleated skirt for concerts and it completely covers my legs when I'm sitting. With black pantyhose or stockings, the complete black look is easy.
I recently saw Sabine Meyer perform with the bassett horn wearing an unusual balloon skirt with slit up the front center. It looked like it had a drawstring around the bottom hem which could be pulled to draw the center slit wider. From the middle of the auditorium I really could no see the details but I wondered if the center slit had a zipper or otherwise had a closure so that the skirt could be complete closed. I must admit I spent a fair amount of time wondering about the skirt while she was playing and was even distracted from the music. Maybe it's a European style.
My thinking is to stick with the black pants and to dress up the look with a dressy top, jacket, jewelry or even scarf. A black skirt or pants pretty much look the same from any distance.
Liz
Liz Leckey
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Author: Carol Dutcher
Date: 2012-03-07 21:19
I always wear black velveteen pants because I am afraid I will get a skirt really hung up on a chair, floor, instrument next to me, my own self, or whatever. I do have a black velveteen skirt which I have not had the courage to try for fear of tripping and falling flat on my clarinet. Such problems we women have. The pants have an elastic waist which is perfect!
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Author: BflatNH
Date: 2012-03-08 11:58
Haven't even had a problem even with leaning the BCl forward a bit. A low-C bass and long dress are elegant especially if you are tall.
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Author: CuriousClarinet
Date: 2012-03-08 14:33
Okay...guess I'll just stick to my black slacks. Easier to wear heels in slacks then it is a long skirt anyways.... Playing the bass clarinet to the side of my body just seems too unnatural to me. I guess maybe I should have included the type of bass I was talking about, possibly could have helped... I have an 1183 Buffet, so a normal Eb extension, without any of the fancy key guards that were mentioned. I'm 5'7"...(does that count as tall? =p)
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2012-03-08 18:49
When dinosaurs ruled the earth, we had school rules that forbade girls to wear trousers. We also had a rule, in those early days of the mini-skirt, that if a teacher thought a skirt looked too short and gave the order, "Kneel down on the floor," the skirt had to be long enough to touch the floor from that position. Otherwise: suspended; go home. But even so, a knee-length skirt was plenty short enough to discourage me from sitting with my knees apart. As a result, I learned to play alto clarinet "sidesaddle."
As an adult, I much prefer trousers to skirts. I now play with the alto clarinet straight ahead. It's so much easier and more convenient for me that the learning curve for switching positions lasted maybe half an hour. Maybe less!
I'm an amateur and I don't play in public, but if I did play in public and a conductor tried to dictate that all the women had to wear dresses, I think I'd start an insurrection. I mean, sheesh, hardly anybody dares to yowl and moan about U. S. Congresswomen and female Senators wearing trousers on the House and Senate floor any more -- and nearly all of those women do prefer trousers. The Secretary of State wears them, too. Welcome to the 21st century!
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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