 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Scaysie
Date: 2012-05-24 01:46
Hi Folks,
I am agonising over whether to buy a BBb Leblanc Model 342 Contra Bass (c1967)with a Clark Forbes mouthpiece . I have read all the material that Ken Shaw and others have written on this subject, but some personel encouragement for me at this time ,would be appreciated.These things are not cheap ,as you know.
I play a 1193 bass in a Concert Band, Symphony Orchestra and in a clarinet quartet. In particular, I feel that the extra grunt from a BBb contra for the Concert band ,would be appreciated . I intend talking about this with our director over a beer after rehearsals tonight.
This Contra is Nickel Silver. What sort of tone colour (in comparison to say my 1193 ) can I expect.I have only ever played wooden clarinets
Would I be better served by a Contra Alto considering that I also play Bb/A in a wind quintet where the bassonist is ... not regular.(I can always find another clarinettist)
I know this is not a new subject, but given the supportive nature of this forum I am not baulking from asking these questions ...again.
Thank You
-Pete
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2012-05-24 02:03
If you find an EEb contra more useful for playing from concert pitch bass clef parts (in that you get more opportunity to play it), then that would be the better choice. If you do go for a BBb contra, you'll have more transposing to do whereas you can transpose on the fly far easier on an EEb contra.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Bobby McClellan
Date: 2012-05-24 03:48
I personally own both EEb and BBb. I agree with Chris P if you will have more opportunity to play transposed basson parts I would choose the EEb.
I Personally justabut primarily play on BBb in 2 groups and use the EEb for the occasional Choir piece or to cover the basson and contra basson parts.
Bobby M. McClellan
Flowood, MS
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Author: LCL
Date: 2012-05-24 15:50
I own a Leblanc Model 340 paperclip BBb contrabass and a Selmer Model 40 rosewood EEb contra-alto and have gotten more use out of the latter playing off the tuba and basoon parts. I have tried the BBb contrabass on the bass clarinet part and that works OK as long as its om-pah, om-pah or in a sustained chord where an octave below fits well. But, if the bass clarinet part is doing something else, then it does not sound right.
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Author: Scaysie
Date: 2012-05-24 21:45
Thank you for your thoughts and experience Chris, Bobby and LCL .....
Yes, all things considered , I will save my pennies and hang out for a Rosewood EEb Contra alto.
LCL- I know what you mean.... I also play ContraBass flute in a flute ensemble. Sometimes (a lot of the time) the distance between the concert flutes and my contra is 2 octaves and as you say if the bass is anything other than om-pah or a pedal line, things dont work so well, harmonically speaking.
You guys are great ...thanks again
-Pete
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Author: Bobby McClellan
Date: 2012-05-25 02:57
LCL it looks as if you are from the Nola area, will you be playing the sousa thing at Loyola in July just wondersing.
Bobby M. McClellan
Flowood, MS
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Author: LCL
Date: 2012-05-25 13:31
Bobby,
No, I live and play with a community band in Thibodaux, LA and have played with a similar group in Houma, LA. I also am going to start playing with the Baton Rouge Concert band in the fall. I've been playing contrabass since my senior year in high school back in 1963. I follow your posts because there aren't too many of us that have a contra-alto and contrabass in our arsenals.
Best to you,
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2012-05-25 19:28
I have heard some players comment that they prefer the EEb to the BBb as the difference in pitch/timbre is more matched within the spread of the clarinet choir i.e. soprano, alto, bass, contra alto.
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Author: Mark Horne
Date: 2012-05-29 23:02
This is always a tough question. My first contra clarinet purchase was a LeBlanc 350 contra alto to low C. The extra range is useful since it plays to the concert pitch of low Eb - one half step below the low E of a typical string bass. With this instrument you can play written contra alto parts and actually most BBb contra bass parts (I have to write out the transposition) since the 350 plays to the equivalent of a low F on a BBb contrabass.
I later bought a LeBlanc 340 paper clip with a range to low C. There's nothing like the real thing when you have parts that call for the full range of the BBb contrabass (I recently played a new band arrangement of Pictures at an Exhibition (Simpson) that called for 3+ octaves on the BBb contrabass part - low C to altissimo C#).
This summer I will be using both contras as part of a clarinet choir.
Overall I would say that the EEb is more versatile, but the BBb is more interesting when you have the music that calls for it. Sound wise, I find both LeBlancs to be very similar - they share the same bore diameter. I find the EEb resonse to be more nimble. The lower clarion of my 340 tends to hesitate a bit on fast staccato notes, especially the long B.
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Author: Scaysie
Date: 2012-05-29 23:35
Hi Norman , Yes I have heard something along those lines i.e. the difference in the tone colours of BBb and EEb when played in a band with other clarinets. I know my 1193 has a particularly beautiful ensemble sound in the upper clarion ,when played in our Quartet.
Hi Mark, I am in awe...you have them all. I am extreamly jealous. Unfortunatly the contra bass market is not so ...active here in Australia.Particularly the second hand one .
I might wait until I am in the States early next year to perhaps look you guys up to see what is available?There is talk of our Wind Symphony Orchestra touring (at least )Illinois so ........
Anyway thanks again everyone
-Pete
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Author: alto gether
Date: 2012-05-30 18:55
I'm a little confused at the nomenclature here. The C# three octaves above the lowest C on a low-C contra is still in the clarion register, so why call it altissimo?
I'm reasonably new to contra-alto and I haven't yet bothered with finding the notes above clarion high Eb on my Bundy. I miss the vented left-index-finger pad that my alto uses to make the first few altissimo notes easy to play.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2012-05-31 05:40
>> I'm a little confused at the nomenclature here. The C# three octaves above the lowest C on a low-C contra is still in the clarion register, so why call it altissimo? <<
Most people refer to anything above thumb C ![[C6]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/c6.gif) as altissimo, so C# ![[C#6]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/db6.gif) and above is altissimo eventhough it is a type of C.
Post Edited (2012-05-31 07:55)
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Author: Mark Horne
Date: 2012-06-07 23:43
Clarnibass is correct in that I was referring to the 2-ledger line C# as altissimo. The LeBlanc contras (or any contras that I know of) do not have a provision to half-hole vent the altissimo range, so you have to use alternate fingerings. Fortunately the high C# and D above are fairly easy to play in tune with alternate fingerings.
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