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Re: Music Education

Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2019-09-07 17:00

That's a good question you're asking and I'm not sure I have an answer why some band directors do that but I'll try. I didn't take up the bass clarinet until my third year in conservatory, mainly because I wanted to be able to audition for all positions when i graduated so i bought an Eb and Bass clarinet and practiced the orchestral excerpts along with my regular clarinet lessons. I only played a little bass in HS in the Jr. Band for a short time while I learned the Oboe in my senior year free period and challenged the 1st player and beat him out. I was the co-principal clarinet in our senior band as well. At the time I wanted to be a WW doubler alreading playing sax and clarinet and later the flute. OK, here's my theory.
Years ago most school band arrangement had "easy" bass parts, i don't know if that changed over the years. So a band director put his weaker players on bass thinking they can't play more difficult parts or being on bass they won't be heard and can't do any damage to the higher more vocal parts. So that's only my guess that that way of thinking continued instead of challenging the "weaker" player and either giving that student a little private time to help them or suggest they take private lessons. A low bass part in ensemble won't be heard as say an out of tune Bb part. I do believe the bass clarinet has come into it's own in the past few decades with many solo players and music being written for the instrument. Of course orchestral parts are often very challenging. Can you imagine putting your weakest players on orchestral Strauss, Wagner, Shostakovich or Stravinsky parts? And some contemporay music parts, oh my. MTW, learning the bass was the best decision I ever made, I sold my sax to help pay for it, sold my flute to play for the Eb clarinet. :-)

ESP eddiesclarinet.com

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