 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Reese Oller
Date: 2026-10-14 04:16
Hey all,
Is there any kind of exercise/ scale book that can help me familiarize myself with B-flat bass clef, to the point where it's just like reading treble? It's unfortunately too late for me this orchestra cycle (I'm struggling HARD with Mussorgsky and Charles Griffes), but I want to learn to be fluent!
Thanks all!
Reese Oller
Clarinet student (performance major at Millikin University)
I can play bass clarinet, Eb clarinet, BBb contra, alto saxophone, bassoon at a decent level, and flute in a pinch.
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Author: kdk
Date: 2026-10-14 06:43
Get any bassoon, euphonium or cello scale book and start there. If the music goes out of range, transpose up or down an octave as necessary.
Karl
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Author: Reese Oller
Date: 2026-10-14 23:23
Thanks all!
I might post a video of one of the Cello suites worked up sometime soon.
Reese Oller
Clarinet student (performance major at Millikin University)
I can play bass clarinet, Eb clarinet, BBb contra, alto saxophone, bassoon at a decent level, and flute in a pinch.
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Author: farabout
Date: 2026-10-15 02:25
Reese Oller wrote:
>
> Is there any kind of exercise/ scale book that can help me
> familiarize myself with B-flat bass clef, to the point where
> it's just like reading treble?
>
> I can play [..] bassoon at a decent level
>
Can these 2 points be reconciled?
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Author: lydian
Date: 2026-10-15 21:03
Yeah, how are you playing bassoon at a decent level if you haven't learned how to read bass clef? If you can indeed already read bass clef, then bass clef parts should be no problem. Are we missing something?
In any case, I had to do a similar thing to read double bass and tuba parts on the Bb bass sax. It took me a solid 6 months of constant work to get it. I started with flash cards to learn bass clef. Then I read everything in bass clef I could find - tuba, trombone, double bass, etc. After I got good at reading bass clef as-is, I started working on sight transposing. You wouldn't have to do that step though, which could shave off a couple of months.
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Author: kilo
Date: 2026-10-15 21:24
>I can play [..] bassoon at a decent level
Depends on the definition of "decent" I'd guess. Although that might suggest a lack of decency on bass clarinet, Eb clarinet, BBb contra, alto saxophone, and flute.
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