 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Melanie
Date: 2002-03-14 20:51
Ok, I know I've asked questions about the bass clarinet before, but my frustration level is still high. I was playing clarinet in our wind ensemble until the bass clarinetist left to do student teaching. Now, he can' come to rehearsals, so I have to do it. Although I miss some of the fingering challenges of Bb, I am starting to like the bass. My problem is that I cannot for the life of me play the F# on the top line of the staff or B and C above the staff. All of the other notes above and below these seem fine (including the 12ths below with the same fingering). My teacher looked at the instrument and fixed a few problems with the horn, and now says its fine. Is this something that I am doing wrong, or could there be something he missed? I have been told that the embouchure is closer to the sax than the clarinet, but this shouldn't be a problem because I've played sax for several years. Help me please!! We leave for our tour in a couple of weeks, and I'm getting very frustrated.
Melanie
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Author: RS
Date: 2002-03-14 22:26
Have it thoroughly checked for leaks. Some of the keys on bass operate two pads. If they don't close exactly together you'll have a leak.
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Author: graham
Date: 2002-03-15 08:34
F sharp is a nasty note, but I am surprised about difficulties with B and C.
I do not subscribe to the idea that bass clarinet embouchure should necessarily be very slack, so you may find that is a problem if you are deliberately slackening off. The key factors tend to be reed strength and type, and the mouthpiece. Reeds are probably easier to fix. Experiment both with harder and softer reeds. The strength need not seem the same as you are used to on B flat. Try another brand (don't know what you use right now), and perhaps go for reeds that impart body to the sound rather than clarity. Vandoren should work well in the upper register, but if that is what you are already using, try to get some Marca bass reeds which could also help with this problem.
Finally, these notes sometimes speak better if you use very light tongue or none at all. If you thwack them with the tongue, they can often squawk.
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Author: R. Simpson
Date: 2002-03-16 16:37
One of my old band directors told me to loosen my embouchure as i play higher notes, instad of tightening it. And to tighten it as i played lower notes. This has always worked for me. What kind of horn do you have? This can also affect the higher notes. I recomend getting a Selmer Paris (for the love of God, dont get a Selmer USA), and the Buffet 1180, 1190, 1193 horns are awesome. Try woodwindbrasswind.com for the best prices i have seen (PLUG!!) LOL
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2002-03-16 16:50
My bass cl experiences have taught me that the "venting" problems, prob. due to the plateau-keying, are more severe than on the sop. Bb. In particular, I try to avoid the "fork fingerings" [an open hole above the lowest closed hole] by use of alternate fingerings, the top-staff F# [and lowest B nat.] being the worst as Graham says. Pad clearances need to be carefully adjusted for both tone clarity and pitch matching by an experienced player-repairer for good results. Don
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Author: Melanie
Date: 2002-03-20 05:39
Well, I haven't been able to really have the clarinet looked at by a repairer. My teacher fixed a few leaks, and I adjusted a few things. The instrument as a whole plays much better, but I do still have problems with the B and C above the staff. I'm assuming that it has something to do with venting when I get up there. I don't know how to fix it, and don't have the $ to fix it, so I'll have to deal for now. Thanks for all of the help. You'll never know how much I appreciated it!
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