 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: graham
Date: 2002-11-03 09:57
I have recently hired a contrabass in order to play an orchestral part, and it seems I have a range issue. The part is written down to bottom C (and includes C sharps etc). The contra I have borrowed only goes down to D. It is a Leblanc "paperclip" and was owned by one of the leading bass players in London. It is often hired to professional orchestras. Is there a model that goes all the way to C, or may the compaoser have been mistaken in writing this low? I think there may be an issue concerning age, since it seems likely that this contra is about 30 years old.
Thanks for your help/information.
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Author: AL
Date: 2002-11-03 20:21
If it's D concert you're talking about, you have no problem.
Low D =low C concert on a Bb instrument.
If you need to get down to the Bb concert, Leblanc's newer (25years old?) paperclip Bb contrabass will get there for you.
May I ask, what instrument are you substituting for?
AL
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Author: diz
Date: 2002-11-03 23:54
graham - don't you just love the wonderful deep sound of these gargantuans?
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Author: graham
Date: 2002-11-04 08:47
Thanks Al. I meant a written C rather than merely sounding C. What you say makes sense. Fact is that my contra is too old to have the last two semitones, and I am too worn out trying to find a contra to hire to look for an alternative with the lower notes! I cannot hear the pitch that far down anyway.
I am not substituting. This is a genuine contra part written by Woolrich in his oboe concerto. The piece was written three or four years ago.
Diz, yes I am finding it fun. I thought it would be more difficult to play, but to my mind it is easier than the bass clarinet, even though I do quite a bit of bass playing. The only real problem is the clarion E which sounds far too stuffy, as though it is caught between two speaker holes that are not quite right for it.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-11-04 16:34
Graham -
As you've found out the hard way, the really old Leblanc paperclip contras went down only to written low D. On the newer ones, the Db and C are on a separate section and are operated by two keys for the right thumb. An emergency fix could be a piece of metal or PVC tubing, assuming you need only the low C and don't need the low Eb. A friendly string bass or tuba player could also help.
The register mechanism is insanely complicated and hard to get in adjustment. You need to make sure that when one vent is open, the other is completely closed. Nevertheless, as you say, the clarion E is always a problem. It helps to use the softest possible reeds -- just hard enough to avoid a "flapping" sound on the bottom notes. The instrument is like the bass in a choir with a low C. It doesn't have to be really loud -- just enough to provide the fundamental that reinforces everything above.
Good luck. Let us know how it goes.
Ken Shaw
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