 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Marina
Date: 2002-11-17 02:32
I have been playing the B flat clarinet on and off for 19 years, and quite seriously in the last two. I also play the alto sax.
I am now thinking of expanding my horizons and buying either an alto or bass clarinet. I don't really know too much about them and haven't played either of them before.
I am interested in any advice you might have for someone considering adding either of this instruments. I am also interested in the quantity of music available for each (particularly band music parts as I play in a voluntary military band).
Thanks.
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Author: Melanie
Date: 2002-11-17 02:47
If I had to choose, I would get a bass clarinet. Even though a lot of music has parts for both alto and bass, bass is used more often. Bass is also used in orchestral music and solo music (I'm sure there is some literature out there for alto, but I don't know about it). this is just my opinion, so listen to others. By the way, I played bass clarinet last year in my wind ensemble, and once I got it repaired well, it was great fun to play. good luck!
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Author: William
Date: 2002-11-17 05:43
I'm with Melanie on this one. Not much call for alto clarinets outside of concert band and clarinet ensembles. Bass clarinet is the more "mainstream" instrument, commonly found in concert bands and orchestras. The top brands in bass clarinet are the Selmers (models 33 & 37) and the new Buffet Prestige model 1193-2 (which I own and love). These tend to be quite expensive and have a playing range down to low C. Less expensive basses are limited to low Eb, which is adequate for 99% of music you will ever play in a concert band. A good, economical "entry" bass clarinet would be Selmers Bundy, most commonly found in school band programs. LeBlanc also has a good line of bass clarinets as does Yamaha, but the Selmers--and more recently, the Buffets--have been the preferred choice of many professional bass clarinetists. Bass clarineting is fun. Enjoy!!!
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Author: Marina
Date: 2002-11-17 16:08
William / Melanie
Thanks for your advice, I think I will pursue a bass clarinet instead of an alto.
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Author: Robert Small
Date: 2002-11-17 19:19
Good decision. Bass is the place.
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Author: jenna
Date: 2002-11-18 04:41
Still no love for my poor alto... Also worth the purchase!
It all depends on what you want to do with it, what instrumentation your band has, etc.
If you would like to know more about the beautiful red headed stepchild I adore, feel free to email me.
jenna
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Author: diz
Date: 2002-11-18 04:44
Marina - have you considered an E-flat soprano clarinet? I own one and have seldom played a part that wasn't either tune full or demanding.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-11-18 21:10
Marina -
If you're in a military band, there's at least a chance they might make you march with an alto clarinet.... I can't image marching with a bass, though. If they try, most military or ex-military band directors are male-chauvinist enough to let you get away with fainting.
Ken Shaw
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Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2002-11-19 13:54
Ken,
Not that I'm recommending it, but why can't you imagine marching with a bass clarinet? It's really no larger nor heavier than a tenor sax.
Personally I believe that marching bands should consist entirely of brass and percussion, but that's neither here nor there......
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-11-19 14:43
Dave -
Yeah, but they're much more delicate than a tenor sax. Smash one into a bass drum, EVEN ONCE, and you spend the rest of your life in trouble. I've marched a tenor sax, and it's no picnic. A fellow in the West Point Band made a career marching bari sax. I'm still not sure how he took the punishment.
In Take the Money and Run, Woody Allen did a great bit marching a cello, picking up his chair and running ahead, sitting down, playing and repeating.
The worst is probably the bell lyre. It weighs over 20 pounds, all cantilevered out in in front of you and resting on your bladder, or worse.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2002-11-19 20:28
[Aside to Ken: Bass drum ain't so much fun to march with, either --- I did it one Fourth of July parade (actually it WAS fun, but it gave me a backache that lasted a couple of days....).]
Getting back to Marina's original question, my considered advice is:
Forget alto.
Play bass.
Why?
My own experience. I own alto and bass clarinets and play both reasonably well (humbly submitted). I play bass clarinet in two excellent wind ensembles --- neither of these groups even HAS an alto clarinet, nor do the respective conductors want one. I play bass clarinet frequently in local community orchestras --- alto clarinet is never used in orchestra. I've played bass clarinet in many shows and a few big bands --- no work there for alto clarinets either. Bottom line: alto clarinets sits in basement, bass clarinet gets played daily. And my experience is probably fairly typical of harmony clarinetists.
Alto clarinet is fun in its own way and possibly under-appreciated in the world or music --- I don't intend to re-open that discussion. But the action is all for bass clarinet --- that's a fact.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2002-11-19 21:01
Ken/Dave - What a vunderbahr back&forth on marching, I agree totally. Right Dave, I also have an [VG Selmer] Alto and almost never have the opportunity to play it, being needed on bass, or sop at times. Marina, on finding a bass cl, the lesser expensives will have only one register pad/key, usually at the top of the body, so check out the "ease-of" playing the mid staff B, C, C#, D, D#/Eb. I prefer the "double reg. key" horns, in spite of the greater complexity, with the pad on the neck. Dave, HELP. Don
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Author: David Spiegelthal
Date: 2002-11-19 21:51
Marina, if you do decide to 'take the plunge' and join us in BassClarinetLand, I'd be happy to advise you on purchase thereof. First, you can search right here on woodwind.org --- we've had extensive discussions in the past on desirable/undesirable bass clarinet brands/models and design features --- I myself expounded on the subject at great and undoubtedly boring length in one particular posting. Good luck!
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Author: Bob Arney
Date: 2002-11-20 03:59
Marina, there is no money passing hands here andI am not a relative--but--take Dave's advise seriously. He advised me on the Bass I got off of e-Bay and then reconditioned it for me. I am very very happy with it and it will last a life time (at least my lifetime considering I'm 77)
Bob A
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Author: Susan
Date: 2002-11-26 02:51
I love playing the bass! Mostly I play my R-13 Bb, and the bass is a wonderful change of pace. People are now starting to think of me as more of a bass player.
I play in our local symphony (when there are bass clarinet parts in the music), in the community college band, and in a quartet. Such fun!!!! In one symphony concert, I got to play the Eb and the bass.
More fun!!
I am playing on a bass I have checked out from the community college. It is a LeBlanc, roughly 35 yrs. old. I love it. Someday I would like to have my own bass, and I am looking around for one now.
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