 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Roger R.
Date: 2002-12-14 05:47
When playing my new Bass Clarinet I can't get the volume above the break that I get below. Do I have a problem or is this an inherant quirk with a bass. I have played Bb for a number of years and have no problem playing the Bass --- just this volume thing.
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Author: bob49t
Date: 2002-12-14 12:25
Jump into the Bass Clarinet bulletin board on Yahoo, you'll pick up a good few threads there also, on this sort of subject.
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Author: super20dan
Date: 2002-12-14 12:25
i solved this problem by using a bari synthetic reed.gives plenty of power over the entire range of the horn and one reed last a year!.also use the most open mpc you can get by with
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Author: DougR
Date: 2002-12-14 13:15
I think it's inherent, just as the tone above the break is thinner and less robust than the tone below the break. But, you can try different reed/mouthpiece combinations that could hopefully give the sound more carrying power, without making the above-the-breaktone so thin & penetrating that you end up with plenty of volume, but with a tone you can't stand. I like my setup--Selmer C85-115 mouthpiece & Marca #4 reeds--which gives plenty of volume & a nice robust tone for most orchestral situations. I also keep a couple of softer reeds for more intimate stuff.
But then, I'm not a real fan of the bass clarinet's above-the-break tone even as played by the virtuosi I've heard. The ideal sound I hear in my head is Gerry Mulligan's 2nd-octave baritone sax sound--warm, burry, complex, rounder. But that ain't possible on a bass clarinet! Or is it???
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Author: bob gardner
Date: 2002-12-14 13:17
I had the same problem and by going to a softer reed 1 1/2 to a 2 it helped a lot. I was using a 3 or 3 1/2 which is what i was using on my Bb.
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Author: bob hoit
Date: 2002-12-14 14:08
Bass volume is possible in all registers form low C through as high as u can get it to go.
it i just a matter of time and effort. When i first started playing bass clarinet seriously i also used a tenor sax fibracell, but the tone really suffers(especially in the upper range) with these reeds.
the G above staff-b above staff is the hardest range on the bass clarinet to articulate for begginers, but jsut because it is hard does not mean that it is impossible. Going to a softer reed for a bit can help, also taking some real time to examine how u r supporting the notes and how you are voicing them makes a big difference. Pick a note that you think sounds really good and then work on making the notes that don't sound that good be like that note. So play a F on staff and then slowly move into the G or whatever trying to keep the same volume and tone quality.
Equipment makes a big difference on bass clarinet so if you have a bad mouthpiece it will take longer to figure out how to play loud and soudn good.
DougR, out of curiosity which bass clarinet virtuosi have you heard and why did you not like the sound? I studied with Henri Bok for 2 years in the post graduate course in rotterdam and if you listen to any of his CD's or listen to him live he has one of the most amazing bass clarinet sounds. A bass clarinet will not sound like a bari sax though, jsut the same as a clarinet will never sound like a soprano sax... so there is no point to really compare. They both have a unique sound that has its own interesting qualities.
i can talk about this for days, so i am goign to shut up now.
cheers
bob
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Author: Peter Spriggs
Date: 2002-12-14 14:36
If you want to hear some amazing bass clarinet playing, get the new recording: Chaconne: Recital for Bass Clarinet & Piano
by Michael Davenport, available at: http://www.bassclarinet.org/alea.html
You will be impressed by what can be played in the upper range as well as the lower.
Peter
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Author: William
Date: 2002-12-14 14:37
My clarion register bass clarinet problems (volume, tone quality, etc) were remarkably minimised when I started playing my Walter Grabner CXBS mouthpiece. The lower register will always be the most resonant on any bass, but with the "right" mouthpiece (for me, the Grabner) and good breath support, the upper register should have clarity and projection when needed. I am the only bass clarintist in a relatively good wind ensemble made up of local band directors and other strong players, and have no problem projecting my sound for solo or tutti passages.
(my set-up: Grabner CXBS, VanDoren 3.5, VD Optimum lig with parallel rail, Buffet Prestige low C model 1193-2 bass)
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Author: RS
Date: 2002-12-14 18:11
I think that unless the bass is equipped with a double register key the clarion register is always going to be weak and stuffy, no matter what mouthpiece and reed you use. Even with a good pro-level (read double register key) bass the clarion register can be a little dicey. But with a good set-up and lots of practice it can be made fairly strong and reasonable responsive.
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Author: Doug McGee
Date: 2002-12-14 21:17
I had the same problem with the clarion register with my Selmer
Model 33 Eb. Had problems with E F F# and G playing out clean.
My set up was Selmer C85-115, Vandoren Optimum ligature with the
parallel bars, and Fibracell medium reeds. Changed to a Clark Fobes San Francisco model mouthpiece, Peter Spriggs ligature and
Steuer #3 slightly shaved down reeds. This change plus blowing from my shoe laces, gives me a very good responsive tone either ff or pp.
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Author: Doug McGee
Date: 2002-12-14 21:22
I had the same problem with the clarion register with my Selmer
Model 33 Eb. Had problems with E F F# and G playing out clean.
My set up was Selmer C85-115, Vandoren Optimum ligature with the
parallel bars, and Fibracell medium reeds. Changed to a Clark Fobes San Francisco model mouthpiece, Peter Spriggs ligature and
Steuer #3 slightly shaved down reeds. This change plus blowing from my shoe laces, gives me a very good responsive tone either ff or pp.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2002-12-15 10:08
I have worked on quite a few bass clarinets that played apallingly, especially in the range mentioned. Typically the case contained several mouthpieces and many reeds, the result of a vain attempt to correct the problem.
Admittedly, a double register vent helps, as 'rs' wrote, but for the above examples, the problem was 90% leak elimination and establishing of adequate venting. After these were corrected the instruments played well on ANY of the reasonable quality mouthpieces.
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-12-16 18:31
Roger -
The automatic double register key on bass clarinets is notoriously tricky and prone to get out of adjustment. Any binding at all in the mechanism causes one vent to be slightly open when it should be closed, which makes the upper register fuzzy and unreliable.
Put a rubber band around the upper vent to hold it closed and try the second register from B up to Eb. Then take the rubber band off and use a match-stick to wedge the lower vent closed (or have a friend hold it closed) and try the second register from E up to C. It's dollars to doughnuts that the notes will jump out.
The adjustment is a job for skilled repair tech. There are sliding corks and strong/weak spring combinations that are really nasty to get balanced right.
On embouchure and air, see http://www.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=57011&t=56935.
Finally, most (though hardly all) orchestral bass clarinet mouthpieces are in the low register. Otherwise, they would be played on the soprano clarinet. Therefore, most mouthpieces are made to respond best and play loudest in the low register, while sacrificing the high. To get a mouthpiece with a balanced response, you need to get in touch with one of the makers and ask for something different.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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