 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Ski
Date: 2007-07-31 17:42
Attachment: kbass.jpg (21k)
I saw a bass clarinet advertised on eBay which seems to have an extra pad. It was described as a Kohlert & Co. Winnenden Wooden Bass Clarinet (see pic). You'll see that it has three pads along the bottom portion of the clarinet, yet my bass clarinet (and pretty much every other one I've seen) has only two on this side. Could anyone explain the presence of this extra pad? Thanks!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-07-31 17:45
That's normal on most basses - it has the double tonehole for the low G or upper D for better venting.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2007-07-31 17:46)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: John25
Date: 2007-07-31 17:46
The extra hole is to give better venting to G in the chalumeau and D in the treble clef. It is not too rare. Soprano instruments occasionally have it too.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-07-31 17:48
You'll even see this double key on the Leblanc and Ripamoti Ab sopranino.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ski
Date: 2007-07-31 17:48
Thank you for the lightning-fast reply Chris! Never realized that some bass clarinets only went down to low E (I thought standard was Eb, and more rarely, C). Well, you learn something new every day!
Just off-chance, could this be a b.clarinet in the key of A? (I seem to recall reading that these existed, but were extremely rare).
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ski
Date: 2007-07-31 17:52
Wow, I've never seen such fast replies on a BB ever! Thank you guys. Perhaps my question about it being an A b.clarinet has been answered.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-07-31 18:23
I'm working on an old Conn bass built to low E, and this has the double pad cups on it too (and simple speaker keys that have to be switched over when playing the upper register E and upwards.
The reason why Bb bass clarinets were built to low Eb was to be able to reach the A bass clarinet's low E should the chances of having an A bass clarinet be remote (eg. for playing Wagner, Mahler and Rachmaninov). But Selmer made A bass clarinets that went to low Eb, so the bottom note sounded concert C two ledger lines below the bass stave - the same note as a cello's low C.
But as most orchestral players will play a bass built to low C, all eventualities are pretty much covered.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Don Berger
Date: 2007-07-31 18:30
Well described, Chris et al. I saw this "doubled" F/C pad structure on a special Leblanc Bb sop. made per LL's early patent [more devoted to his register keying improvement, # available]. This cl was inherited by a close friend, so I borrowed it to show to [Dr] Debbie Reeves, USD Music Museum, Vermillion, who took pics, and is writing a "Historially Speaking" article for the ?next? ICA journal, to add to her earlier H S on a similar cl in the Shackleton Collection, Edinburgh. I dont know when this good B C improvement began, but my Selmer-Paris bass 30'smodel [1960's] has it, and has great tonality-uniformity in the lower chalameau. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-07-31 18:47
My Buffet bass has the double pad cups on the F/C key, and both pad cups are on seperate barrels and has a clutch with an adjusting screw to regulate the closure of both pads (the lower pad is closed by the upper one) - and no doubt much easier to fit pads to as well as there's no bending around to do to get both pads to close.
But on my Buffet, the lower pad covers a very small vent hole as opposed to a tonehole of a similar large size that G or D would normally issue from, but the pad cup is still the full size so it doesn't look odd.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ski
Date: 2007-07-31 18:59
Again, thanks for all the replies and information.
Chris, my b.clarinet is also, I believe, a Buffet (though there's no insignia on it). It's a one piece bass, s/n 3715. The lowest cup is pretty much as you described, though slightly smaller in diameter than the key above it. It half-covers a vent hole when depressed and there's no pad. At first I thought that this bass (purchased second hand) might have been missing this pad, but it plays beautifully in tune with itself so I now think otherwise.
Post Edited (2007-07-31 19:02)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
