 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-06-02 07:03
I just had a 'Eureka!' moment and thought of a way of reading and playing bass clef bass clarinet parts - think bassoon!
If you've played bassoon or are a doubler on both bassoon and clarinet and can therefore already read bass clef, then it falls into place quite nicely.
On bassoon, the open note with just the left thumb on the whisper key is F (Th. ooo|ooo) - 2nd line down from the top. On bass clarinet, lower register F with just the thumb on is also that same written F, 2nd line from the top. The E below that on both instruments is xoo|ooo, D is xxo|ooo and C is xxx|ooo. The A below that is xxx|xxo and the G I(bottom line) is xxx|xxx and F is xxx|xxxF. From E downwards it's all leger lines which most players of basset clarinet or basset horn may have already encountered having seen them in bass clef in some publications of Mozart's clarinet concerto and quintet and low basset horn writing.
Everything above the bass clef from B natural is in the upper register. Only hurdle after that is when it goes into treble clef, everything in treble clef is played an 8ve higher than written as the music (when played on a Bb bass clarinet) sounds a tone lower than what's written instead of all sounding a 9th lower.
If you don't play bassoon but can read bass clef anyway, then open G is the top space G and low G xxx|xxx is the bottom line G.
Apologies if this is all common knowledge to some, but to others it may be of some help. What threw me with bass clef is applying it to clarinet as I wasn't sure what register I was meant to be in - I wasn't sure if a top space G was meant to be the upper register G considering its position on the stave. Transpires it's open G, so that's a good anchorage point.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: alanporter
Date: 2016-06-02 07:16
Oh my goodness, Chris. I won't sleep tonight ! You have complicated my mind so much ! I don't read bass clef, and I'm too old to start to learn.
Alan
ps Just joking....I love your posts.
tiaroa@shaw.ca
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Author: Mojo
Date: 2016-06-02 16:57
I think Eb Bari sax for the lower register. Take away 3 flats or add 3 sharps to the key.
MojoMP.com
Mojo Mouthpiece Work LLC
MojoMouthpieceWork@yahoo.com
Post Edited (2016-06-02 16:58)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2016-06-02 17:40
That's fine if reading a concert pitch bass clef part, but I'm talking orchestral bass clarinet parts that are written German style in bass clef. You can't use the bari sax fingerings in this case as you'd be up a tone out.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: ebonite
Date: 2016-06-02 17:49
If you play bass recorder you could also use that as a reference point. Bass recorder parts are written an octave lower than pitch in the bass clef, so the fingerings will be similar to the bassoon (and similar to the bass clarinet in the lower register)
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