 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: davidsampson
Date: 2007-10-03 00:17
I am a bass clarinet player, and I am looking for what to do next. Specifically, what mouthpieces, ligatures, reeds, instruments should I try; and what is some good literature to look at. I am currently playing on:
Selmer 67 (low C)
Selmer C* mpc (sometimes a Vandoren B44)
Rovner EVO-5 lig
Gonzalez 2.5 reeds (I know these are soft, but thats the only strength my teacher has them in)
Is there anything I should really look at, setup-wise, like necks, certain mpcs, reeds...?
Right now the music I am working on is:
Lyrical Concerto by Simon Proctor
Mozart K191
Sonata in A Minor, by Bennedetto Marcello
Deepwood, by David Bennett
First Fantasie by Georges Marty
Ballade, by Eugene Bozza
What are some good pieces to look at?
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2007-10-03 00:23
Give me your bass clarinet, and I'll give you all the other things you need!
![[wink]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie3.gif)
All seriousness aside, you could probably find a better mouthpiece than a stock C* (try a Fobes, Grabner, or Garrett) and your reeds may be too soft.
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Author: Gandalfe
Date: 2007-10-03 00:35
Have you tried a Walter Grabner? I have his Laurie Bloom piece and everyone that tries it luvs it, whether they can afford it or not. ;o)
Jim and Suzy
Pacifica Big Band
Seattle, Washington
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Author: davidsampson
Date: 2007-10-03 02:40
Thanks, I've thought about the Walter Grabner, but I am loathe to buy one outright, so I am in the process of saving up money for a trial :-) . Is there any music I should really look at, or recordings? Also, what are good reed options? I am not too fond of the vandorens.
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Author: RodRubber
Date: 2007-10-03 05:30
I would send ur selmer C* to edward cabarga for a complete reworking. I would also use a vandoren size 3 bass clar reed. Sounds like ur on the right track, but u must resist using reeds that are too soft on bass. U need stability.
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2007-10-03 13:09
You've got one of the best bass clarinets (many would say the best) out there. You also have a mouthpiece widely used (outside of this board, which loves to recommend Walter Grabner) by working professionals. (BTW, one of Walter's early models, which he may still make, was a reworked C*. If you are not entirely happy with yours, he would be another possible refacer. You would then have one of his mouthpieces and it would probably cost you less than an outright purchase.) Your ligature is probably holding your reeds on the mouthpiece OK.
I agree with Rod_Rubber that, at your apparent level, your reeds are too soft for a C*. AFAIK, there is no law that says you have to get your reeds from your teacher. For starters, Check out the prices and selections at:
<www.weinermusic.com>
From your current list, it sounds like you might be ready to start looking at the Hindemith Clarinet Sonata, which works pretty well on the bass. Also,
if my memory serves, none of the pieces you are working on uses bass clef. If I were you, and I was seriously interested in classical performance, and I wasn't fluent in it, I would start working on learning to read bass clef. Then I might start working on transposing from A clarinet to Bb in bass clef. Those are skills you will eventually need for classical performance.
As far as instruments you should be looking at are concerned, it never hurts a bass clarinetist to be lights out on soprano clarinet. And if you want to play shows, doubles for the bass clarinet (other than soprano clarinet) include tenor sax, bari sax and bassoon.
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: cigleris
Date: 2007-10-03 18:06
Start looking at the orchestral repertoire. There are alot of solos that will help develop sound and fingers etc. Try practicing the Bach Cello Suites, this will help you get to grips with the bass clef. Also listen to bass players, either soloists or orchestral players.
Peter Cigleris
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Author: bahamutofskycon
Date: 2007-10-03 21:23
I also use a Grabner Lawrie Bloom mouthpiece and love it. However, it took me a good month and a half to get used to it and be 100% comfortable on it.
I recently switched ligatures to the Vandoren Optimum and I feel that it really helped me get a vibrant, ringing sound. Others have recommended the Bonade, but mine came to me bent and I couldn't get it to fit quite right. After it scratched the top of my Grabner MP, I decided it was too much trouble to try to fix the Bonade and I went with the Optimum.
Personally I like the Rico Grand Concert Select reeds. To me, they seem to be pretty consistent and yield a quality sound with a minimum of adjustment.
The Hindemith, Bach suites (in bass clef) and orchestral excerpt recommendations are all great.
Get recordings of the pieces in the orchestral excerpt book and listen to them - especially the Mahler, Wagner and Strauss stuff - that's where the bass really started. Of course, don't neglect the more recent stuff also. I'll think about solo/chamber recordings and get back to with recommendations later.
Steve Ballas
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Author: larryb
Date: 2007-10-04 11:18
learn to play parts written for bass clarinet pitched in A; get Strauss, Wagner, etc. excerpts
I second the suggestion of learning bass clef.
get a basset horn
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2007-10-05 04:15
All your equipments sounds fine. You might want to try harder reeds like others suggested (but maybe the 2.5 will be better for you, you have to try). The C* is not alwyas the same, but from the several I've tried all were good, and one of them was especially very good. I really like the Vandoren Masters ligature and prefer it to all the other ligatures I've tried, eventhough it is not expensive.
For other instruments to play, if you are thinking from a professional point of view of existing 'gigs' (including symphony orchestra or any other 'gig') then Jack Kissinger had good suggestions. I would just play an instrument that I wanted to play.
Two things that I can recommend are to listen to as much bass clarinet music as you can, and to consider to improvise (if you are not already). There are some very good bass clarinet players today and some really do intresting music. I can recommend some things and send you samples by email if you want.
To improvise I recommend especially if this is outside of your "territory". It will open a new world for you. I don't mean just jazz imrpovisation, but anything really. Good way to do you own music. I started as classical and now almost any music I play is improvisation.
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Author: davidsampson
Date: 2007-10-05 04:48
Right now, the reason I am playing on 2.5's is because the Gonzalez reeds are harder to find, and my experience with vandorens (for a long time I played them on bass, in several strengths) has been really inconsistent. So I get my reeds from my teacher, who happened to have some 2.5's.
I play alto sax for fun, and have some practice at improv. I also improv on my bass sometimes, just for the heck of it.
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