 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2008-12-03 21:28
Apart from 'Anything Goes', which other shows or musicals require a low C bass in them?
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: davidsampson
Date: 2008-12-03 21:36
Kiss Me, Kate.
From the audience, it sounds like Spamalot needs a low C, but I have no way of knowing for certain.
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Author: Ed
Date: 2008-12-04 02:31
Spamalot has a low C bass. I have a friend who has played it and has borrowed mine.
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Author: davyd
Date: 2008-12-04 04:09
If memory serves, the R5 book for "Will Rogers Follies" requires either a low C bass or an Eb contra-alto; several passages are written on double staves.
I'm sure there are books out there with double-staff passages for either bassoon or low C bass, but none come to mind.
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Author: William
Date: 2008-12-04 13:56
"Heartland".
I also seem to recall some low notes in "Urine Town".
Post Edited (2008-12-04 16:29)
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Author: woodwind650
Date: 2008-12-04 15:29
Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" requires some low D's. Also, the most recent incarnation of "Harold and Maude" the Musical is scored with some low D's in the bass part.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2008-12-04 15:57
Hmmm... so it's more likely that low Ds are to be encountered in shows than low Cs, and as a low Eb bass will get a low D easily with a cardboard tube in the bell, wouldn't a low Eb bass suffice?
Reason being is that a fellow pit player has a Q-series Selmer bass only built to low E, and there's the possibility of a low Eb Q-series coming up for sale (and this one has a floor spike).
But what with all that's going on he's not able to stretch to a Buffet Prestige low C bass which he really likes (though in time he may still invest in one).
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: BG ★2017
Date: 2008-12-04 16:25
A new show that is now touring, "Legally Blonde", also requires the Reed 2 player to have a bass clarinet with the low C extension.
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Author: mikeW
Date: 2008-12-04 16:31
"Urinetown" also has several low-D's.
My bass has the Eb on the body with a vent on the bell. I find that plugging the vent with a wine cork works for a pretty good low-D, provided I don't have any Eb's shortly thereafter.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2008-12-04 16:49
TKS, Guys, its good to know, partic. about the low D's which are easily reachable on an Eb B C, with a "drink cup " extension of the bell [needs be "tuned"] as on my Selmer W series, tho, I'm afraid my days for playing musicals may be over, Dern it. Since it eliminates the low Eb, some "strategeic planning" needs be done. Another B C player has a relatively new Buffet Eb with a "no-pad" tonehole on the bell which when covered ?with tape? gives a good D !! If someone knows its model #, please post it. Noon thots, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: donald
Date: 2008-12-04 18:00
Phantom has many low Ds in it, and you need to be able to get down there via chromatic scale, making the cardboard tube not really a viable option
dn
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2008-12-04 18:09
Is there a fellow pit player nearby who's resting at this moment that can do the honours with the cardboard tube?
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2008-12-04 19:04
Hi Chris - I "dug out" what I believe is my best low D [drink cup tube] bell extension, which, with a smaller cup [no bottoms, of course], fits into my Sel bell several inches dowm and the larger cup more/less conically expands to 4+" dia. [a real big one !], extending some 8" longer that the Sel bell itself. When I have a bit of time, I'll reassemble my B C and review my acoustic "research", [ my Southern {apologies} engineering], LUCK, Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: mikeW
Date: 2008-12-05 15:50
Don, regarding the BC with the Eb on the body and a vented bell: its a Buffet 1180. I was told that the 1180 originally had an Eb key on the bell, and it was re-designed at some point with the Eb on the body, so there may be more than one version of it out there.
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Author: rcnelson
Date: 2008-12-05 17:31
Bret Pitmental's doubling info on his website states that the 2006 production of A CHORUS LINE's Reed 2 book was as follows:
Piccolo, flute, E-flat clarinet, clarinet, bass clarinet [to low C], alto saxophone
Ron
Selmer Mark VI tenor (1957), Selmer Mark VII alto (1975)
Buescher True Tone soprano (1924), Selmer CL210 Bb Clarinet, Gemeinhardt 3SHB Flute, Pearl PFP105 Piccolo
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Author: LonDear
Date: 2009-02-17 03:16
I've just received my book for Beauty and the Beast, and the bass part does go to a low D in several places. I may sneek in some low C's if I can make them tasteful.
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Author: William
Date: 2009-02-17 14:51
Not exactly a show or musical, but this weekend (2-21-09) our Beloit/Janesville Orchestra (WI-USA) will be performing the Carl Davis original filmscore for the silent film, "Wings". The bass clarinet part goes down to low D a couple of times and with the first rehearsal being tonight, my bass can't wait.........(love those low notes :>)
Post Edited (2009-02-17 14:59)
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Author: John J. Moses
Date: 2009-02-17 15:16
Hi All:
As most of you know, I've been on Broadway for over 35+ years and played just about every show in that time, as a regular or sub.
So, 35 years ago, with the older shows, only a low Eb Bass was needed, there were no low C Bass Clarinets available or required.
As the business and the orchestrations got more sophisticated, and low C Bass Clarinets more popular, the composers & orchestrators wrote more low notes for the "new" instruments. Contra-Alto Clarinets were used and still are, but the instrument of choice, on the newer shows, is the low C Bass Clarinet.
So, if any of you are considering a "career" or "just for fun" playing a Clarinet or low Reed chair, buy or borrow a low C Bass Clarinet, you will definitely need it!
My current show, WICKED, has two Bass Clarinets needed. I play down to low Eb, but Reed 4 does play down to low D, and it's a solo! All the Clarinet doublers in NYC do own a low C Bass Clarinet for Broadway, Studio, and Symphonic work. Get a good horn if you can, you won't regret it.
JJM
Légère Artist
Clark W. Fobes Artist
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2009-02-17 15:25
John, do you have a feel for the percentage of such music that requires only the low D versus music that also calls for low C# and C? If I were a betting man I'd guess that most of the time only the low D is needed.
This question came to mind because a German-system bass clarinet I recently acquired has a range to low D; and also, the modification needed to add just one note to a low-Eb instrument would be considerably less than that needed to add the two lower notes as well.
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Author: John J. Moses
Date: 2009-02-18 01:55
Hi David:
I'm sure your new low D German Bass Clarinet will do just fine in most of the new shows. There are many other needs most of us here in NYC have for our low C's. Most studio & commercial dates, including the new movies, all require our Bass Clarinets to go all the way down to a low C. More Broadway and Off-Broadway shows are now requiring you to have low C# and low C's.
Again, your low D bass will be just fine for most applications on past & current Broadway shows, but for a new purchase by a Broadway-bound younger player, I highly recommend buying a fine low C Bass Clarinet.
JJM
Légère Artist
Clark W. Fobes Artist
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Author: blazian
Date: 2009-02-18 02:48
For the Buffet 1180 and other bass clarinets with low Eb on the body, you have the option of using another bell too. All you need for the low D is to shift your ankle over (left ankle for most bells but right ankle for Selmer Paris) while fingering a low Eb. Unfortunately, I've never needed this because I'm still stuck in high school.
- Martin
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Author: Geirskogul
Date: 2009-02-18 06:23
So basically I'm screwed if I want to play and all I've got is a low Eb? (Eb on bell)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2009-02-18 10:37
Not totally screwed if you need a low D provided an Eb isn't either side of it - use the cardboard tube from a roll of kitchen towel shoved in the bell for a low D.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Ebclarinet1
Date: 2009-02-18 16:02
I'm seeing more amd more low C's and D's even in our wind symphony pieces, and many cases in solo portions. It is really becoming a necessity, probably more so than the low B foot on the flute, which I can count on one hand where I've needed it! Have always had a hard time hitting C now on these horns without mishitting the B. Gues I was trained on a low C and haven't unlearnt that fingering!
Eefer guy
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Author: Wes
Date: 2009-02-19 19:11
For my older low Eb bass, I have a removeable wooden low D extension made by the legendary Glen Johnston who also made some low C extensions. I've rarely needed it. However, I recently acquired a low C Buffet 1193 which is simply wonderful.
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2009-02-20 15:39
I'm playing a week of Beauty and the Beast. The 3 reed books we have are obviously compilations of more books in the original Broadway orchestration. I was amazed to find one single, solitary low D in the Reed 3 book (Flute 2- Clarinet-Bass Clarinet). I wondered why any orchestrator would put that one note in - seemed like a prank. I'm glad to hear that there are more of them in the version you're using. How many reed parts did your orchestration include?
Karl
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Author: John J. Moses
Date: 2009-02-20 16:25
Hi kdk:
Have fun with your B & the B, it's the smaller "road" version, greatly reduced from our original Broadway instrumentation.
As a point of note: The low D is no joke! Danny Troob, a good friend & great orchestrator for Disney & others, writes every note carefully for each instrument. Everything on the page is essential, so have a Bass that will play down to that required note, please.
The version we did on Broadway had a larger Reed section, as I remember:
Reed 1: Flute & Piccolo
Reed 2: Oboe & EH
Reed 3: Clarinet & Flute
Reed 4: Clarinet, Bass Clarinet (to low D), Flute, & Piccolo
reed 5: Bassoon & Contra
The version we did for the original Disney animated movie was an even larger orchestration!
JJM
Légère Artist
Clark W. Fobes Artist
Post Edited (2009-02-20 16:33)
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