 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-09-11 06:41
The bass clarinet IS AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT INSTRUMENT !!!
First lesson: Don't expect the bass clarinet to respond like a Bb soprano.
I've always found the area you describe (the notes that engage the vent key on the neck) to be a bit flaccid sounding. Much like throat Bb on the soprano I find myself doing 'more' with air and embouchure to give more presence to those notes.
If I spend significant time away from a bass, it takes me a good four months to get "the sound" back, so just keep plugging away at it and get some lessons.
Might not hurt to make sure that it is not leaking and that all the mechanical aspects are working properly.
..............Paul Aviles
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: clarnibass
Date: 2014-09-11 08:07
Ken, there is no seperate vent for throat Bb on the Selmer Privilege bass clarinet. There are only two vents. The vent for throat Bb is the same one for the B to Eb notes. So there is only the body vent and the neck vent.
Impossible to say for sure without seeing it, but Ken is probably right about the problem. It is likely that the mechanism is out of adjustment and the neck vent remains opens when playing the body vent notes.
Another (less likely) possibility is a leak around the area of the right hand notes, which often affect the upper register far more than the lower register.
Post Edited (2014-09-11 09:56)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2014-09-11 16:48
clarnibass -
I haven't held a Privilege bass for several years, but I can't imagine a high-end bass without a throat Bb improvement mechanism. When you play throat A and go up a half-step to Bb, what happens? I'd bet my life that it's not just that the lower register key vent opens.
Unfortunately, the photos at http://www.kesslermusic.com/SelmerLeblanc/67/privilegelowc.htm show every angle except the one that would show the mechanism.
Ken Shaw
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: clarnibass
Date: 2014-09-11 17:53
>> I'd bet my life that it's not just that the lower register key vent opens. <<
So how is it like to be without your life?
I'm not sure why you can't imagine a high end bass to be this way, considering that almost every pro French model is exactly that way. Actually I can't remember any bass other than the new Tosca with an extra separate vent for throat Bb.
Post Edited (2014-09-11 19:01)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Chris P
Date: 2014-09-11 18:18
On all basses fitted with an automatic double speaker mechanism with two vents (a large on the body and another smaller one on the crook) the lower vent is open from throat Bb to upper Eb, then the vents switch over when RH3 is released so the crook vent is open from E upwards. The throat A key is also linked to the speaker mechanism to ensure the lower vent opens when both the throat A key and speaker key are held down.
If this is a school's bass, chances are someone previously has mashed up the linkages between the upper and lower joints if they've never assembled one before and held some keys down they shouldn't and similarly haven't held certain keys down that they should.
The bridge key link from the RH3 fingerplate is usually the one that suffers and that can put the entire speaker mechanism out of whack if it gets bent, so both vents may open at the same time or neither depending on the severity of the damage.
So the best way to assemble a bass clarinet is to hold all the LH fingerplates down and the throat A key with the left hand to raise the linkages at the middle tenon, thus avoiding any keys getting bent. Similarly with the bell if there's a bell key fitted, hold the bell key closed during assembly and make sure you don't hold any of the thumb keys or low Eb key down whilst gripping the lower joint.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
![[B4]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/b4.gif)
to ![[D5]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/d5.gif)
the notes sound very stuffy and covered. Or in other words, it feels very awkward when playing them. I assume this is most likely a ME problem and not an instrument problem. ![[Eb5]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/eb5.gif)
, the register vent on the neck must be completely closed. The vent for throat Bb4 ![[Bb4]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/bb4.gif)
must also be completely closed.![[E6]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/e6.gif)
and higher, the register vent on the neck must be open and the other two vents must be completely closed. The mechanism for the upper and lower register keys is operated by the right ring finger.