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Re: Clarion Timbre on Bass Clarinet

Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2022-12-31 15:33

Thank you for sharing in detail. That is helpful.

I have last played bass about three years ago and don't own one so I have to sorta remember what's going on. However, I would tend to think that you are putting too much energy into the embouchure in general. A guess of mine would be that you are pulling out quite a bit at the neck (if not, then I am wrong). The suggestion about tone and tuning is true BUT doesn't directly get to the point. When one is "biting" (sorry to use that term but it is also more direct) it begets more biting. As an early student (speaking more for the soprano......but same idea) the low chalumeau was very sharp on EVERY HORN. As I learned to "throttle down" on the embouchure energy, the intonation became more even throughout the horn (mainly, the long tube and short tube notes matched much better in tuning than before I allowed myself to relax. So what happens is that you tune to the relaxed embouchure and suddenly the long tube notes and short tube notes match in pitch and timbre much better. This also helps playing wider intervals much easier.

Try to relax, and tune the lowest notes while your embouchure is relaxed. Then see what the open G is like in pitch comparison Once you can play that comparison evenly in pitch and tone, then see what the G sitting on top of the staff is like and match that to the low E, low F and the open G. Of course any further exercises you can come up with that do similar work will help a lot.

Also with this in mind, if you still have the original mouthpiece you used, it may be helpful to see how that one allows you to play more relaxed and evenly from short tube notes to long tube notes

The Vandoren V21s are smoother and have more color to their sound (in my opinion). You'll notice that the bark is cut down to a straight line below the vamp. This helps the reed play "easier."

I would say that in general bass is harder to wrangle than soprano on all points particularly with regard to making everything play evenly in tone and pitch. Just work slowly and at a moderate volume until things start to make sense.

................Paul Aviles

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Clarion Timbre on Bass Clarinet new

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2022-12-30 22:19