Bass Clarinet

You heard it performed? :huh: Live?

Yep, in person. Not by Dolphy though. Apparently they've written it down.

Yep, in person. Not by Dolphy though. Apparently they've written it down.

Someone performed a transcription of Dolphy's improvisation?

...wow. :mellow:

Someone performed a transcription of Dolphy's improvisation?

...wow. :mellow:

hahahah :D

If anyone doesn't mind me asking, what's an embouchure?

... it's not that hard... the notes are really simple, I could probably almost play it myself... it would sound like utter crap, but I'm sure I could learn it by ear without having to right it down.

And regarding bass clarinet as a primary instrument, yes, there are people that play it as their primary. There probably are even bass clarinet majors in schools here and there, although unlikely, it wouldn't surprise me a bit. Most people who play bass as their primary do it for bands. There are a number of professional wind bands and clarinet choirs that include members that specialize in bass or lower clarinets as their primary. There would have to be, some pieces for clarinet choir are not simple for bass and lower clarinets. In orchestra, however, the bass clarinet is restricted to being merely an auxiliary instrument.

Embourchure (a French word for "mouth", I believe) is basically how a musician uses the muscles of their face and mouth to produce a tone on any wind instrument. This involves mostly the lips and tongue, and varies greatly between the families of wind instrument (brass, single reed, double reed)

If anyone doesn't mind me asking, what's an embouchure?

From the wiki:

"The embouchure is the use of facial muscles and the shaping of the lips to the mouthpiece of a wind instrument."

Basically, it's what's going on in the mouth-al area.

Bass Clarinet is fun, but you definitely need to learn clarinet first. It'll make the process to bass clarinet so much easier. =p. I've been playing clarinet for 6 years, and when I pick up a bass clarinet, I still can't get some things like someone with more experience.

I'm grade 5 on the oboe and i've been playing for about a year. I really want to take up bass clarinet but i'm worried that i'll have to learn normal soprano clarinet first.

I know the embouchure and the fingerings are completely different between oboe and clarinet, but i've been learning clarinet fingerings and they don't seem difficult.

I'm going to ask my friend's clarinet teacher about it and see what he says.

What i would like to know is: Is being proficient on oboe a good enough start before learning bass clarinet? What do you guys think? Will I have to go through the entire process of learning the soprano clarinet first?

What i would like to know is: Is being proficient on oboe a good enough start before learning bass clarinet? What do you guys think? Will I have to go through the entire process of learning the soprano clarinet first?

Sorry, but the Oboe is really not going to help you learn the Bass Clarinet. The oboe's fingerings are more similar to the Flute first off. Secondly, as you stated, the embrochure is very different. I play the Clarinet (B-flat), and have been playing for six years. Even then I have the most terrible time trying to play anything with the register key on the Bass Clarinet. I can still do just about anything possible in the "Belting" range of the instrument, though. I highly recommend that you take some time to try the B-flat Soprano Clarinet before playing the bass, though I do not know if it will be easier or not.

...I have the most terrible time trying to play anything with the register key on the Bass Clarinet...

Your bass clarinet is probably out of adjustment. Also, your embouchure must be slightly looser, and the mouthpiece angle should match your Bb clarinet mouthpiece angle. If you're playing on a student-quality horn, one or all of these things are probably preventing you from playing it correctly.

I've tried playing on a bass clarinet on a number occasions... mostly since I've known quite a few people to play the thing. I could never get the mouthpiece angle anywhere NEAR what I use on the soprano... even on the soprano I probably hold the instrument further out than I should anyways, I play like freakin' Benny Goodman. In order to get that proper angle on a bass, I'd have to hold the instrument itself at quite an angle, in almost a jazz saxophone position from the way I understand it... so what's up with that?

I never had this problem with alto clarinet, the mouthpiece is already at a decent angle. :happy:

Newer bass clarinets are now designed with the neck at a more properly positioned angle. For older basses, you do have to hold the instrument at a more extreme angle, with the bell basically under your chair.

I did play alto sax for a while a couple of years ago, and I was told that the embouchure was similar if not the same as on clarinet.

Presuming I already know the fingerings for clarinet and therefore bass clarinet (Clarinet Fingering Charts - The Woodwind Fingering Guide if anyone wants to know), would knowing the alto sax embouchure be a good start?

I really want to take up bass, but I really really don't want to have to learn soprano clarinet beforehand.

Parke- Actually, I have played the saxophone as well, and between he Bass and Sax embrochures, there isn't much difference. The fingerings are near the same too. I would say go for it!