What will be used more- bass clarinet or bari sax?

[CircaRevival]

I've got a good amount of money saved and almost boought a sop a while back. I'm contemplating buying a bari sax or a bass clarinet and am wondering what would get more use on jobs/gigs. Also, I haven't been playing soprano clarinet very long (since August) and don't know if I should double bass yet. Keep in mind, I play tenor and clarinet. So, what do you think would get more use?

[Brendan Muse]

It really depends on what you want to play. Since you're in college at the moment, I would recommend getting a bass clarinet, because you can probably steal a school bari whenever you want.

[CircaRevival]

It really depends on what you want to play. Since you're in college at the moment, I would recommend getting a bass clarinet, because you can probably steal a school bari whenever you want.

Actually I'm in high school, LOL. I think I would rather play bass clarinet right now, but some days I'll want a bari and another I'll want bass clarinet. So it's coming down to what gets used more.

[Razzy]

I've gotten called once to play a show that had bass clarinet as a double. I've gotten called at least ten times in the past year to play bari for something. Bari players tend to be needed more, it seems. People also know me as a good bari player, though it is by no means my main instrument, so that is probably another factor in my getting called to play it more often. Thankfully, my school has a good Yamaha 62 bari that I've had nearly exclusive use of since the beginning of my freshman year here (I'm now a sophomore). I've only had to share it with professors and the occasional other student who gets a gig with bari on it.

So if this were MY purchase, based on my position, I'd get a decent bass clarinet. BUT if I didn't have this use of a school-owned bari sax, I'd probably get that first. Try to assess what you'd probably play more often- or whether you even need either of these horns right now! Your money might be better invested in lessons and reeds!!

[Big Al]

Just my experience,

but this year I'm playing clar/bass clar/alto sax in a local production of "The Wizard of Oz"

and clar/bass clar/sop sax in "Joseph blah blah blah Dreamcoat" in another----

last year was Eb/Bb/Bass Clar and Flute in "Camelot"

the year before (2004) was Bb/Bass Clar in "Cinderella"

(2003) was tenor sax in "grease"

and (2002) was bass clar/bari sax in "Anything Goes"

I know the 2nd clarinet book in "Fiddler" has bass clar

So, based on this small sampling, and assuming you want to double in Broadway musical pit orchestras, I say buy a Bass Clarinet

[Razzy]

Yes, if you're looking to do theater work, bass clarinet is probably the way to go. But if you get called for more big band and sax quartet gigs like I often do, then bari sax is a good choice. I usually play reed 1 in any shows that I do so bass clarinet is not essential just yet.

[Randall]

Get both.:twisted:

I say the bari will get you more gigs, in general.

[CircaRevival]

Get both.:twisted:


I like the way you think.

Well, I'm nowhere near becoming a pro, but I think I would be using bass clarinet more. Thanks a lot for the replies!

[saxfreak]

You can make a good case for either one. It depends a lot on what type of music you'll be playing. I have used bass clarinet in a lot of pit work, and I'm in a clarinet choir, playing bass, Eb, and soprano clarinet. But I've also played a lot of bari sax in pits (just finished a run of "Cats" on clarinet/sop sax/bari sax).
If you get calls for big bands, bari is more useful than bass clarinet, obviously, but you might be playing alto or tenor in the big bands instead.

Best advice - get both.

[danarsenault]

If you are going to be a low woodwind player in pits, you need both.

[Beck]

I'd say get the baritone and learn to transpose. You could get away with transposing B. clar. parts on the baritone but the other way around would be difficult and probably sound funny. You may have to displace an octave now and then, which is unfortunate but not tragic. Also ask yourself how much pro pit work you will be doing. The baritone will be handy in college and most schools have a Bass Clar. that one can use if it is necessary. Also if a college has both instruments, then it is usually easier to score the Bass Clarinet than the Baritone. I rarely heard anyone shedding the Bass Clarinet when I was a student. It also sounds like you have some time to, as you say, "double bass". If you end up as a pit player, then you will need both and probably a flute to boot, but the nature of that scene seems to be changing and there may be less opportunities there then you might think.

Beck

[CircaRevival]

Thanks for the replies. This a lot tougher than I thought. I think I should just pick one now, and eventually buy both. I plan to do a good amount of pit work, but in a lot of shows the reed (3?) part requires tenor/clar/bass clarinet. I do plan on doubling flute also.

[SOTSDO]

If you are planning on "working" as a reed player down the road, you need to have the basic saxes and clarinet ready to go, and ideally should also be able to double baritone, soprano, bass clarinet, and flute.

More and more, each new "New Broadway Musical!" (as they are usually termed on the front of the playbill) are calling for unusual (to college students) doubles. Bassoon is much more common, contra alto clarinet crops up now and then, and there's always the chance of having to deal with oboe or English horn. In a way, it's a return to the days of Carousel (shudder...) and Oklahoma!, where you always had bassoon and oboe right along side of you in the pit.

Few will be able to "do it all" well, and that's only expected. However, once you have the basic music theory under your belt, it then just becomes a question of mechanics and embouchure. The saxes are pretty similar across the board, bass clarinet isn't that far removed from soprano, so they should be relatively easy with a little practice. Flute is a different kettle of fish, and the double reeds are just downright irritating. But, you've got to start somewhere.

If I had to choose, I'd pick baritone due to the fact that there are fewer baritone players out there to be in competition with. However, I'd also pick up bass clarinet skills tout suite, since nothing sounds worse than a subtoning baritone player trying to blend with the rest of the sax line on soprano clarinet.

If you can handle them all, then you'll be more likely to get the call. Remember, most Broadway show books require a minimum of clarinet/flute/sax or clarinet/bass clarinet/sax doubles. In the contracting field, nobody wants to hire a sax player who can't play clarinet.

[saxfreak]

It really depends on what you want to play. Since you're in college at the moment, I would recommend getting a bass clarinet, because you can probably steal a school bari whenever you want.

Another aspect of borrowing an instrument is what kind of condition it would be in. I'm just guessing at this, but my instinct is that a school bass clarinet might be in bad adjustment and not play well. If you owned a bass clarinet you'd have more control of the playing condition (getting it adjusted if needed). This also applies to bari sax, but it seems to me bass clarinet might be more finicky for adjustment issues than a bari.

[Gary622]

Bass clarinet is definitely harder to keep in adjustment than a bari. If you have to choose one, and you get a lot of show work, go for the bass clarinet.