[A Greene]

I spent the first months of this COVID-19 situation shedding tenor 3 or 4 hours a day. I hit a wall and with not gigs left in 2020 it became a bit frustrating. So this past 2 weeks, I been doing 1 1/2 on soprano but added an hour of bass clarinet.

I have an old 1970's Bundy I got off Ebay for $166 without a case. I think this clarinet was in a wet basement. I imagine the case must have fallen apart. The clarinet had a funky mildew vibe but played pretty well without work. To be on the safe side, my repair guy took in apart and cleaned everything. It was a couple hundred dollars but now the bass clarinet plays like a dream. (At least as well as a plastic beginner bass can play)

I recently purchased a Vandoren B50 mouthpiece paired with a Legere Tenor Studio #2 1/4.
Very powerful and the upper register is pretty good. Of course, improvising on clarinet is a completely different animal and further work is needed.

 

[Keith Ridenhour]

Your tenor sounded great last time I heard it. K

 

[A Greene]

Your tenor sounded great last time I heard it. K

Thanks Keith. I view this as musical cross training. Just needed a tenor break.

 

[dirty]

Those old Bundy horns are great. I still have mine and I play it when my Selmer is with the tech or just for old time's sake. Paired with a B50, that's a pretty cheap setup that I would be comfortable gigging on.

 

[Figaro]

I absolutely love bass clarinet. I played tuba in high school and one day during lunch break I went in the music room, assembled a BC and taught myself a line I had heard played in a song from Loggins & Messina's first album. A song called Sailin The Wind. I fell in love.
I've been scouring Ebay for a Selmer. They're out there for an affordable price. Also some Vitos. I'll have one at some point.

 

[whaler]

I found it easier to improvise on clarinet when I started thinking of the break as being in different keys.
As I go down through the break it’s a fourth down.
Maybe I’m over complicating things in a way but it works in the way I think as I play.
It’s odd the things I’ve come across about playing during the time with no work. I’m staring to wonder if I really give a **** about gigging until I absolutely have to.
I’m seeing some of my musician buddies playing for nothing so I may try to just wait it out.

 

[clodius]

I absolutely love bass clarinet. I played tuba in high school and one day during lunch break I went in the music room, assembled a BC and taught myself a line I had heard played in a song from Loggins & Messina's first album. A song called Sailin The Wind. I fell in love.
I've been scouring Ebay for a Selmer. They're out there for an affordable price. Also some Vitos. I'll have one at some point.

Two of our daughters played bass clarinet in high school. At the end of our youngest's last Spring concert the other BC player turned to her and said "well I don't need this any more, do you want it?"
So I have a Selmer BC in the next room sitting next to my Jean Barre.