[Psolomon]

Hi guys. I need some help here. I currently play clarinet and double with E-flat clarinet. I love both my instruments, and my supportive parents have paid heavily for professional instruments for me. I have recently fallen in love with a bass clarinet i snagged off ebay for $200. I love the sound of the bass clarinet, and i'de love to get into it. I know that in some countries, the bass clarinet reads bass cleff, which isn't a problem for me thanks to my 5 years of piano playing. However, i feel that if i get into too many instruments, i'll get carried away. My dad warns me that if i play too many instruments, i wont get good at any of them. I really like the bass clarinet, but i have enough trouble doubling between the Bb and Eb clarinets. I'm still a student (9th grade), but my dream is to play my music in a professional orchestra. I really like the bass, but i'm afraid to get too into it. Help!

 

[OboeGuy]

If you're planning on playing in orchestras, learning the auxiliary instruments is going to be very beneficial for you. You should practice them all equally though. Play some of your solos and etudes for Bb on Eb and Bass. That should help your facility on the others. Also, private lessons are going to be another great asset to your playing. A private teacher can identify some good equipment for you for your instruments. Don't forget you're going to NEED an A clarinet soon if you don't have one already!

 

[tbone1004]

conveniently clarinets are all beneficial to one another. Bb and Eb is good, although Eb is not really as important as being able to play Bb and bass... Eefer is a rather specialty instrument and not used outside of a lot of symphonic stuff. It's good to have though.
Most of the time you'll see it in treble clef, especially if you're in high school. You probably won't witness any bass clef unless you're playing with a professional symphony

 

[bmcclellan]

I play from Eb sop. all the way to BBb contra. I have to agree with what has been said already being able to play them all is good. L:ike said you need to practice all equally. I have had to double from Eb to Contra to bass in one concert and that is where practicing all equally proves to be needed.

 

[Psolomon]

i can only imagine having to switch between an Eb and a BBb mid-concert ._. thanks for the advice! i plan to continue practicing bass with my other clarinets

 

[tbone1004]

your imagination needs some practice then. Eb and Bb would be common, however if you ever get into musicals Bb and bass is quite common. Mid concert not always the case, as most bands have dedicated players, however I have done a concert where I played bass BBb contra and eefer. That's not that normal though, Bb and Eb is, and Bass/contra is somewhat normal

 

[bmcclellan]

Mine was a strauss piece in a Chamber group that has Bass clarinet in Bass clef A that swapped to clarinet in D "played on Eb" on the same part and the next song that was played was on contra.

 

[Psolomon]

Mine was a strauss piece in a Chamber group that has Bass clarinet in Bass clef A that swapped to clarinet in D "played on Eb" on the same part and the next song that was played was on contra.

a bass clarinet in A? how many clarinets do you play? hundreds? THOUSANDS? im so jealous >.<

 

[jbtsax]

There is a lot to be said for mastering one instrument at the highest level before spreading yourself too thin trying to learn to play several at the same time. The thing to remember is that the technical skill you develop on your main instrument, the soprano clarinet directly transfers to the bass and other sizes.

 

[tbone1004]

unlike saxophone though, you can not survive as a clarinet being "only a Bb" player. You have to know A clarinet, which is nothing. Eb is required once you get to a certain skill level if you want to play 1st parts or solo clarinet, and bass clarinet gets you a LOT of gigs.

 

[veggigolf]

I agree with most of the above. As a working clarinetist, I can tell you you will need a Bb, A, and Bass. Eb helps but is much lower on the pole. You will need to be able to play in every key, and sometimes you will need to transpose parts in concert pitch. Symphony and opera music has a lot of C parts. You will need a good stand to facilitate switching between Bb and A and sometimes Eb. I use a Blayman stand. Only tackle as much as you realistically can at the high school level. For now, Bb and Eb are just fine. I don't recommend playing too much Bass until you are sounding *really* good on the soprano clarinet and can handle the very different embouchure without it being detrimental to your soprano tone quality. After all, nobody wants to hear a clarinetist with poor tone! A good teacher can tell if/when you are ready. Good luck!

 

[PitRat]

a bass clarinet in A? how many clarinets do you play?

Virtually nobody owns a bass clarinet in A, you just transpose the part. I'd guess that there are no more than a couple of dozen modern instruments around these days, if that, and none of the big manufacturers make them anymore. You'd have to go to someone like Stephen Fox to get one custom made . . . and as soon as I win the lottery, that's what I'm doing!

 

[sirspinbad]

the only reason many people stick to one instrument is that people tell them they cant play more,and they just stick to that.... i play everything i can get my hands on

at the same time,be honest with yourself..... do what you can do on an instrument and do it well!! if you really cant play something up to a certain level,be honest and dont waste your time

 

[bmcclellan]

Yeah the Bass in A in basically non existant unless you have it custom made. but for the little that you will ever get those parts handed to you why bother. I would much rather spend that money on the Basset in F! The Ab sop is one I do not want to own but I would love to get one in my hands. I am surprised no one mentioned the contra's That is basically my primary instrument in the groups I have been playing in. The EEb comes in quite handy when there isn't a contra bassoon availible! And once I got the BBb contra everyone seams to want me to play that, usually there is at least 1 bass in the groups besides me.

I do not have thousandsof clarinets either, now I used to have 30+Bb clarinets in different key configurations andin albert metal. Then I started playing in more groups and wanted to be versitle and cover other parts so I sold most all of those and upgraded a couple. clarinets I have now are: Eb sop, C sop, Bb (2 of them), A, Basset A, Alto, Bass, EEb, BBb.

 

[Psolomon]

I do not have thousandsof clarinets either, now I used to have 30+Bb clarinets in different key configurations andin albert metal. Then I started playing in more groups and wanted to be versitle and cover other parts so I sold most all of those and upgraded a couple. clarinets I have now are: Eb sop, C sop, Bb (2 of them), A, Basset A, Alto, Bass, EEb, BBb.

i wish i had a bassett clarinet, i've been playing mozart's concerto in A for a while, and i've had to play most of it an octave higher. not a problem though

 

[bmcclellan]

The basset A that I have is one of Tom Ridenours. really nice horn.