Hey all,

I came into three excellent mouthpieces -- McClune-faced Selmer C*'s I picked
out at ICA that are amazingly accurate copies of my Matson -- that I want to
find good homes for.

If you are interested please contact me off-list.

Thanks!
Mike Lowenstern

<http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128819529>

I heard this on NPR this afternoon: Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead looks
back at Breuker, who recently at the age of 65.

I'm not familiar with Willem Breuker, but perked my ears when the intro
mentioned bass clarinet as well as saxophone, and the article photo
shows him playing bass clarinet.

-- Heidi

http://vn55.thepillsgreat.net

Has anyone taken the time to produce a treble clef bass clarinet part to the
Shostakovich Violin Concerto?  Someone's asked if I can do it on short notice
and while I think I can, it'd be nice to be focused on making the music, not
reading in bass clef...

Let me know ASAP - thanks!

-Andrew Seigel
andrew.seigel@...

Dear Andrew, I think that the only thing that the part need is to be practised a
lot and played by memory (the most difficult passages of course). I say that for
the particular difficulties of the concert: the role of our instrument and for
the skills that the part needs. There's no time to read the part and play it on
time; a lot of vhanges of rithm and time; solo and section... I mean the bass
clarinet has a great role in Shostakovich, and a part in another clef doesn't
solve any of the problems between the staves...

I've played it several time, and every time it seems like an olimpic game:
difficult and long during the practising but short and without chance of
repetition on concert.
It always needs a great concentration and to be really focused.

That's all.

Stefano

Il giorno 10/ago/2010, alle ore 04:41, "andrew.seigel" <andrew.seigel@...>
ha scritto:

> Has anyone taken the time to produce a treble clef bass clarinet part to the
Shostakovich Violin Concerto?  Someone's asked if I can do it on short notice
and while I think I can, it'd be nice to be focused on making the music, not
reading in bass clef...
>
> Let me know ASAP - thanks!
>
> -Andrew Seigel
> andrew.seigel@...
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>

Does anyone have a good cadenza for the bass clarinet solo part to Der Alte
Brummbar? (The Old Grumbly Bear?) I just purchased the piece, and the cadenza is
non-existent.
I appreciate any help on the matter.

I currently play on a selmer bass clarinet with a c*mouthpiece and a bay
ligature.  Right now, I love Grand Concert Select reeds.

Intonation has always been a problem with my instrument.  I feel like I have to
adjust my embouchure too often while I'm playing.  Open G's need to be lipped
up, and I have to lip down while playing B's and C's going over the break.

Do you think a new mouthpiece would make a noticeable difference?

Would this experienced technician be you, Mr. Grabner?

--- In NewBassClarinetGroup@yahoogroups.com, Walter Grabner <grabnerwg@...>
wrote:
>
> On Sat, Sep 11, 2010 at 4:18 PM, AmyC <rain28@...> wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > I currently play on a selmer bass clarinet with a c*mouthpiece and a bay
> > ligature. Right now, I love Grand Concert Select reeds.
> >
> > Intonation has always been a problem with my instrument. I feel like I have
> > to adjust my embouchure too often while I'm playing. Open G's need to be
> > lipped up, and I have to lip down while playing B's and C's going over the
> > break.
> >
> > Do you think a new mouthpiece would make a noticeable difference?
> >
>
> Many bass clarinets suffer from sharp B and C, while having flat E and F a
> twelfth below. The throat tone G is going to be mostly influenced by how far
> you have the neck pulled out,
>
> I doubt that a change of mouthpiece will help this situation.
>
> I recommend you see a technician who is experienced in tuning bass
> clarinets. There are some things that can be done that may help your
> situation.
>
>
> Walter Grabner
> www.clarinetxpress.com
> World Class Clarinet Mouthpieces
> Buffet C;arinets
>
> >
> >
> >
>

After a long hiatus, I had become interested in playing lower clarinets in high
quality

wind ensembles in my area. Thinking the alto clarinet was a good place to start,
I attempted

to arrange for an audition in a well thought of local group and was told that
they don't

use a bass clarinet any more because "nobody writes for it".

I can't believe that this is universally true, so I'm hoping to learn of upper
echelon ensembles

who still use alto clarinet.

  Don't conductors perform pieces like Lincolnshire Posy, Suite of Old American
Dances, or the

  overture to Candide any longer? THese three pieces are sticking in my mind
because I recall

the extremely well written clarinet choir parts in them.

The true timbre of the clarinet family certainly has a big gap without the alto
clarinet, not

to mention transcriptions of Mozart basset horn parts.

I'd certainly like to hear comments about this from other parts of the world
(I'm on the East

  Coast, USA.

It is my experience that if you are playing a representative sample of
concert band music perhaps one-fourth have alto clarinet parts that are
worth playing. You need to be prepared to play bass clarinet or soprano
clarinet on the others.

Some of this depends on the parts and the players in the band. For
example on one or two pieces we played recently the alto clarinet part
was a lot like the tenor sax part. If you have a weak tenor sax player,
they would be worth playing.

Gary
+---------------------------------------------------------------------
|  Gary Van Cott - Van Cott Information Services, Inc.
|  Woodwind and Brass: Books, Music, CDs and More
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I might add that very few band directors have ever heard a decent alto
clarinetist, so they don't realized what they are missing.

Gary
+---------------------------------------------------------------------
|  Gary Van Cott - Van Cott Information Services, Inc.
|  Woodwind and Brass: Books, Music, CDs and More
|  http://www.vcisinc.com/  --> VISA MasterCard Discover AmExp <--
|  P.O. Box 9569, Las Vegas, NV 89191, USA
|  Phone: 702-438-2102 Fax: 801-650-1719  Email: Gary@...
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+---------------------------------------------------------------------

I agree with both of Gary's messages.  Few new pieces of repertoire have a
serious alto clarinet part.  Many pieces just have the alto clarinet double
either the tenor or alto sax.  I play tenor sax in a group right now where I
cover alto clarinet cues in some spots and there are others where I think "wow,
he needed someone to give this line to, but tenor sax should not be playing in a
clarinet choir section - this should be an alto clarinet part."  Alto clarinet
players need to have another instrument in case there's no part or the part is
just awful - occasionally Eb soprano players have to play Bb, too, so it's not a
totally unique situation.

On the subject of lack of quality instruments - yep.  Most altos "out there" are
either Bundy or Vito - they're ok, but it's the same difference as with basses -
would you rather play a Bundy bass or a Selmer Paris?  I've seen a handful of
Selmers and Leblancs at schools and mine is the only Buffet I've ever seen. 
School altos also suffer many of the same indignities of damage and neglect that
basses do and often don't work well.

I will say this, though - it seems like there are more and more woodwind-playing
band directors who are bringing the alto clarinets back into their ensembles.  I
had at least 3 in for summer repair this year and one was a Series 9 (boy was
that thing out of whack).  There's a certain segment of the band director
population that understands that it's a unique voice in the clarinet section and
shouldn't be replaced by a bass any more than a tenor sax should be replaced by
a bari.  Of my band director friends, one bassoonist and one clarinetist say we
should use it if we've got someone to do it, while a certain trumpeter thinks
they should all be mounted on the walls of Applebee's restaurants with round
mellophones of yore.

Pete



--- In NewBassClarinetGroup@yahoogroups.com, Gary Van Cott <gary@...> wrote:
>
> I might add that very few band directors have ever heard a decent alto
> clarinetist, so they don't realized what they are missing.
>
> Gary
> +---------------------------------------------------------------------
> |  Gary Van Cott - Van Cott Information Services, Inc.
> |  Woodwind and Brass: Books, Music, CDs and More
> |  http://www.vcisinc.com/  --> VISA MasterCard Discover AmExp <--
> |  P.O. Box 9569, Las Vegas, NV 89191, USA
> |  Phone: 702-438-2102 Fax: 801-650-1719  Email: Gary@...
> |  Become a VCIS Inc Facebook fan: http://tinyurl.com/vcisinc-facebook
> +---------------------------------------------------------------------
>

That's great.  Availability of an alto part depends on what you're playing and
apparently you're playing literature that's got alto parts 95% of the time. 
Part of the problem with some bands may be that the alto parts got lost at some
point because no one ever played them and they never made it back to the file
when the rest of the music was collected.  When I play bass clarinet in bands, I
also get bored with the parts that double tenor/bari/bassoon/trombone/euphonium,
but that's usually only a problem for me on marches (where no one will hear a
bass clarinet if there are 2 tenors, a bassoon, 3 euphoniums, and 2 trombones
playing the exact same part, not to mention the rest of the trombone section) or
simple arrangements (where it seems like the entire band is playing the same 4-6
parts, transposed).  There obviously are some important alto clarinet parts out
there, otherwise there wouldn't be cues for it in other parts like tenor sax.
I used to play with the band I'm with now, but I moved out of state for 6 or 7
years and when I came back, I came to a rehearsal with Bb, alto, and bass
clarinets.  I met the new director (trumpet player), told him what I had with
me, and he said he never uses alto clarinets.  He retired about 5 years ago from
teaching high school in a strong district with a program that he built up over
30 years and said that if there was an alto clarinet part worth playing in a
piece at school, he taught a bass clarinetist how to do the transposition.  I
see that as the same as telling a bari player to cover the tenor part or having
a euphonium play a horn part.  I think adult band geeks (no offense intended to
anyone, I freely admit to being a professional band geek) are helping to bring
back the alto.  Not that anyone should pay $1,000 for a used Bundy open hole
alto, but altos in general do have a place.

Pete


  In NewBassClarinetGroup@yahoogroups.com, Dave Dennison <harper_d@...> wrote:
>
> Well I've read some of your post here and as an Alto Clarinet player I have to
say I've had a fun time playing this part in our community band. We play some
really challenging music and I will say out of the 78 pieces in my folder right
now, 74 are Alto Clarinet parts, some have been challenging parts and I have
had a couple nice solos. So I don't understand why people say it's hard to find
parts for. Our director seem to find them.
>  Now I don't mean to offend any Bass players but .... I did play Bass for a
while but I got sick of doubling the bassoon, euphonium  or having music that
was the woodwing equivalent of the Tuba part. I hated it, so that's when our
director asked me to try Alto, which I've done for the last  3 years. So I'm
still not sure why Altos get such a bad rap.
>  
> P.S. I play on a very nice Vito Alto Clarinet
>  
>  
>  
>
> --- On Mon, 9/20/10, womrep <womrep@...> wrote:
>
>
> From: womrep <womrep@...>
> Subject: [NewBassClarinetGroup] Re: Is Eb alto clarinet disappearing from wind
ensemble literature?
> To: NewBassClarinetGroup@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Monday, September 20, 2010, 12:26 AM
>
>
>  
>
>
>
> I agree with both of Gary's messages. Few new pieces of repertoire have a
serious alto clarinet part. Many pieces just have the alto clarinet double
either the tenor or alto sax. I play tenor sax in a group right now where I
cover alto clarinet cues in some spots and there are others where I think "wow,
he needed someone to give this line to, but tenor sax should not be playing in a
clarinet choir section - this should be an alto clarinet part." Alto clarinet
players need to have another instrument in case there's no part or the part is
just awful - occasionally Eb soprano players have to play Bb, too, so it's not a
totally unique situation.
>
> On the subject of lack of quality instruments - yep. Most altos "out there"
are either Bundy or Vito - they're ok, but it's the same difference as with
basses - would you rather play a Bundy bass or a Selmer Paris? I've seen a
handful of Selmers and Leblancs at schools and mine is the only Buffet I've ever
seen. School altos also suffer many of the same indignities of damage and
neglect that basses do and often don't work well.
>
> I will say this, though - it seems like there are more and more
woodwind-playing band directors who are bringing the alto clarinets back into
their ensembles. I had at least 3 in for summer repair this year and one was a
Series 9 (boy was that thing out of whack). There's a certain segment of the
band director population that understands that it's a unique voice in the
clarinet section and shouldn't be replaced by a bass any more than a tenor sax
should be replaced by a bari. Of my band director friends, one bassoonist and
one clarinetist say we should use it if we've got someone to do it, while a
certain trumpeter thinks they should all be mounted on the walls of Applebee's
restaurants with round mellophones of yore.
>
> Pete
>
> --- In NewBassClarinetGroup@yahoogroups.com, Gary Van Cott <gary@> wrote:
> >
> > I might add that very few band directors have ever heard a decent alto
> > clarinetist, so they don't realized what they are missing.
> >
> > Gary
> > +----------------------------------------------------------
> > | Gary Van Cott - Van Cott Information Services, Inc.
> > | Woodwind and Brass: Books, Music, CDs and More
> > | http://www.vcisinc.com/ --> VISA MasterCard Discover AmExp <--
> > | P.O. Box 9569, Las Vegas, NV 89191, USA
> > | Phone: 702-438-2102 Fax: 801-650-1719 Email: Gary@
> > | Become a VCIS Inc Facebook fan: http://tinyurl.com/vcisinc-facebook
> > +----------------------------------------------------------
> >
>

How important is the use of vibrato when playing something cute like Der Alte
Brummbar (the Grumbly Old Bear?) This is actually a bassoon piece transcribed
for bass clarinet.
Right now, I'm not completely comfortable with vibrato on bass clarinet, and I'd
like to practice it more.  I'm afraid of simply sounding out-of-tune.

It's a matter of taste. If the piece is so non-idiomatic to the bass clarinet
that you feel you have to try to imitate a bassoon to make it work, then maybe
you're over reaching. Walter Grabner has a recording of his wonderful bass
clarinet rendition of Weber's Andante and Hungarian Rondo (transcribed from the
bassoon solo original) on his website. Tasteful and not the least bassoonish!
Personally, I sometimes use a little vibrato on sustained tones in solos. Jaw
vibrato for jazz-style arrangements (it helps in producing the expected kind of
tone quality), and what I think is called "amplitude"(pulsating air)  vibrato
for anything else.

--- In NewBassClarinetGroup@yahoogroups.com, "AmyC" <rain28@...> wrote:
>
> How important is the use of vibrato when playing something cute like Der Alte
Brummbar (the Grumbly Old Bear?) This is actually a bassoon piece transcribed
for bass clarinet.
> Right now, I'm not completely comfortable with vibrato on bass clarinet, and
I'd like to practice it more.  I'm afraid of simply sounding out-of-tune.
>

I always tell my students that clarinet vibrato should only be used in jazz or
as a special effect.  The same thing applies to bass clarinet.  The bassoon
piece was transcribed for the bass clarinet not so that the bass clarinetist
will try to sound like a bassoon.  Rather someone thought that the bass clarinet
"bag of tricks" would work well with the piece too.  So don't try to imitate the
bassoon.  Approach the piece as if were originally written for the bass clarinet
and if, as a special effect, then go for it (just make sure that you use the
correct vibrato - it's jaw not diaphragmatic).  Have fun and good luck!

--- In NewBassClarinetGroup@yahoogroups.com, "AmyC" <rain28@...> wrote:
>
> How important is the use of vibrato when playing something cute like Der Alte
Brummbar (the Grumbly Old Bear?) This is actually a bassoon piece transcribed
for bass clarinet.
> Right now, I'm not completely comfortable with vibrato on bass clarinet, and
I'd like to practice it more.  I'm afraid of simply sounding out-of-tune.
>

I meant to say "and if, as a special effect, you think bass clarinet vibrato is
necessary, then go for it"

Sorry about that!!


--- In NewBassClarinetGroup@yahoogroups.com, "skipm83240" <skipm83240@...>
wrote:
>
> I always tell my students that clarinet vibrato should only be used in jazz or
as a special effect.  The same thing applies to bass clarinet.  The bassoon
piece was transcribed for the bass clarinet not so that the bass clarinetist
will try to sound like a bassoon.  Rather someone thought that the bass clarinet
"bag of tricks" would work well with the piece too.  So don't try to imitate the
bassoon.  Approach the piece as if were originally written for the bass clarinet
and if, as a special effect, then go for it (just make sure that you use the
correct vibrato - it's jaw not diaphragmatic).  Have fun and good luck!
>
> --- In NewBassClarinetGroup@yahoogroups.com, "AmyC" <rain28@> wrote:
> >
> > How important is the use of vibrato when playing something cute like Der
Alte Brummbar (the Grumbly Old Bear?) This is actually a bassoon piece
transcribed for bass clarinet.
> > Right now, I'm not completely comfortable with vibrato on bass clarinet, and
I'd like to practice it more.  I'm afraid of simply sounding out-of-tune.
> >
>

For me, vibrato is part of what makes the Bass Clarinet interesting.  You can
play just about any style and it sounds right.  Plus, if you like, you can play
a straight tone based on the situation.  I don't always play with vibrato, but
I've been using it for 17 years and it's the smartest thing I ever did.  When
you do it right it makes you unique.  I think what scares people off is the work
involved.  It seems like you shouldn't have to work it, but you do, and many
Clarinet players may not have received that instruction.  I can understand that.

So, my vote is for vibrato all day everyday--unless it doesn't make sense int he
situation.

--- In NewBassClarinetGroup@yahoogroups.com, "AmyC" <rain28@...> wrote:
>
> How important is the use of vibrato when playing something cute like Der Alte
Brummbar (the Grumbly Old Bear?) This is actually a bassoon piece transcribed
for bass clarinet.
> Right now, I'm not completely comfortable with vibrato on bass clarinet, and
I'd like to practice it more.  I'm afraid of simply sounding out-of-tune.
>

How do Legere reeds compare in strength to, say, Vandoren Blue Box? I've moved
to a climate that can be 90 degrees with 10% humidity one day, 60 degrees with
50% humidity the next. I'm sticking with cane reeds, but I'd like a backup.
Also, I play on an open mouthpiece (1.90 tip opening). Is it anyone's experience
that tip opening alone effects a mouthpiece's sensitivity to reeds?
Thanks.

I have the Clarinette in D / Bassclarinette in A part for Srauss Liebesscence
Feuersnot


My question is this:

The Bass clarinet section of the piece is in Bass clef Bass clarinet in A?  how
in the world would you transpose that?  If it was Treble bass in A i would be
fine but with the part in bass clef I am completely lost!  Oh and then in the
middle of the bass clarinet in BC there will pop up 1 measre of Bass in TC?

Bobby

>how in the world would you transpose that?

I would use Finale.

Gary
+---------------------------------------------------------------------
|  Gary Van Cott - Van Cott Information Services, Inc.
|  Woodwind and Brass: Books, Music, CDs and More
|  http://www.vcisinc.com/  --> VISA MasterCard Discover AmExp <--
|  P.O. Box 9569, Las Vegas, NV 89191, USA
|  Phone: 702-438-2102 Fax: 801-650-1719  Email: Gary@...
|  Become a VCIS Inc Facebook fan: http://tinyurl.com/vcisinc-facebook
+---------------------------------------------------------------------

On 10/7/2010 10:27 AM, Bobby M wrote:
> I have the Clarinette in D / Bassclarinette in A part for Srauss Liebesscence
Feuersnot
>
>
> My question is this:
>
> The Bass clarinet section of the piece is in Bass clef Bass clarinet in A? 
how in the world would you transpose that?  If it was Treble bass in A i would
be fine but with the part in bass clef I am completely lost!  Oh and then in the
middle of the bass clarinet in BC there will pop up 1 measre of Bass in TC?
>
> Bobby
>

Wish I had it, This is the 1st time I have ever run into this.  I do not think
the wife is going to let me spend money on Finale.



--- In NewBassClarinetGroup@yahoogroups.com, Gary Van Cott <gary@...> wrote:
>
> >how in the world would you transpose that?
>
> I would use Finale.
>
> Gary
> +---------------------------------------------------------------------
> |  Gary Van Cott - Van Cott Information Services, Inc.
> |  Woodwind and Brass: Books, Music, CDs and More
> |  http://www.vcisinc.com/  --> VISA MasterCard Discover AmExp <--
> |  P.O. Box 9569, Las Vegas, NV 89191, USA
> |  Phone: 702-438-2102 Fax: 801-650-1719  Email: Gary@...
> |  Become a VCIS Inc Facebook fan: http://tinyurl.com/vcisinc-facebook
> +---------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> On 10/7/2010 10:27 AM, Bobby M wrote:
> > I have the Clarinette in D / Bassclarinette in A part for Srauss
Liebesscence Feuersnot
> >
> >
> > My question is this:
> >
> > The Bass clarinet section of the piece is in Bass clef Bass clarinet in A? 
how in the world would you transpose that?  If it was Treble bass in A i would
be fine but with the part in bass clef I am completely lost!  Oh and then in the
middle of the bass clarinet in BC there will pop up 1 measre of Bass in TC?
> >
> > Bobby
> >
>

My question is this:

The Bass clarinet section of the piece is in Bass clef Bass clarinet in A?  how in the world would you transpose that?  If it was Treble bass in A i would be fine but with the part in bass clef I am completely lost!  Oh and then in the middle of the bass clarinet in BC there will pop up 1 measre of Bass in TC?  

Bobby