I’m a 7th grader at the moment and my band directors suggest that I should switch to bass clarinet in a few weeks! I’m collecting as much info I need and watching people play to know what it should sound like.
I needed to play bass clarinet in the last year of my college, actually a month after graduating (Holst's Second suite and/or Moorside suite), as there was no player for bass clarinet. I was not good - Cally's advise is great, accurate and specific. I wish I knew this advise when I were a college student...
Ouch "c" not "s" (advice) - about bass clarinet solo in orchestra - Respighi's Pines of Rome (the pines of the Appian way), Stravinsky's Rite of Spring...I also like the second movement of Prokofiev symphony No.5. Bach's cello suite would certainly a great one to play with bass clarinet!
Im currently in highschool, and play the bass clarinet. Last year, about a month before school ended I asked my teacher what it was because we had too little of clarinet books so we used the bass clarinet ones. and I ended up asking her about it, when I tell you this teacher was so thrilled. oh my lord, she said that no body had touched it in years and I had to use a wrench to play it. I dont know, they got it repaired but because I went from clarinet to bass clarinet in less than 4 weeks I had to teach myself a lot of it. and couldnt bring it home for the summer. so this year has been a wreck, from teaching myself notes, Having good tone on low notes but not high, being too quiet, and metronome. The metronome was a big part of something I worked on this year, especially with having long held notes and 20 bar rests every 7 bars of actually playing. I learned to count, now Im working on becoming louder so I can get better tone. you want air through the instrument, and one of my biggest tips is to give enough air. You play a naturally lower instrument so your going to be quieter and when you dont have a good tone It will just sound breathy, or like spits coming out. which you mentioned secondly, i want to say that the bass Clarinet is a Low Woodwind (like the bassoon) so a big part of its perks is the vibrato you can get with the reed a lot easier than a brass instrument. It can be what makes it sound so beautiful. and you also did mention this.
Great video! I wish a lot of this was available when I started bass clarinet back in middle school, us old fogies (35 now) had to learn this stuff on the streets and back alleys...always preferred bass to clarinet
I’m in high school band/music class and I play Bb clarinet, but I’m switching to bass after the summer, and I kind of have no idea to expect, so this video gave me a bit of reassurance lol. Thanks :)
Thank you! This helped me very much! I am rising 7th grade moving from trumpet to bass clarinet. I have experience playing a regular soprano clarinet but don’t know it all. I’m going to practice this over the summer! Thanks!
wow! i hope you enjoy bass clarinet so much that you never look back at trumpet (just kidding - I think it's super cool when people can play both brass and woodwind instruments!)
As a first step on bass clarinet I would suggest that the player LISTEN to good players to find out what the instrument can sound like in the different registers and in different contexts: Classical players such as Harry Spaarnay and Michael Lowenstern; Jazz players such as John Surman, Bennie Maupin and Eric Dolphy. This should give the developing player something to emulate.
Thanks a lot Cally for these tips. I am not playing bass but alto clarinet (in addition to Sib) . But I also have angled mouthpiece, and your tips fit very well on my playing. Great advices!
Do it! Make the switch! Here's an example that you can have just as much fun playing ride of the Valkyries on bass clarinet :-p th-cam.com/video/oWoz2Ju0x4s/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared
I have to play bass clarinet for holst’s first and second movement and I’m the only bass clarinet and just moved from b-flat clarinet in my senior year and I am not that good at it. The high notes hate me so much I can only do a second octave G until I start squeaking assuming I haven’t squeaked already. I really hope these tips help after spring break 😅
Great Vid Cally! :) Question about your set up in the description notes- What made you decide upon a Vandoren BD5 mouthpiece? How much experience do you have with vintage mouthpieces (cheds, kaspars, robert, etc) Have you ever tried these kinds out and what was your experience with them? #askingforafriend. KEEP up the great work!
I have zero experience with vintage mouthpieces, unfortunately. I like the sound and feel of the BD5. To me, it is unlike any other Vandoren mouthpiece. I also like that the facing is more of a medium length... Seems to work better for me than long facings. I forgot to update the video description for my auxillary setup, but for bass I use a B40. Sorry I can't be of more help with the vintage mouthpieces. What do you use? Have you had any experience with vintage mouthpieces?
@@callyclarinet BTW thanks for listening to me drone on :) My teachers (Christopher Wolfe and Eddie Palanker of the Baltimore Symphony) did their best to expose me to quite a few different choices during undergrad- Used everything from a Gigilotti to a Gennusa to a B45 in college and after while also messing with My teacher's Morgans, Pynes, Fobes and Chadash MPs. In the last few years I've been playing on Brad Behn's Zinners but have also been auditioning Kaspars, Cheds, Roberts and settled on a pre 1930s Robert that is literally NOTHING like today's modern mouth pieces. I would Highly recommend you look up Dale Fedele on youtube and Insta and listen to what he has to say regarding these choices. Bottom line- Id rather sound like McLane and Wright than anyone else in the clarinet world- SO much more color and control- such better throats and flexibility- Orchestral Projection when needed and incredible up-close subtlety all in the same MP :) #moreicecreamflavorsandbetterTASTE #imagine #thanksforlistening Curious, what are your opinions on Todays orchestral clarinet sound vs. Wright, McLane, Gennusa, Gigliotti, Drucker, etc ?
Thank you so much Cally, I've been hoping you would do this! I have a question, which I hope isn't a really silly one......when I play high C (i.e. both rear left hand thumb keys and nothing else), I find I'm kind of pushing the clarinet out of my mouth. Is there a technique to using your right hand somehow to keep the bass upright and resit the pushing force of your left hand? I only have the Yamaha Eb plastic bass so I don't know whether this is a problem because it's lighter than a wooden low C.......
Yes, it is so much easier to balance on a low c bass clarinet, especially if it has an angled neck. You could try a couple things… first, if the neck is not angled, try shifting the angle of the instrument so that the mouthpiece is around a 45 degree angle from your mouth. I did that for many years when I did not have access to equipment that had the ideal neck angle, and it helped with balance and with sound. You could also try using a neck strap, and a thick mouthpiece tooth guard (the thick ones have more grip). Lastly, since the bass clarinet has platform keys, you could gently rest the right hand on the keys themselves without pressing down. Let me know if any of these ideas help! Good luck!
hey do you know how i can get my high notes sounding perfect? cause when i play the Bb scale an octave higher, ( my band teacher tells me to cause im her best one ) it squeaks as i get higher, do you know how i can get them out better to sound really good
It's funny you mention that because my next video is going to be on that exact topic for bass clarinet. I'm in the process of editing and it should be up by sept 17th
i just switched form Bb clarinet to bass clarinet.. my bass clarinet notes are rlly airy and i tried fixing my embrouchure(which i don’t rlly understand/comprehend)… i need help 😭
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I’m a 7th grader at the moment and my band directors suggest that I should switch to bass clarinet in a few weeks! I’m collecting as much info I need and watching people play to know what it should sound like.
That's great! Bass clarinet is so much fun. I hope you like enjoy playing!
I needed to play bass clarinet in the last year of my college, actually a month after graduating (Holst's Second suite and/or Moorside suite), as there was no player for bass clarinet. I was not good - Cally's advise is great, accurate and specific. I wish I knew this advise when I were a college student...
Ouch "c" not "s" (advice) - about bass clarinet solo in orchestra - Respighi's Pines of Rome (the pines of the Appian way), Stravinsky's Rite of Spring...I also like the second movement of Prokofiev symphony No.5. Bach's cello suite would certainly a great one to play with bass clarinet!
Im currently in highschool, and play the bass clarinet. Last year, about a month before school ended I asked my teacher what it was because we had too little of clarinet books so we used the bass clarinet ones. and I ended up asking her about it, when I tell you this teacher was so thrilled. oh my lord, she said that no body had touched it in years and I had to use a wrench to play it. I dont know, they got it repaired but because I went from clarinet to bass clarinet in less than 4 weeks I had to teach myself a lot of it. and couldnt bring it home for the summer. so this year has been a wreck, from teaching myself notes, Having good tone on low notes but not high, being too quiet, and metronome. The metronome was a big part of something I worked on this year, especially with having long held notes and 20 bar rests every 7 bars of actually playing. I learned to count, now Im working on becoming louder so I can get better tone. you want air through the instrument, and one of my biggest tips is to give enough air. You play a naturally lower instrument so your going to be quieter and when you dont have a good tone It will just sound breathy, or like spits coming out. which you mentioned
secondly, i want to say that the bass Clarinet is a Low Woodwind (like the bassoon) so a big part of its perks is the vibrato you can get with the reed a lot easier than a brass instrument. It can be what makes it sound so beautiful. and you also did mention this.
Great video! I wish a lot of this was available when I started bass clarinet back in middle school, us old fogies (35 now) had to learn this stuff on the streets and back alleys...always preferred bass to clarinet
I’m in high school band/music class and I play Bb clarinet, but I’m switching to bass after the summer, and I kind of have no idea to expect, so this video gave me a bit of reassurance lol. Thanks :)
I play in my local town band and they have a bass clarinet. I am plucking up the courage to have a go on it.
It’s so much fun! I hope you enjoy it!
Im in middle school and I’ve chosen to play bass clarinet as my second instrument and I’m so excited!!
Thank you! This helped me very much! I am rising 7th grade moving from trumpet to bass clarinet. I have experience playing a regular soprano clarinet but don’t know it all. I’m going to practice this over the summer! Thanks!
wow! i hope you enjoy bass clarinet so much that you never look back at trumpet (just kidding - I think it's super cool when people can play both brass and woodwind instruments!)
As a first step on bass clarinet I would suggest that the player LISTEN to good players to find out what the instrument can sound like in the different registers and in different contexts: Classical players such as Harry Spaarnay and Michael Lowenstern; Jazz players such as John Surman, Bennie Maupin and Eric Dolphy. This should give the developing player something to emulate.
Great advice! Thank you! 🎶
Thanks a lot Cally for these tips. I am not playing bass but alto clarinet (in addition to Sib) . But I also have angled mouthpiece, and your tips fit very well on my playing. Great advices!
I'm so glad to hear this works for alto clarinet, too!
Great stuff👌👍
I loved first trying bass last year and I hope you do some more videos!
Thank you after 4 yrs playing bb i finally get the chance to play bass and i’m so excited! i needed this
Ahhhh that’s so cool! Enjoy!
The tone is immaculate! Golly!!!!
Thank you lady.. I am alto player sax here in Brasil. great exercise
I was a Tenor Sax and then Percussion but I am going to swich to bass c larinet thanks fro the help
Wunderbar! Danke! From Germany! You‘re great!
Many thanks!
OMG your office is GORGEOUS
thank you!!
I might switch from trombone to bass clarinet, or do trombone for concerts and bass clarinet for fun.
Do it! Make the switch! Here's an example that you can have just as much fun playing ride of the Valkyries on bass clarinet :-p th-cam.com/video/oWoz2Ju0x4s/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared
@@callyclarinet thanks
Thx Cally , wonderful demo 👌🏾
You are an awsome clarinetist.
Thank you!!
Just ordered a Gigliotti ligature for B-flat clarinet, can't wait to try It!! Very excited!! I already have a Luyben but It's little too light..
Have you tried the Gigliotti ligature yet?
@@callyclarinet Didn't arrive yet. If you will, I'll update when I try It, Thanks! Just let me know..
Cool shirt!
Thanks! It was a gift from a friend (whose birthday it is today - they used to play bass clarinet!)
I have to play bass clarinet for holst’s first and second movement and I’m the only bass clarinet and just moved from b-flat clarinet in my senior year and I am not that good at it. The high notes hate me so much I can only do a second octave G until I start squeaking assuming I haven’t squeaked already. I really hope these tips help after spring break 😅
My video tomorrow (4/1) is going to be about the clarion register on bass clarinet and should help you out too! Good luck!
Great Vid Cally! :) Question about your set up in the description notes- What made you decide upon a Vandoren BD5 mouthpiece? How much experience do you have with vintage mouthpieces (cheds, kaspars, robert, etc) Have you ever tried these kinds out and what was your experience with them? #askingforafriend. KEEP up the great work!
I have zero experience with vintage mouthpieces, unfortunately. I like the sound and feel of the BD5. To me, it is unlike any other Vandoren mouthpiece. I also like that the facing is more of a medium length... Seems to work better for me than long facings. I forgot to update the video description for my auxillary setup, but for bass I use a B40. Sorry I can't be of more help with the vintage mouthpieces. What do you use? Have you had any experience with vintage mouthpieces?
@@callyclarinet BTW thanks for listening to me drone on :) My teachers (Christopher Wolfe and Eddie Palanker of the Baltimore Symphony) did their best to expose me to quite a few different choices during undergrad- Used everything from a Gigilotti to a Gennusa to a B45 in college and after while also messing with My teacher's Morgans, Pynes, Fobes and Chadash MPs. In the last few years I've been playing on Brad Behn's Zinners but have also been auditioning Kaspars, Cheds, Roberts and settled on a pre 1930s Robert that is literally NOTHING like today's modern mouth pieces. I would Highly recommend you look up Dale Fedele on youtube and Insta and listen to what he has to say regarding these choices. Bottom line- Id rather sound like McLane and Wright than anyone else in the clarinet world- SO much more color and control- such better throats and flexibility- Orchestral Projection when needed and incredible up-close subtlety all in the same MP :) #moreicecreamflavorsandbetterTASTE #imagine #thanksforlistening
Curious, what are your opinions on Todays orchestral clarinet sound vs. Wright, McLane, Gennusa, Gigliotti, Drucker, etc ?
Don;'t need this but thx for recognizing us
thanks! 😀
I wish I had this video before I sold my Bass. I just could not play it.
Thank you so much Cally, I've been hoping you would do this!
I have a question, which I hope isn't a really silly one......when I play high C (i.e. both rear left hand thumb keys and nothing else), I find I'm kind of pushing the clarinet out of my mouth. Is there a technique to using your right hand somehow to keep the bass upright and resit the pushing force of your left hand? I only have the Yamaha Eb plastic bass so I don't know whether this is a problem because it's lighter than a wooden low C.......
Yes, it is so much easier to balance on a low c bass clarinet, especially if it has an angled neck. You could try a couple things… first, if the neck is not angled, try shifting the angle of the instrument so that the mouthpiece is around a 45 degree angle from your mouth. I did that for many years when I did not have access to equipment that had the ideal neck angle, and it helped with balance and with sound. You could also try using a neck strap, and a thick mouthpiece tooth guard (the thick ones have more grip). Lastly, since the bass clarinet has platform keys, you could gently rest the right hand on the keys themselves without pressing down. Let me know if any of these ideas help! Good luck!
@@callyclarinet Thank you so much Cally!
hey do you know how i can get my high notes sounding perfect? cause when i play the Bb scale an octave higher, ( my band teacher tells me to cause im her best one ) it squeaks as i get higher, do you know how i can get them out better to sound really good
It's funny you mention that because my next video is going to be on that exact topic for bass clarinet. I'm in the process of editing and it should be up by sept 17th
@@callyclarinet thank you so much your AMAZING your videos really help, bass clarinet is my favorite instrument i play THANK YOU!!!! you rock
Love the information... can you please advise what the first except which you played was from? Many thanks! Cheers from Texas.
Thanks!! It’s the Courante from Bach cello suite No. 1
What piece was that??? I love that piece.
Courante from bach cello suite no. 1
First, one needs to be able to afford a bass clarinet..
That's me right there
i just switched form Bb clarinet to bass clarinet.. my bass clarinet notes are rlly airy and i tried fixing my embrouchure(which i don’t rlly understand/comprehend)… i need help 😭
Try a softer reed, and if that doesn’t work maybe try a different mouthpiece?