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 Jin (3 points)
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Hello, Im new here and I just wanted to get some advice.
Well as you can see by the title,I play the bass clarinet. I am in 7th grade and played the clarinet since 4th grade and switched to the bass clarinet. Not much different just bigger. I guess I am still a beginner so I need to know how not to make that weird sound when you tongue. I can't really explain it. I just want to know how to make crisp clear sounds. Not sure if it matters but I use vandoren 2 1/2 tenor sax reeds. My teacher said its better for me to use.
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 Clarinet-Bb (1 point)
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hey, I also play bass clarinet at the moment. I'm in gr. 10
I played soprano for 2 and a half years then I was switched to bass because we needed more bass line. I used to have the same problem when I was tongueing and I hate to say it, but the only way to fix it is to practice like crazy. Doing lots of scales helps. I'm playing on 2.5 bass clarinet reeds right now, but I was playing on sax reeds for a while until I ran out. What pieces are you guys playing?
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 laeta_puella (343 points)
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i've never found tenor sax reeds to work as well on bass clarinet as real bass clarinet reeds, though i suppose it might just be personal preference.
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 -harmonic_divine -
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Just because i'm me, i'd use a regular Bass Clarinet reed rather than a tenor sax one, that's my personal preference at least.... I'm a soon to be freshman and i play the Bass Clarinet as well, so if you have any questions i may be able to answer them, depending on what they are concerning. Good luck with your music career!
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 Hump (217 points)
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Tenor sax mouthpieces are not anywhere near identical to bass clarinet mouthpieces, and neither are the reeds, even though they may look it. They aren't designed and cut for a bass clarinet mouthpiece. Either your teacher has you playing a funky mouthpiece that favors tenor sax reeds, or your teacher is a real doofus IMHO. Good luck!
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 Micron (1443 points)
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I totally agree with Hump. You are just asking for trouble by using tenor sax reeds. They may look the same, but they are not!
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 SimpsonSaxGal (110 points)
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There's a lot of discussion about tenor reeds versus bcl reeds. I'd say if all you have at the moment is tsx reeds, use them, but buy bcl reeds as soon as possible.
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 Win_Hand (40 points)
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I play bass clarinet and use size 4 reeds, just to think... am I the only one here who has played long enought?
<Added>
Oh ny the way I'm in 5th grade, and have played Clarinet sense I was 7 years old. 4 years that would be.
<Added>
If I knew how, I would add a recording of me playing a piece without making that funky sound. Just like she said it is practise and THE WAY you do it. If you press hard, you will make a thump sound, just hard enough to separate the notes is all that is need. Sometimes I just stop my airflow using a special way of moving my lungs and month to stop airflow even quicker then you could tonguing.
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 laeta_puella (343 points)
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"I play bass clarinet and use size 4 reeds, just to think... am I the only one here who has played long enought?"
played long enough to use size 4?
reed size is hardly an indicator of how long you've played, or skill.
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 SimpsonSaxGal (110 points)
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Reed size is not something to grade skill on. I play somewhere between a 3 or 3 1/2, and I've been playing single reed instruments for ten years (wow. I feel old!). I'm currently a music major on cl and bcl. Over the years, I've never played on a reed lower than a 2 or higher than the 3 1/2.
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 Win_Hand (40 points)
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I was not meaning taht as to grade people on. I meant that was I the only one who had played well enough to move up in size. Plus that takes time. I never meant to judge people. I never use anything lower then a 2.5.
I have an MP3 out now, so you can check out how well I am if you want, but that isn't what I can do until you ask me to get serious.
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 Micron (1443 points)
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It is nothing to do with the MP3 either.
Rred strength is to do wiht what is suitable for a given player, with given breath pressure,given embouchure, and given mouthpiece. With all these variables, reed strength is not much of an indicator of ANYTHING.
The fact that you are using 4 and used to use 3 possibly has more to do with the hiding (damage? hardening? of your lip tissue, (that perhaps you should not have done?) than any sort of graduating or skill.
I knew a top professional clarinetist, with awesome tone, who noremally played on a 1 1/2 or 2.
If I use a 5, you use a 4, the queen of sheba uses a 3, and he uses a 2, so what?!
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 Win_Hand (40 points)
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Well it's nothing to get all mad over. You are wright though. It is just about personal preference. No hard feelings.
Regards, Brandon
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 SimpsonSaxGal (110 points)
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Jin, has any of what we said helped you? I tried to add a melody of slur two tongue two, but it didn't work. It's sort of like: da uh dut dut, da uh dut dut. Give it a try.
Win_Hand, if you've played long enough and are good enough to get up to a 4, than either you really do need a stronger reed (re: the last post before me) or you're playing on a hard reed because you are getting better. If it's the first, accept my apologies. Some people do just play better on a really soft or really hard reed. If it's the second, just make sure that you do find the reed strength that works the best for you.
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