Information on the Bass Clarinet
The bass clarinet, a larger version of the B-flat clarinet, is an expressive woodwind instrument whose sound is sometimes referred to as "dark velvet." Typically, there is only one bass clarinet in an orchestra or band.
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Origins
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The bass clarinet, invented in the latter half of the 1700s, was originally used only as an orchestra instrument, says Master Sergeant Susan Kelley of the U.S. Army Field Band. By the 1920s, however, it was employed in bands, often doubling or substituting for other deep-voiced instruments.
Description
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The bass clarinet, like the regular B-flat clarinet, is a single-reed instrument made of wood. It has a beak-shaped mouthpiece and an upturned bell at the end.
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Sound
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The bass clarinet plays in the same key (B-flat), but an octave below the regular clarinet. (An octave is the interval between two tones of the same name, for example, between two C's.) The bass clarinet produces a full, deep sound in the same range as the bassoon, but with a softer effect.
Uses
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The bass clarinet usually joins the other low instruments to provide an orchestra's musical foundation. It is often paired with the English horn, French horn and strings. It can also lend a solemn, eloquent voice to a solo, says the Vienna Symphonic Library.
Playing the Bass Clarinet
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Bass clarinetist Walter Grabner recommends that a player use the same embouchure, or mouth position, as on a normal-sized clarinet. He warns that bass clarinets undergo changes, particularly with a change of climate, and will require adjustment twice a year.
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