Contrabass Digest

1999-02-21

From: LeliaLoban@aol.com
Date: Sun, 21 Feb 1999 16:57:02 EST
Subject: single vs. double reed sarrusophone
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com

Grant Green wrote,
>On a related note, I just picked up my Bb bass sarrusophone from Keith
Loraine over the weekend: he had it while making up a couple of double
reeds specifically to match.  The new reeds make a *big* difference.
Prior to this point, I'd only played the horn using the single reed mpcs
that came with it, and had always worried about the intonation.  I suspect
that the mpc cavity is either too large or too small, as the notes toward
the top of the horn (C in the middle and upper octaves) tend to go way
flat.  The double reeds, however, provide an even intonation (and even
timbre) throughout the range, even into the altissimo (which I've found
nearly impossible with the single reed mpc).>

I'm curious whether or how the double reed alters the experience of playing
this instrument.  Is there more or less of the skull-rattling vibration than
with the single-reed mouthpiece?  Can you hear yourself better or worse now?
Does the double reed affect how well you can hear other musicians around you?
Do you need more or less air?  Etc.

Lelia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"It [the bassoon] is a bass instrument without proper bass strength, eddly
weak i sound, bleating, burlesque."
--Thomas Mann, Dr. Faustus, tr. Lowe-Porter (947).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 
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