Contrabass Digest |
| To subscribe or unsubscribe, email gdgreen@contrabass.com |
From: John Fierke <jfierke@media100.com>
Subject: Orchestration quotes
Date: Sat, 6 Mar 1999 20:31:02 -0500
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.comA couple of quotes from instrumentation and orchestration
books I am studying which I thought people on this list
might enjoy."Instrumentation and Orchestration" Alfred Blatter,
Schirmer Books, Copyright 1997The B-flat Contrabass Clarinet
This clarinet is not usually made of wood, but of metal.
Because it is turned back on itself four times and the
tone holes are spaced much further apart than on the
smaller instruments. A rather complex and delicate
system of levers is employed to facilitate control.The tone quality of the contrabass clarinet is, in the
lowest register, very, very dark and capable of great
power and clear pianissimos. The higher range, while
lacking the chalumeau qualities that first recommend
the instrument, has a unique, colorless quality that
exists in no other instrument. Agility is of course not
as great as on the smaller clarinets, but the instrument
can easily match the string basses and tuba in it's
ability to play rapid passages. It has a clear, focused
pitch center that provides low notes with an easily
perceived fundamental.(Interesting picture of the clarinet family,
including a b-flat contrabass)
The Baritone Saxophone
The baritone saxophone is perhaps the most mellow of
all the saxophones. .... The baritone has an excellent
solo voice that is much like a reedy euphonium in quality.
All saxophones are capable of clear articulations, but this
Is most evident in the baritone, which is unexcelled in the
Delineation of marcato or staccoto figures.The Bass Saxophone
The B-flat bass saxophone is not heard as often as the
other members of the [saxophone] family discussed
above. Still, when well played, it can almost match the
baritone quality for quality and add the additional advantage
of four or five more semi-tones downward in range. The
tone of the bass saxophone is more gravelly than that of
the baritone and the articulation is a little less rapid. It is
a very effective bass instrument that can rival the pizzicato
of an electronic bass in clarity, incisiveness, and - to an
extent - power.(Interesting picture of saxophone family, including a
contrabass "once owned by John Phillip Sousa )A SECOND OPINION:
"arranged by Nelson Riddle", copyright 1985
The B-flat bass saxophone is seldom used anymore.
The instrument is quite clumsy, and is generally out
of tune. Its main benefit is the handful of notes it can
play below the range of the baritone sax.Somehow, I don't think I just helped Nelson make any
new friends ...
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Sat, 06 Mar 1999 21:11:29 -0500
From: RJ Carpenter <emerald1@megsinet.net>
Subject: RE: Orchestration quotes
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.comApparently Nelson has never before played a Bass Saxophone; as I; speaking
from a fair amount of experience with both instruments; can say that the
Bass Sax is nearly as agile as the Bari... and it's tone color is quite
lovely...
...hint: don't insult instruments that you no nothing about; I learned my
lesson with the Sarrusophone; an instrument that I thought a joke until I
heard one played quite fluently by a ContraBassoonists from the Cincinnati
Pops (?I think Cinci)
KontraBassin'
Tristan---------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 06 Mar 1999 23:27:33 -0600
From: contrabassoon@geocities.com
Subject: Bass Sax Reeds
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.comCan anyone sell me a couple bass sax reeds so I don't have to buy a
whole box? Or can I just use Bari reeds?Thanks,
David DeJarnett---------------------------------------------------------
From: CoolStu67@aol.com
Date: Sun, 7 Mar 1999 00:38:16 EST
Subject: Re: Bass Sax Reeds
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.comA couple and a box are almost the same <g> Vandoren bass reeds only have 5; it
would inconvenient to yourself to buy them separately. Go for the box. Rico
orange boxes are much cheaper, so you might want to get those if you are kinda
cheap or just worried about cost.Stuart
-Sax (Soprano/Alto)
-Clarinet (Eb/Bb/Bass/Contralto)<<
Can anyone sell me a couple bass sax reeds so I don't have to buy a
whole box? Or can I just use Bari reeds?Thanks,
David DeJarnett
>>
---------------------------------------------------------Date: Sun, 07 Mar 1999 01:14:50 -0500
From: "farfl's house" <farfl@idirect.ca>
Subject: Re: Bass Sax Reeds
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.comYou can certainly use baritone sax reeds on your bass saxophone if you have a nice large chamber
baritone mouthpiece to play them on.
I use a hard rubber Morgan bari/bass mouthpiece. I also use an old N.Y. Link from the '20s or
'30s that is metal and that was modified by Morgan.
Rico Royals work just dandy on both mouthpieces.
Do you currently play with a bass sax or baritone sax mouthpiece on your bass?
Regards,
Stevencontrabassoon@geocities.com wrote:
> Can anyone sell me a couple bass sax reeds so I don't have to buy a
> whole box? Or can I just use Bari reeds?
>
> Thanks,
> David DeJarnett
>---------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Re: Orchestration quotes
Date: Sun, 7 Mar 99 04:43:48 -0700
From: Richard Fenno <rfenno@earthlink.net>
Reply-To: contrabass@contrabass.com>A SECOND OPINION:
>
>"arranged by Nelson Riddle", copyright 1985
>
>The B-flat bass saxophone is seldom used anymore.
>The instrument is quite clumsy, and is generally out
>of tune. Its main benefit is the handful of notes it can
>play below the range of the baritone sax.Well . . . .yeah, in fact my low A bari goes to concert C, and my bass
goes just to the Ab concert right below that--4 semitones! But what a
difference in the projection and the attack. I have a modern bari (made
in Taiwan) which is terrific, but I'd NEVER try to play a Dixieland bass
line on it, because my bass (1915 Conn stencil) just shakes the room in a
way the bari does not.There are times when one or the other is appropriate.
When I played on Stan Kenton's band in the 1970s I was on the chair that
had some bass parts, but sadly they were all transposed to bari because
Stan's (Conn) bass was determined to be too large for the bus! (For those
who don't know, Stans sax section was alto, 2 tenors, and 2 baritones.
Similarly, the trombone section had two bass bones, including Mike Suter.)No flies on Nelson, but some time in the same decade he was writing that
book, Billy May was recording Sorta Dixie, which has incredible, witty,
and very musical bass sax parts sprinkled throughout. (The Billy May
Sorta May/Sorta Dixie twofer package is one of the best CD buys anywhere!)RF
RFRichard Fenno * Austin, Texas
Saxophones, Woodwinds, Arranging, Music Prep
Author of Claris Home Page 3 for Windows & Macintosh, a Visual QuickStart Guide
Next Digest ->
Previous Digest <-
Index
Top