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2000-07-16

 
From: "Bill L"
Date: Sat, 15 Jul 2000 17:10:58 -0700
Subject: Re: [CB] high notes on the bari sax
 

----- Original Message -----
From: "lawrence johns

> good notes in the higher register. It did not come easy for me. There
> might be something added here that I will throw  out to you all and see
> if the cat licks it up, and that is-a player of a low sounding
> instrument should work on being good on the high register of the horn
> and a player of a higher instrument, take the flute for example, should
> work on being good on the low register. Gerry Mulligan played the bari
 

Hey Lawrence,

The secret for the high notes for me (thanks to Sigurd Rachert) is playing
low tones. Play long tones on the fundamental. Then overblow to the upper
partials and try and play the overblown tones in tune with the fingered
tones. After a while the high range and the high notes start popping out
real nice. I think this applies to almost any instrument, regardless of
whether high or low sounding, excepting maybe piccolo, which is an
instrument that just scares the heck out of me.

Bill Lieske

---------------------------------------------------------

Date: Sat, 15 Jul 2000 23:52:37 -0700
From: jim & joyce
Subject: Re: [CB] [Contra Digest]

Larry wrote:

>>I seemed to have started over the issue of the possibility of the weakness
the bari sax may have in the high register.

I have never played a bari sax, but I recently listened to
Hamiet Bluett in a club.  I don't know how high he was
playing, but I know that the pitch was approximately the top
notes on my soprano clarinet.  It is possible that the
overtone structure was different enough that I was 'hearing'
it as an octave higher that it was, meaning if I were
playing my clarinet along (and which I would have done,
except that I would have been clubbed to like a baby harp
seal) I would have realized that he was an octave lower.  My
ear is pretty good if it is a clarinet playing but less good
for other wind instruments.  I did ask him about it during a
break and he said you just have to explore every possible
combination of keys and over blowing technique, be able to
provide good breathing support, have good chops and also
that he gets better reeds in Europe than here because they
send their seconds to the states.  And, he said, sometimes
the reed lasts one session and doesn't work ever again, just
gets lifeless and limp.  Any of this ring any bells with you
deep sax types?

jim lande

---------------------------------------------------------

Date: Sat, 15 Jul 2000 21:12:59 -0700 (PDT)
From: JJ McLallen
Subject: Re: [CB] [Contra Digest]

> So, being
> the one that sparks a good discussion-do we agree or
> disagree that every
> musical instrument has its strengths and
> weaknesses,but it is our jobs
> to maximize the strengths and minimize the
> weaknesses and master the
> horns we play?
> Opening up the floor for discussion.
>                     Thank you
>                       Larriman
>
> -Lawrence "Larry" E. Johns-

I agree 100%. Another example -- I played the bass
clarinet for several years before realizing that the
entire upper register is not ugly, but rather unique.
Once I realized this, I practiced more in the upper
register, and started to get a pretty nice sound. I
later found that I needed that sound when I began
arranging the Mozart Bassoon Concerto (K. 191) for
bass clarinet. The piece works great on that
instrument, but only if you can play well in the upper
register AND be able to go back and forth over the
break. Yes, Larry, you hit the nail right on the head.
Kudos!!!

JJ  -- the young repair tech

PS -- I may have found a job! YAY!
 
 

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---------------------------------------------------------

From: CrazyBassoonist
Date: Sun, 16 Jul 2000 02:05:57 EDT
Subject: Re: [CB] [Contra Digest]

<<  I later found that I needed that sound when I began
 arranging the Mozart Bassoon Concerto (K. 191) for
 bass clarinet. The piece works great on that
 instrument, but only if you can play well in the upper
 register AND be able to go back and forth over the
 break.  >>

I hope you have a low D and C on your bass clarinet, the song's not the same
without the low concert C's and Bb's you need to play, that's why it's such a
good song for bassoon, it covers the first three octaves of the bassoon
perfectly.  Also if you hate when the piano (or chamber orchestra) plays the
last note and you don't, you could always just belt out a low Bb on the final
chord. :)
 

         ~Mark~
        Bassoon
      Baritone Sax
   (other instruments
that aren't quite so low)
---------------------------------------------------------

Date: Sun, 16 Jul 2000 09:40:28 -0800
From: Andrew Stiller
Subject: Re: [CB] [Contra Digest]

At 2:05 AM -0400 7/16/00, CrazyBassoonist wrote:
>that's why it's such a
>good song for bassoon

The Mozart bassoon cocerto is *not* a "song."  Grump, grump, grump :-<

--
Andrew Stiller
Kallisti Music Press

http://www.netcom.com/~kallisti

Ut Sol inter planetas, Ita MUSICA inter Artes liberales in medio radiat.
--Heinrich Schuetz, 1640
---------------------------------------------------------

From: CrazyBassoonist
Date: Sun, 16 Jul 2000 11:04:48 EDT
Subject: Re: [CB] [Contra Digest]

<< The Mozart bassoon cocerto is *not* a "song."  >>

I'm sorry... the Mozart Bassoon Concerto is a good *piece* for bassoon.

***End of Contrabass Digest***
 


 
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