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2004-08-28

 
From: "Joseph Dorsch" 
Subject: [CB] Genesis Concert
Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2004 00:57:27 +0000


Hello All,
I am just curious as to if any of you recieved your Genesis Concert Cds yet.
Thank you,
Joe Dorsch
Hickory, NC


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From: sande hackel
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2004 21:12:06 EDT
Subject: Re: [CB] string bass solo tuning

can some one fill me in on the solo tuning for the string bass? Would most basses NOT be able to be tuned in the solo tuning? Would a bassist require a specialized instrument for solo tuning?
sande hackel

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From: Richard
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2004 21:27:08 EDT
Subject: Re: [CB] string bass solo tuning


In a message dated 8/27/04 9:13:23 PM Eastern Daylight Time, sande hackel writes:

<< can some one fill me in on the solo tuning for the string bass? Would most  basses NOT be able to be tuned in the solo tuning? Would a bassist require a specialized instrument for solo tuning? >>

Solo tuning for the string bass is one-step higher than normal.  This the strings are tuned A-E-B-F#.  These are a different set of strings than for normal playing, although they can be tuned down a step (I had to do that on a bass I owned in which the neck had broken several times, and my repairman thought that it would do better with less tension on the neck).  The solo part is written as bass music normally is, but will sound one-step higher.  Thus for a solo piece in E Major, the solo bass part will be written in the key of D Major (and sounding one step higher in E). 

Theoretically, any bass should be able to be tuned to solo tuning (with the appropriate strings).  But some bass players like to keep one instrument set up with solo strings (especially if they do a lot of solo pieces with this tuning), and another bass with standard orchestral tuning (It really is a major hassle to have to switch strings from one set to another).  Also, the instrument they use with solo tuning might often be a bit smaller than their orchestral bass, thus emphasizing the higher solo register than the lower orchestra register.  It's also easier to get further up the fingerboard on slightly smaller instruments.

If the transposition, think of the solo bass as a bass in D (not unlike a trumpet in D), the sounding note is one-step higher than written.

Richard
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From: Richard
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2004 23:10:46 EDT
Subject: [CB] Bari Sax intonation question


I have a bari sax intonation problem, and it's driving me crazy.  Perhaps somebody out there has some ideas on how I can solve it.

I'm primarily a bassoon/contrabassoonist, but was also a double (bassoon/saxophone) major in graduate school, so I'm not one of those doublers who is sort of vague on the doubles.  I have a Yamaha YBS-52 bari, which is about 25 years old.  I don't really play it that much, an occasional musical or big band gig, or a few weeks in the summer in a park band.  It's in good condition and seals well down to the Low A.  When I play it with the stock Yamaha, a Meyer #7, or an Otto Link #5M mouthpiece, the overall pitch of the horn is fine - few notes require much favoring to be in tune.  But when   try to play with my favorite mouthpiece, and old Selmer C* with the half-round chamber, the whole horn plays about 1/4 step sharp.  To bring the pitch down to acceptable levels, I have to pull the neck out of the body, and the mouthpiece on about 3/8-1/2" of cork.  I feel like the mouthpiece is ready to drop off.  Even then, I have to really relax all facets of the embochure to get the pitch down.  The Otto Link mouthpiece is really too bright for this horn, and while the Meyer has a more rounded sound, it's still a bit bright for my tastes.  The Selmer mouthpieces (I have 2 almost identical ones) give a nice dark sound, but the pitch thing negates that.  For what it's worth, I'm using LaVoz Medium reeds on the Link & Meyer mouthpieces, and Van Doren #  on the Selmers - anything softer and I feel like there is no resistance at all.

One of the orchestras in which I play bassoon/contra, is doing "An American in Paris" in early October, and I'm playing bari sax.  I think the tone quality of the Meyer would be too bright, but the pitch of the Selmers would be out of the questions.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated..

Richard Spittel
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Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2004 07:07:55 -0400
From: Paul Lindemeyer
Subject: Re: [CB] Bari Sax intonation question


Richard Spittel wrote:

>I have a bari sax intonation problem, and it's driving me crazy.  Perhaps
>somebody out there has some ideas on how I can solve it.
>[...]
>One of the orchestras in which I play bassoon/contra, is doing "An American
>in Paris" in early October, and I'm playing bari sax.  I think the tone quality
>of the Meyer would be too bright, but the pitch of the Selmers would be out
>of the questions.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated..

Orchestra + saxophone + too bright + too sharp = You've just got to try a Ron Caravan or Sigurd Rascher mouthpiece. They have the biggest chambers going and will play quite a bit flatter. Also - they're designed for a much darker, "blending" tone quality (the Caravan specifically for orchestral work).

Both these pieces come out of a contrarian school of classical saxophone teaching, so they're not stocked in most music stores, being marketed for the most part by word of mouth. Your quickest bet might be to try weinermusic.com or classicsax.com.

HTH -P.
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Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2004 14:27:22 -0700
From: Jaron Lanier
Subject: Re: [CB] [CB Digest]


test

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-> Jaron on the web:  www.jaronlanier.com


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