From: "Sung Hwang Wang"
Subject: [CB] Contra
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 16:43:46 -0800
Thank you Ken on your useful advice on preventing slipping peg,
and thank you John and Grant for sharing your experience on contra
seating. Normally I would prefer sitting among the clarinets for
that homogenous sound and familiar feel, but as I also happen to sit by
the exit door where people are always coming and going, and as far as I
can sense, not everyone is particularly wary about my monster
horns. And I can’t always be there guarding them either, so this
necessitates that I consider a different seating location. There
is a lot less traffic and activities around area where the low brass
sit. I also prefer a wider space to maneuver the horns, which is
possible here.
Well, I will discuss this with the conductor for the optimum
solution.
Does anyone carry a set of small hand tools with their
instruments? I find that a set of precision screwdrivers and
pliers really handy when there is a need for quick
fixes/adjustments. I find that from time to time this is
necessary just to bring the horns back in shape. It definitely
saves me many last minute panics.
I want to thank everyone for making me feel welcome and I
appreciate all your comments and suggestions.
Where can I find/purchase music written for contra clarinets,
solo or with piano? I would like to develop a repertoire for a
possible future recital. Failing the availability of original
pieces, I suppose music for bass clarinet, string bass, cello,
contrabassoon are fair game?
Regards,
Willy
---------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 17:04:31 -0800 (PST)
From: john webster
Subject: Re: [CB] Contra
I carry small screwdrivers, and small leatherman combo tool,
rubber bands, a glue stick, some pad cleaning papers and powder, 4inone
oil, sandpaper, reed rush and my music glasses in a small bag. Most of
the stuff gets used in the course of a year, usually on my friends
sax's. John
---------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 17:30:34 -0800 (PST)
From: Dean McMakin
Subject: Re: [CB] [CB Digest]
I'm playing contra clarinet and contrabassoon, so I sit between
the bass clarinets and bassoons. That part is a no-brainer. On one side
is the saxes and the other side the clarinets. I agree that you should
try to maintain the clarinet choir sound, and if you sit next to the
tubas or the percussion, you'll never hear yourself. Contra clarinet
and contrabassoon blend very well with the bari sax when playing in
octaves, so I recommend sitting near the bari.
Dean
List Server wrote:
From: "Sung Hwang Wang"
Subject: [CB] Contrabass Clarinet
Seating
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 10:12:17 -0800
Hello everyone,
Just wondering if I could get some
feedback from the more experienced.
Where do contrabass clarinetists
normally sit in the band?
---------------------------------------------------------
From: Paul Berry
Subject: [CB] Woodwind bass clarinet
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 17:52:48 -0800
Woodwind & Brasswind lists a "low C plastic body" bass
clarinet "with all professional features" and no further description.
Anyone have knowledge or experience of the manufacturer or the
instrument?
---------------------------------------------------------
From: Ken Shaw
Date: Wed, 22 Dec 2004 21:19:43 EST
Subject: Re: [CB] Contrabass Clarinet Seating
Obviously that the contrabass clarinet should be in the FRONT
row in the MIDDLE. It's the foundation of the band and deserves
to be seen and heard at its best. Remember the great march Solid
Men to the Front, which gives the low instruments the recognition they
deserve.
Ken Shaw
---------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 22
Dec 2004 19:54:04 -0800 (PST)
From: Heather
McCamey
Subject: Re:
[CB] Contrabass Clarinet Seating
Since I
currently play in two groups, I have two answers:
#1. I'm
on the third row at the conductor's right. Rows 1 and 2 are the
clarinets (little ones). Bass clarinet is on the end of row 3,
and I'm beside her, with the euphs next to me, then the trombones
leading toward the middle of the band. The tubas sit behind the
bones, on their own row. We have a part-time bassoon, and when
she's there, she's somewhat one row in front of and caddy corner from
me. Nobody is behind me (which is nice, because I can keep my
case, horn stand, and all the accouterments right with me). This
seating works well, because the clarinet family is together, the tubas
are close enough that I can hear them and we can match well (but their
sound doesn't bury mine). And, when I don't have a part or get
bored, I read off the euph part, which sometimes has some cool stuff.
#2 I sit
in the middle of the second row, smack in front of the conductor.
Clarinets/flutes split the first row. The bass clarinet is to my
right, the bassoons to my left. Depending how many musicians show
up (and on the whim of the conductor, who keeps rearranging the setup),
either the french horns or the saxes are directly behind me.
Tubas are in the back, and bit further off than I care for, but in this
particular group I more often have contrabassoon part than doubling
tuba. This is also a similar arrangement to where I sat in the
college band.
> Just
wondering if I could get some feedback from the more experienced.
> Where do
contrabass clarinetists normally sit in the band?
---------------------------------------------------------
From: "John
Kilpatrick"
Subject: Re:
[CB] [CB Digest]
Date: Thu, 23
Dec 2004 11:54:34 -0000
> From:
"Sung Hwang Wang"
> Just wondering if I could get some feedback from the more
experienced.
> Where do
contrabass clarinetists normally sit in the band?
I am also
wondering what parts the contra usually plays. I've joined a "concert
band" recently, and so-far I've only come across one genuine contrabass
part. I sit next to the clarinets, and usually play from the bass
clarinet part (it happens that there is no bass clarinet player in this
band at present). I make my own judgements and discoveries about
whether and where the part is doubling the bass line and can be played
as written (i.e. an octave down from bass clarinet) or is a middle part
and ought to be played an octave up (i.e. bass clarinet pitch).
Sometimes I take home some other parts (e.g. bass trombone, string
bass) and concoct my own. In some pieces there is no bass clarinet
part, and I'm given a 3rd or 4th clarinet part - so I double on
Bb soprano for those pieces. So "adjacent to 3rd clarinets" is the
right answer for that band.
>Sung Hwang
Wang says:
> The
contra alto has a peg that sometimes slips. When I used to play it
>without a
neck strap, when the peg slipped without a warning, the bell ended up
>crashing
onto the floor, which can't be good. <
I know someone
who has made a rubber foot for the peg out of a sawn-off rubber dog
bone.
John Kilpatrick
---------------------------------------------------------
From: "arthur
grossman"
Subject: Re:
[CB] [CB Digest]
Date: Thu, 23
Dec 2004 05:02:00 -0800
That is too
bad. I will be sure that they make a recording and send you a
copy. Arthur
***End of Contrabass Digest***