Do you think the bass clarinet should be recognized as its own instrument?

Question

I used to play Bb clarinet, and switched my 8th grade year. I loved the deep, cello-esque sound, and after discovering the rock ensemble Edmund Welles was totally in awe. I practiced a couple hours a day, and ended up making the top All-State band in Texas. After that, I got a lot of music scholarship offers from schools around the country, but after doing research, the majority of them want me to play Bb as well (I don't care what you guys say, it's really, really different - also I don't like the sound).

I think the bass clarinet is a beuatiful soloistic instrument and should be recognized as such. What about you guys?

Answer 1

I'm in complete agreement. A full range of instrumentation is necessary for  a full appreciation of orchestral sound. It's a shame that composers don't appreciate the uniqueness of certain instruments, instead favoring those more commonly written for.

It's one part tradition (bass and baritone instruments rarely do much more than support a higher line of melody), and one part unwillingness to see beyond tradition (change is scary and unfamiliar, so people shrink away from it).

I always think about 17th-Century Chinese painters when issues like this arise...a whole cadre of them promoted the idea of being original, and declared that in order to be original, one must do what is unexpected, strange, bizarre, fresh, untrammeled (my favorite word for a while).

Maybe look into which composers have written for bass clarinet and look around for professors who are at least familiar with their work. If you're really an impressive player (and getting scholarships awarded to you, it sounds like you must be), I'd imagine that some conductors would be happy to add to their repertoire in order to have you in their salle.

Answer 2

The reason for this is probably because there aren't that many "soloistic" pieces out there.  With a BASS clarinet, you're most likely goning to play a BASS part.  One more thing, call it a soprano clarinet instead of Bb because both of them are in Bb and it doesn't make sense comparing a key and a voice. Either key and key or voice and voice.

Answer 3

Hello there.

So Elle,   if your suggestion is to have the bass clarinet recognized as its own instrument....  

What would you advise the instrument to be named since then it would not be a member of the clarinet family and its own instrument?

Answer 4

The bass clarinet is recognized as a principal instrument.  In the orchestra and professional wind ensemble, the bass clarinet is usually a principal seat and not a double.

It sounds like what you're asking is why bass clarinet isn't allowed to be the principal instrument of study in most programs.

There are some programs out there where you can major as a bass clarinetist.  Generally though, the major instrument is "clarinet".  It doesn't specify soprano, alto, bass, basset horn, or contra; just "clarinet".  In college it's likely to not be limited to Bb - the A is going to be required too.  Part of the problem is that there just aren't enough bass clarinet majors out there to justify hiring a separate bass clarinet teacher and soprano teachers want to teach soprano.

We see the same in other families of instrument as well.  We have "flute" majors but not "bass flute" as a major or "piccolo".  In the sax studio, the majors are expected to play the whole family.  Even in the brasses, you don't find a major for "bass trumpet" or "flugelhorn" but the trumpet majors are often expected to learn those too.

In most studios, the teacher will find the voice in the family that you excel at and you will concentrate there.  Unfortunately, in some studios the teacher thinks that the soprano is the only "real" clarinet.  You might want to avoid those.

Another option is to become a sax major concentrating on Bari Sax (assuming you play bari) which very often is the double of bass clarinet players that do pit orchestra gigs.  You'd likely need to learn bassoon going this route too.  In some programs there is a major called "woodwind specialist".  This is for those who double in the whole section.

If you want to find gigs - you will have to add something besides bass clarinet to your offerings.  Bass clarinet seats can be really hard to get.  A good contra player is hard to find though.  Someone that can double bass clarinet, bari sax, and bassoon is scarce.

Answer 5

Sure, it's a great instrument.  But orchestras have limited numbers, and not every musical piece needs a bass clarinet.  If you want to be a regular member of a musical group, you need to have some flexibility about meeting their needs.

Answer 6

Definitely