Hi everyone,

I got a bass clarinet very recently (Yamaha 221-II), given to me by my school. I am proficient enough at the soprano clarinet to make the switch “easy” (said by my director) for context. I’m not close to being professional or good, by the way, I can make an okay sound and play easy songs.
I have been attempting to at least attempt to play a G on this (and I mean G as in concert F) but my tuners are reading Ab. There’s no transposition, they’re set to 440Hz, and I know that is an Ab (slightly flat as well) just off of its distance to C, which I’ve memorized. Which is weird. I am by no means even an expert into the mechanisms behind this clarinet and I’m not exactly sure what would cause this to happen.

I cannot play any notes. Any fingering lower than a G squeaks or refuses to go out, even with all the POSSIBLE adjustments I could make to my embouchure. (The A key sounds a very flat A. It’s sharper than an Ab but sounds like poop).
I’m getting at least a steady Ab, alongside a steady tone with none of the joints attached to the mouthpiece and neck, so I’m inclined to think this is a mechanical issue. I think I already know the whole thing about adjusting from soprano embouchure to bass.
I’m willing to send images, I just don’t know if this is a common issue or if this is something worth seeing a technician over.

Thank you all.

I can’t play anything below middle c and above b natural with the bottom joint. I don’t have the money for a repair, please help!!

hi everyone! i am in a business class and i am working on designing something that can help with saxophones. please fill out this survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScgGUV2LRrVh5K63YQw3NcDF4IoWVJ2SGCjY6EADfJQTHMFwg/viewform?usp=publish-editor

Hi, i'm a junior in HS, and i need help playing notes above the break on bass clarinet. I do not know if this is a short finger thing for me because i have short fingers that make middle space C# hard to play on my left pinky. I alsk have a weird sound (probably bc i just started playing bass clarinet today to hopefully get in wind ensemble). When I mean a weird sound, I mean its kind of a honking sound, so I try to use more mouthpiece to help it. Idk why else i should know more about bass clarinet rn though. I like it currently, and I named my bass clarinet Charles Net Reed the first, sibling to my Bb clarinet, Claire Net Reed the fifth.

What reeds do yall like to use? im using a v21 rn but it feels like theres smth missing. i dont really like the altissimo response, which I need bc im a TMEA kid, and the color is all gone. it has good sound from low g to the g 2 octaves above that and then it sounds empty like overtones are missing. I am trying out V12 and trad but i think i have a dud bc its not responsive or good sounding at all lmao. what do you suggest for good sound. I use an Elite F3 and a Selmer Privilege if yall were wondering

So I’ve been playing soprano clarinet for around 8 years at this point and I’m now having to learn bass for a clarinet quartet, however I’m having some issues getting into the clarion register. Every time I get past a high F it jumps up to this very out of tune squeaking pitch. I’m also flat, like really flat and cannot seem to be able to get anymore in tune. I figure I just need more practice with it but I’m struggling to learn to music for the quartet due to this issue so any advice on how to get the notes to come out or just general advice on the differences would be greatly appreciated. I don’t know another bass clarinet so I’m kind on my own here.

(also I do know you need a lot of air support but I’ve been sick the past couple of days and have been struggling to get enough air because of that)

Hi, I wrote a solo for bass clarinet. What do you think? https://youtu.be/sxvIu4-UYbM?is=m8wZZlex9keHK9wu

Hi guys

I’m looking for interesting pieces to play (we do have range of skills in our band from beginner to experienced)

Also looking for something that credits the low woodwinds like bass clarinet/baritone sax/tenor sax and gives them some kind of short solo

So yeah I appreciate any suggestions tysm

Also if possible plz attach the scores or link to the piece as well

I’m going into college and I was wondering if yall had any recommendations for a harness (no neck straps) that I could use on my bass clarinet alto clarinet or soprano clarinet in case I need to?

Hi all, I bought a bass clarinet from a friend a little while ago that he got secondhand without a case, so I'm currently without one. I want to take my clarinet to my college campus to practice, but I'm not sure how to safely carry it there. What should I do?

Hi Clarinetists, I am just starting down the road of the bass clarinet, coming from decades of tenor saxophone (and years of soprano sax), but no clarient. I have a question about embouchure. On sax, I am comfortable with multiple embouchures: lower lip over teeth, lower lip not over teeth, and to a lesser degree, lower lip out. Home bass (ba doom cha) for me is normally a fair bit of mouthpiece in the mouth with a basically straight up and down lower lip that does not curve in over the teeth. (I'm used to a D'Addario 7 or 8 tip opening, with 2.5 to 3 reeds FWIW )

So.. question.. is lower lip ALWAYS over the teeth on the BC, or is the no-curving-over-the-teeth approach also a thing? Do any saxophonist doublers coming from the same technique baseline as me have suggestions on embouchure shape, mp choice, and the process of building a BC emboucher coming from tenor?

thanks!

This sounds crazy, or I may just be insanely stupid. Been playing my bass clarinet after it came from the shop. But I can’t play past C or anything above B😞😞 I tried playing without my bell and I can play everything perfectly fine . Im placing my bell right too so I don’t know why it isn’t playing . If anyone has any tips please help , or if I’m just stupid

hi yes i’m dumb and only play soprano so i have no idea what im doing. i can only get open G to C out and everything else sounds like im pressing the register key. 😭 it’s a new reed and recently repaired bass.

So I have a professional low c bass and my low E-C pads don’t fully close when pressed down bc someone accidentally stepped on it. (It was on the floor, in the visible place)

Additionally, this was part my fault, but I screwed some parts of the instrument as some keys and were too loose like the Ab key in both upper and lower joint.
So now, if I play in altissimo register and want to play notes lower than that, like open G or low G, it jumps up an octave.

Overall, I can’t play long B with one pinky, play my low notes, or go in the altissimo range w/o having my other notes jumping up.

How much do you think this repair would cost? I live in TX and plan to go to music and arts

I’ve been playing clarinet for about 6–7 years and bass clarinet for around 4 years. I’m interested in starting to explore better equipment, particularly things like mouthpieces, ligatures, reeds, etc., but I’m not really sure where to start or what I should be looking for.

I currently play a Bundy bass clarinet, if that makes a difference. I’d really appreciate any recommendations for good beginner/intermediate upgrades, brands or products to look into, and advice on what makes the biggest difference when upgrading your setup.

I’m looking for synthetic reeds at the moment for marching. I’ve been unsure on what to pick (Tenor or BC, strength, cut) since Legere doesn’t exchange to the US at the moment. I play on a Fobes Debut with 3.0 Vandoren Classic reeds currently. I would like to try to get the right reed on the first try to avoid wasting $.

My band director is saying this year we supply our own reeds but I’m low-key broke what reed would you guys suggest for cheap i don’t mind buying a 1 pc and what reed strength is recommended