a contrabass clarinet that looks like a tenor sax at first glance?

[Rooster_Ties]

I've always been a bit of a fan of the Bb contrabass clarinet, which I'm mostly heard in non-jazz contexts, actually (mostly classical). Eb "Contra-alto" clarinet is cool too (which is roughly half-way in pitch between the bass clarinet and the contrabass), but especially the contrabass.

[And yes, the standard bass clarinet too, but -- in some ways even more than the bass clarinet -- the regular ALTO clarinet is another under-utilized instrument, IMHO. I really wish Don Byron played alto clarinet, for instance, as his main axe.) In ANY case...

Late tonight, I semi-randomly stumble on this Youtube clip below, which purports to be "two bass clarinets, one contrabass clarinet".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFpY9X6SU4E#

...except at first glance, the contrabass clarinet in the clip really looks to me quite a bit like a tenor sax -- or maybe like the way a bari-sax is wrapped up (i.e. the proportions of a bari-sax), but only the SIZE of a tenor.

Now then, looking more closely, I guess I'm about half sure it really is a contrabass clarinet -- what with the flare of the bell, and the degree to which the main wind tube of the instrument increases in size over the length of the instrument. I mean, if it really were a tenor sax, it would gradually get fatter, faster -- not unlike the difference between a soprano sax and a standard Bb clarinet. (I'm not saying that very clearly, but you probably know what I mean.)

Has anybody seen a contrabass clarinet (or any kind of "low" clarinet), that looks like the instrument in this Youtube clip?? – the one that looks almost like a tenor sax??

Edited August 24, 2007 by Rooster_Ties

[Rooster_Ties]

And yes, in addition to my specific query above, let's just turn this thread into a big ol' conversation about anything clarinet related. Not so much players, but I'm thinking more that nerdy "instrument-geek" type conversation that one occasionally can get into in certain circles. Other questions that come to mind...

1) Have there ever been any "straight alto clarinet" instruments over the years?? (Not unlike a straight alto sax.) A regular alto-clarinet is rare enough as it is, so I'm guessing probably not.

2) Is a "basset-horn" really a clarinet, just pitched a tiny bit differently than an alto clarinet?? Or just "damn similar, but not quite the same" as a clarinet would be, pitched in that same key?? Also, is there even such a thing as a "modern" basset horn?? - or are all of them archaic throwbacks to a different era, a couple of centuries ago??

3) Are all-metal standard Bb clarinets ONLY good for making into cool lamps??

I heard from somebody once probably 10 years ago, that you can still find relatively new (new-ish, less than 25 years old anyway) all-metal clarinets in Turkey, of all places. Supposedly there's been some kind of small demand for them in Turkey, off and on, for years. I don't know if Turkey was where they were being manufactured, but that's where he said that anybody who he knew had any kind of decent instrument had gotten theirs (again, talking all-metal standard Bb clarinets here -- NOT of the contrabass variety).

And speaking of "all-metal" -- since there definitely ARE "all-metal" standard and contrabass clarinets (both) -- 4) have there ever been any all-metal BASS clarinets manufactured??

( I wasn't kidding when I said nerdy "instrument-geek" type discussion. )

Edited August 24, 2007 by Rooster_Ties

[clifford_thornton]

I'm not sure if this is contrabass or sub-contrabass, but I tend to believe the headlines...

[Rooster_Ties]

Holy crap, here's a QUARTER TONE clarinet!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarter_tone_clarinet

[Alexander Hawkins]

The low clarinet in that looks much more like a bari than a tenor (because of that extra 'plumbing' in the neck)...as to which clarinet it actually is - I dunno, and no real reason to doubt that it is a variant of the contrabass, save that when I saw Braxton play contrabass 6 weeks ago, it was wound very differently...Mind you, maybe this is a manufacturers' thing, e.g. Selmer v Conn?

Edited August 24, 2007 by Red

[mikeweil]

Rooster, your new avatar always makes me want to swat that bug on my desktop!

Edited August 24, 2007 by mikeweil

[Bright Moments]

Rooster, your new avatar always makes me want to swat that bug on my desktop!

me too - it's really annoying!

like this one was:

[JohnS]

I seem to recall a picture of Braxton with one of the lowest clarinets. He needed a step ladder to get to the mouthpiece.

[AndrewHill]

I seem to recall a picture of Braxton with one of the lowest clarinets. He needed a step ladder to get to the mouthpiece.

I think that's the inside pic inside the Dortmund 1976 CD on Hat Art.

[WD45]

3) Are all-metal standard Bb clarinets ONLY good for making into cool lamps??

I heard from somebody once probably 10 years ago, that you can still find relatively new (new-ish, less than 25 years old anyway) all-metal clarinets in Turkey, of all places. Supposedly there's been some kind of small demand for them in Turkey, off and on, for years. I don't know if Turkey was where they were being manufactured, but that's where he said that anybody who he knew had any kind of decent instrument had gotten theirs (again, talking all-metal standard Bb clarinets here -- NOT of the contrabass variety).

I talked to Peter Brotzmann about the silver Bb clarinet that he uses. He found that sucker in a pawn shop in Buffalo, and had it rejuvenated by a technician. He seems to prefer it. This coming from someone who plays that tarogato!

[Rooster_Ties]

Rooster, your new avatar always makes me want to swat that bug on my desktop!

me too - it's really annoying!

Just like its owner...

[AndrewHill]

I've always been a bit of a fan of the Bb contrabass clarinet, which I'm mostly heard in non-jazz contexts, actually (mostly classical). Eb "Contra-alto" clarinet is cool too (which is roughly half-way in pitch between the bass clarinet and the contrabass), but especially the contrabass.

[And yes, the standard bass clarinet too, but -- in some ways even more than the bass clarinet -- the regular ALTO clarinet is another under-utilized instrument, IMHO. I really wish Don Byron played alto clarinet, for instance, as his main axe.) In ANY case...

Late tonight, I semi-randomly stumble on this Youtube clip below, which purports to be "two bass clarinets, one contrabass clarinet".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFpY9X6SU4E#

...except at first glance, the contrabass clarinet in the clip really looks to me quite a bit like a tenor sax -- or maybe like the way a bari-sax is wrapped up (i.e. the proportions of a bari-sax), but only the SIZE of a tenor.

Now then, looking more closely, I guess I'm about half sure it really is a contrabass clarinet -- what with the flare of the bell, and the degree to which the main wind tube of the instrument increases in size over the length of the instrument. I mean, if it really were a tenor sax, it would gradually get fatter, faster -- not unlike the difference between a soprano sax and a standard Bb clarinet. (I'm not saying that very clearly, but you probably know what I mean.)

Has anybody seen a contrabass clarinet (or any kind of "low" clarinet), that looks like the instrument in this Youtube clip?? – the one that looks almost like a tenor sax??

The third person to the right is playing a contrabass clarinet. I know this because I used to play one in my middle and high school concert bands-I was one of the few people in Florida who played one at the time because when we would compete statewide, no one else had one in their bands. It is a very unwieldy instrument, especially for a teenager. Its interesting because I started out on a B Flat, switched to alto, then bass and my band director suggested I switch to contrabass (and I actually wanted to play tenor sax! But my parents reasoned that a clarinet was cheaper to purchase!) He said the music for it was same as that for a tuba. In fact, I used to play the same music that a tubist would. At the time, I had to sit on six stacked chairs to play it and the case it comes in was about four feet long. I won second place solo on the contrabass clarinet in a state wide competition back in the early 80's-and the horn was damaged to boot. I think the judges just simply couldn't believe their ears and that a contrabass clarinet was capable of being played like that.

Hope that helps.

[B. Clugston]

I seem to recall a picture of Braxton with one of the lowest clarinets. He needed a step ladder to get to the mouthpiece.

I think that's the inside pic inside the Dortmund 1976 CD on Hat Art.

That's a contrabass sax. Braxton's contrabass clarinet is shaped llike a paper clip and can be easily held.

[AndrewHill]

I seem to recall a picture of Braxton with one of the lowest clarinets. He needed a step ladder to get to the mouthpiece.

I think that's the inside pic inside the Dortmund 1976 CD on Hat Art.

That's a contrabass sax. Braxton's contrabass clarinet is shaped llike a paper clip and can be easily held.

Yup, duh. I should've looked at the pic before I said that. Its clearly a saxophone