What reed strength should I use for bass clarinet?
What reed strength should I use for bass clarinet?
Reeds: The strength of your reed really depends on your mouthpiece. I use a Vandoren V12 bass clarinet reed, strength 2.5 (!) — seriously. A mouthpiece as big as the B50 requires a softer reed or it’s like playing on a piece of plywood.
How big is a bass clarinet reed?
3.94 x 0.93 x 2.75 inches
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| This item Rico Bass Clarinet Reeds, Strength 2.5, 10-pack | Royal Bass Clarinet Reeds, Strength 2.5, 10-pack | |
|---|---|---|
| Shipping | FREE Shipping. Details | FREE Shipping. Details |
| Sold By | Amazon.com | Amazon.com |
| Item Dimensions | 3.94 x 0.93 x 2.75 inches | 3.94 x 0.93 x 2.75 inches |
| Item Weight | 1.60 ounces | 0.80 ounces |
Are thicker reeds better?
A thicker reed is more difficult to play but thicker reeds do offer a much better tone production and thus improve the sound of an instrument. Beginners or young students almost always start on a 1 ½ or a 2 reed and progress through the thicknesses as they progress and become more advanced players.
Are tenor sax and bass clarinet reeds the same?
Do NOT use tenor sax reeds on Bass clarinet. The cut of the reed is completely different and prodouces a not pleasent sound. Please use bass clarinet reeds. They are just as cheap as tenor sax reeds so there should be no reason why you would have to use sax reeds.
How much does a bass clarinet reed cost?
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| This item Rico Bass Clarinet Reeds, Strength 3.0, 10-pack | Rico Tenor Sax Reeds, Strength 3.0, 10-pack | |
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| Customer Rating | 4.6 out of 5 stars (890) | 4.7 out of 5 stars (212) |
| Price | $2999 | $3499 |
| Shipping | FREE Shipping. Details | FREE Shipping. Details |
| Sold By | Amazon.com | Amazon.com |
What number reed should I use?
The normal range for reeds is 2 to 5: the lower the number, the thinner the reed, and the higher the number, the thicker the reed. The thickness of the reed will affect the tone and how easy or difficult the instrument is to play. In general, a thinner reed, say 2 or 2.5, will have a brighter tone.
How low can a bass clarinet go?
low C
Many professional or advanced bass clarinet models extend down to a low C (sounding B♭, identical to the bassoon’s lowest B♭), two octaves below written middle C.
What thickness of reed should I use?
The thickness of the reed will affect the tone and how easy or difficult the instrument is to play. In general, a thinner reed, say 2 or 2.5, will have a brighter tone. Thinner reeds vibrate more easily, so they are good for beginners.
What size reed should I use?
Thinner reeds (between 2 and 2.5) are good for beginners since it vibrates more easily and it has a brighter tone; preferred among Jazz players! On the other hand, thicker reeds with a size of 4 to 5 are harder and need more skill to sounds, but the tone is a lot bolder.
Can you use a tenor sax reed on bass clarinet?
Tenor sax reeds will work fine on bass clarinet, however they might be a bit more reedy sounding.
How can you tell if a reed is good?
Count how many seconds the reed sticks to the mouthpiece. The longer the better, which means that there is a very good seal. If it’s very short – only up to 2 seconds – there may be areas of the reed that need adjusting to make a better seal.
What strength reed should a beginner use?
For beginners it is generally recommended to start with a 2. If a beginner would start with a 1 or 1 1/2 reed, there may be some difficulty with playing very many notes because the reed is too weak to support the playing. Please keep in mind, the strengths could be different from brand to brand.