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Bass Clarinet Technique


 * Posture
 * Proper posture is essential to avoid tension and exhaustion in the right hand and jaw, and proper posture can lead to have a good breath support while playing. Therefore, many bass clarinetists prefer to use a floor peg or strap because it helps to make the bass clarinet parallel to the body and control the angle of the neck.
 * When standing, professional bass clarinetists use a longer peg or strap that goes over the shoulder to avoid physical exhaustion from holding a bass clarinet.
 * Embouchure
 * Embouchure is important to practice because a poor embouchure is crucial for playing the bass clarinet effectively. The embouchure involves wrapping the mouth around the mouthpiece, flattening the chin, and rolling the lower lip to create a cushion for the reed to vibrate and create a sound. When rolling the lower lip, the lower lip should be visible from the outside of the mouth.
 * Taking in more mouthpieces will improve tone quality, but the bass clarinet players can squeak if they take it too far. Professional bass clarinetists recommend placing the lower lip at the point where the reed and mouthpiece meet to avoid squeaking.
 * Professional bass clarinetists prefer straighter necks to upturned necks and approximately 45 degrees for the angle of the mouthpiece. It is comfortable to play an instrument at this angle because there is a low amount of reed pressure from the lower lip and it causes less exhaustion on the mouth.
 * Tongue and Articulation
 * The amount of space in the oral cavity for playing the bass clarinet is significant to the bass clarinet player’s tone quality. The tongue position should be raised enough as if saying “hee”, and the tongue should be forward and close to the tip of the reed.
 * Articulation on the bass clarinet should be as gently and lightly touched as possible, with only the front part of the tongue moving. If the bass clarinetist has a heavy articulation or there is visible movement in the neck, it indicates the bass clarinet player moves the tongue too much.
 * Fingering & High Notes
 * The way of holding a bass clarinet is not highly different from that of a clarinet, but fingerings differ from clarinet to bass clarinet. The bass clarinetists prefer using the half hole to play high C# and above notes. High C and D work with or without the half hole, but every bass clarinet player needs to use half hole to play any note above high D.