20 ✨Easy✨ Bass Clarinet Multiphonics to play and compose with: you CAN play these!

[@joeg46Highlands]

Bored with the music I was getting in local community bands I recently joined a Wind Band. The first piece we were given - Malleus Maleficarum by Andrew David Perkins - starts with sustained second register quarter tones at absolute minimum volume. These come out (if you're lucky and you get any sound at all) as the intended note + a subtone from the vent+ breath sound + the bubbling of liquid in the mouthpiece with some other very faint harmonics. It continues with a pianissimo 2nd register/altissimo solo section. It's nice to be challenged!

[@hroche83]

Sounds like a really good challenge! (Btw if you're looking for more challenges to your clarinet playing that you're not getting where you are - I'm leading the clarinet platform on tonebase, which might be of interest to you - a mix of video courses with incredible clarinetists and community intensives/challenges/discussions!)

[@GregHarradineComposer]

Composer here - thank you Heather! I have yet to compose with multiphonics for bass clarinet, but you have given me the confidence to try!

[@hroche83]

That’s great to read, Greg :) Happy composing!

[@joeg46Highlands]

Read Harry Sparnaay's book. He suggests that a shredder is an essential piece of kit for a bass clarinetist - for all the unplayable scores. And then work WITH the performer who is to play your work.

[@FlorenceAnnaMaunders]

Yes! These are SUPER AWESOME! Thanks so much Heather 😍

[@hroche83]

You’re so welcome, Flori :))

[@joeg46Highlands]

Thank you so much for this! As with altissimo fingerings I am put off by all the charts, which I can never remember anyway. I prefer to explore and experiment systematically. I started with the venting keys and worked down from the high C trill down to the low G#, closing the tone holes below, going down through the chalumeau register fingerings to find out what works for me. Actually most of them work once you've set the right breathing and embouchure, but there are a lot of duplications.

[@joeg46Highlands]

My instrument is fitted with a Piezobarrel mic, using a pedal board and PA, which really brings out the multiphonics.

[@hroche83]

I love this - I also favour a much more exploratory approach in general - thinking about these particular multiphonics, just by changing a finger or two, or overblowing in different ways, there is a whole vocabulary of quite easy to play multiphonics at your fingertips (so to speak). (I also have a pedalboard here at home too and oh yeah it's really fun for multiphonics!!)

[@glum_hippo]

Legend, but also so down-to-earth

[@hb3393]

Great! Can you do a video on the 5 best organs I can sell so I can finally afford a bass clarinet?

[@hroche83]

Aha, yeah, I'm not really sure that's quite my area of expertise - but I can recommend the website Clarinets Direct for used instruments, he often has some really good deals...

[@hb3393]

@@hroche83 thanks I'll check it out. The dream scenario is two kidneys and a bass after all. However I would probably flog my liver for a bohlen-pierce cl

[@hroche83]

Oh I'd also definitely flog my liver for a Bohlen-Pierce...

[@kasparkuoppamaki9077]

What is the difference between no. #7 and #20?