Bass Clarinet (Yamaha YCL-221) Demo & Review

Today we dive into the tumultuous world of "affordable" bass clarinets with this Yamaha student model! Overall I really love this instrument. I've spent 4 years with it and it totally fills my needs as a musician at a fraction of the price of the wooden counterparts. I'd definitely consider this as a solid option if you're shopping around.
Chapters
0:00 Eb Major Scale
0:37 Low Register
1:00 Mid/Upper Register
1:53 Improv
3:24 Review
More from my Demo & Review series:
• Bass Clarinet (Yamaha ...
Here is my album "Breath of the Clarinet Quartet" where this instrument is heavily featured:
💿 iTunes: / breath-of-the-clarinet...
📻 Spotify: open.spotify.com/album/7tEFDN...
📦 Amazon :www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08...
~~ InstrumentManiac (Luke Pickman) ~~
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#BassClarinet #Yamaha #YCL221

[@codexfordianus]

The music of the bass clarinet, like Luke’s arms, can easily carry you off to much happier, dreamier places.

[@InstrumentManiac]

😆😆 I can't

[@emjay2045]

😳

[@joeg46Highlands]

Wanting to replace my aged Vito I tried this instrument out in an air conditioned showroom. I took a friend along and, using our own mouthpieces, played continuously for about an hour. At the end of this, even with pulling both the neck and mouthpiece, the instrument had gone very sharp, beyond correction. I can't believe this instrument is pitched at A-440. This might not worry somebody who doubles on it and plays it on a couple of items in a programme, but it is my principal instrument and I regularly play 90 minute rehearsals and take long solos. I bought a cheap Chinese ABS low C model which sounds good, is in tune and plays well. It does require regular attention but I have a good technician and I'm reasonably competent myself.

[@ariannagorbet6674]

Even though my favorite instrument is the clarinet (other than the bassoon) but I’m speechless. The bass clarinet is awesome.

[@InstrumentManiac]

It's a great instrument!

[@krane15]

The bassoon is great, I love that whimsical double reed sound. Nevertheless, the clarinets are arguably the most versatile and challenging instruments in the orchestra, and the bass clarinet the most versatile of all the clarinets. No other instrument can do so much across so many levels. Well, maybe the piano. But you can't carry that one around with you. Full disclosure: I'm biased.

[@NOLJAK]

Nice bass clarinet looks beautiful I love it and also I love Yamaha bass clarinets I think they look nice I own a bass clarinet all though it’s not a Yamaha it is a selmer Bundy same with my bassoon plus all my other instruments are Yamaha except my flute and clarinet and percussion kit! looking forward to this series of instruments reviews that your making g instrument manic keep it up.

[@InstrumentManiac]

Thanks NOLJAK! Yamaha definitely seems to be really consistent with their instrument quality

[@jeffreycumber4432]

Oh yes, I remember all the fear I had not to buy a Low C-clarinet and the hours I spent worrying about those missing three semitones. There are creative ways to avoid playing them: You can go an octave or a fifth higher. You might even leave them out. Unless you are a professional classical musician playing specific pieces, it mostly does not matter so much. And after all: What if you are supposed to go for a low Bb? All instruments have their ranges. The clarinet's is considerably high. Yes, I also fancy for a contra bass clarinet, but I only have two hands 😉

[@InstrumentManiac]

Totally my feelings as well!!!! Also if you plan to expand to a Contra Alto in the future the whole added price for a few extra notes becomes a little pointless 😂

[@canadagoose188]

Try to octocontrabass clarinet

[@idraote]

I like the instrument and I've found your "improvisation" very nice to listen to. I don't know the bass clarinet all that well (at all). I couldn't help but notice that there is a strong unevenness between the lower octave, which sounds nasal and reedy, and the others, which are much smoother, to the point that the highest notes seem to belong to a flute. Needless to say, I like the lower notes best. I also have no qualm about resin. I'm fairly confindent you can get your diploma with a resin instrument and professors might not even notice. Thank you for the review. And no, I won't say anything at all about your arms. The others have done it already. 😇

[@InstrumentManiac]

Thanks Idraote - your observations are spot on about the octaves! I think this is part of what makes clarinet and bassoon such popular instruments because it's like a 3-for-1 deal 😂

[@leonply]

Very nice! Maybe you can try a Ridenour Lyrique 925 to Low C Bass and give us your impression of it? It's not much more than the Yamaha and if it's anything like the Libertas B-flat or Lyrique 570 C clarinets, it should sound amazing. As always, your technique and musicality are through the roof!

[@InstrumentManiac]

Oooh thanks for the heads up, I'll definitely give it a try if I get my hands on one. Haha thank you! I know these aren't the most *interesting* videos to watch but I do think they could be really helpful for people shopping for instruments

[@Jared_De_Leon]

The gripes are definitely not ridiculous! For me at least when trying to tune to A=440 the neck has to be pulled out so far that it leaks at the slit in the receiver. It's not just tuned to A=442, mine was close to A=448 with the neck in all the way! I had to unglue the neck socket and install a plastic spacer so that the socket sat out farther to bring the instrument down to pitch. This is less of a problem with doublers as their embochure tends to be looser, but players coming from Bb will have more of a problem.

[@InstrumentManiac]

Holy cow sorry you had to go through all of that!

[@marcusdickerson3016]

You should review the new Dickerson Resonator ligature for Bass clarinet on ebay and Reverb-it is unique

[@tylerpeacock-vr6re]

Hey Luke, I am a big fan of your channel and have been watching by for years. I currently play this same bass clarinet in my middle school band and was wondering what the name of the song in the lower register was called.

[@BorschtBeltMama]

It is from David Hite's Melodious and Progressive Studies Book 1, Etude 4. Here is Clarinet Ninja giving a tutorial for it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f57dn5hpZdeej5ofeature=shared

[@king_ej483]

Hi so I’m hoping to get a bass clarinet and I’m in high school , it’s finna be a student model.Is that gonna play a factor in its playing or should I pay an arm and a leg for a nice one?😅

[@InstrumentManiac]

Student models work great! Just take it into the repair shop to make sure it's sealed properly and you should be good to go

[@elliotsoto6792]

What's the song called for the middle register 👁👄👁

[@InstrumentManiac]

👁👄👁 👁👄👁 👁👄👁 👁👄👁 👁👄👁 kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4OUaZqXf65nodE

[@___DeVille___]

What do you do with an instrument you don’t need/use anymore?

[@InstrumentManiac]

I sell 'em!

[@robbicu]

I would love to play pit with you as a colleague some day. Can you imagine how much fun we'd have playing Reed I and Reed II for Annie? ;)

[@InstrumentManiac]

Maybe some day if theaters ever open again 😭😭😭

[@matthew0757]

What do you think about the kessler or the selmer 1430lp?

[@InstrumentManiac]

I've heard good things! I haven't tried them personally but will make a vid if I ever do ^_^

[@sylvie_on]

This video is three years old, but I want to mention that my school uses these for marching band & they are NOT built for anything other than indoor use. It’s extremely sensitive to temperature and we’ve had problems with bells falling off, the springs/screws getting way too tight or loose within a few days, and one even snapped in half after just being carried on a neck strap! Please be gentle with them if you want the quality to stay 😬

[@davidantoniocamposbarros7528]

Well,this is a good melody

[@InstrumentManiac]

Thanks David!

[@davidantoniocamposbarros7528]

@@InstrumentManiac welcome 😀

[@davidantoniocamposbarros7528]

@@InstrumentManiac but may i ask what thomas themes will you make after you done your version on the skarloey railway theme?

[@davidantoniocamposbarros7528]

Oop,what's this?

[@krane15]

Very good. Just don't cut off the clarinet next time. We need to see how its being played. Anyway, student stand for more than just quality, it also stand for resilience where the student hasn't yet developed the appreciation for caring for a finely crafted (and expensive) musical instrument. After all, you would want to give your kid the Ferrari to get their driver license.

[@tiptap5223]

Those arms tho.

[@InstrumentManiac]

😂thank you

[@___DeVille___]

I can’t focus because of those arms🥵😳

[@InstrumentManiac]

😆😆😆

[@idraote]

I hear you. Concentrate on the color of the shirts. It helps, I promise.

[@finger1651]

Not a fan of the Yamaha Basses, they are very finicky. Honestly a Vito plays better in my opinion, or even a bundy.

[@sativumcoalho3920]

Music can be so expensive 🙄

[@InstrumentManiac]

For real 😭😭😭

[@idraote]

I'd say the most expensive thing is education. Even just an hour a week with a good teacher could be expensive if you don't have a fixed income. But practice is free 😄