How to play Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" opening clarinet solo

[@mrbigg151]

He got every BIT of that glissando at the beginning

[@tylermoore8218]

He milked it to the fullest!

[@memphisreece7887]

i know Im asking the wrong place but does any of you know a tool to get back into an instagram account? I somehow lost my login password. I would love any tips you can give me

[@robkunkel8833]

Clarinets are certainly lively instruments, aren’t they? I love my new Buffet E12F Bb. The whole mid-section comes alive when it’s a well padded high quality instrument. Thanks for a great video with good close up photography.

[@darrenlin7943]

@@robkunkel8833 I also own a Buffet E12F Bb. Magnificent instrument.

[@CrowJoestar]

As a beginning clarinet player, I long to have such a nice sound like he does.

[@omdahlre]

Rhapsody in Blue - arguably the sexiest piece ever written for clarinet 😍

[@teddydunn3513]

Omh Rhapsody in Blue isn't written for clarinet. It's written for orchestra with a piano. There are a couple things that make me not particularly fond of this video. First, voicing is 100, 000 times more important than finger technique. And second, the main reason it's more difficult to smear on bass clarinet is not the lack of open tone holes, but rather it's the length of the instrument. For any given fingering on the clarinet, the same fingering on the bass clarinet will take up twice the length. *And why does this matter?* Because resonance. Your oral cavity affects the resonance of the instrument and acts as an extension to the bore. If the length of the bore changes, so does the length of your oral cavity relative to the bore. This is why it's so ridiculously easy to bend the pitch on just your mouthpiece. I mean I can smear up the clarion register on a soprano clarinet by simply lifting all my fingers off the keys three at a time.

[@destroyedbyyuppiepowers]

@@teddydunn3513 do not use the lord's name in vain you HEATHEN

[@saxmanatmaplewood]

Somebody hasn't heard much clarinet music...

[@destroyedbyyuppiepowers]

@@saxmanatmaplewood When you simply can't accept that someone doesn't like this song

[@saxmanatmaplewood]

@@destroyedbyyuppiepowers when you assumed that my comment was about this song. My comment was about the comment itself.

[@marivaleska8917]

“your fingers aren’t touching the wood” *laughs in plastic clarinet*

[@MaiCody]

Mari valeska please don’t buy plastic clarinets. It hurts my heart

[@bradyschindler4199]

@@MaiCody I have a friend in band with a plastic clarinet and she can't even up to a high C. And it just sounds bad

[@michaelhoelscher2271]

​@@bradyschindler4199​I play a great plastic clarinet and I can hit up to G7 Thank you very much

[@bradyschindler4199]

@@michaelhoelscher2271 Thats pretty impressive. What brand is your clarinet?

[@michaelhoelscher2271]

@@bradyschindler4199 I honestly don't know. Its a student clarinet from my local music store. I know my mouthpiece is Vandoren 5C and my reeds are Vandoren V21 3.5 and my ligature is offbrand.

[@_alicia__]

Me, a French horn player: KZbin: rHapSoDy iN bLue fOr cLariNet

[@jonnylpenman]

Lili, can't relate. I'm a clarinet player.

[@allisoncombs7031]

Literally me too. I’m a senior and I’ll be a music ed major next year so my band director is having me learn clarinet to prepare for woodwind classes. I’m contemplating how in the heck the clarinet I’m holding can make the sound that he made with his. 😂

[@ThePeaterBeater]

Allison Combs as a music ed horn player, I can assure you that you’ll get there! what school will you attend?

[@winstonbeech3418]

@@allisoncombs7031 My mom had a music ed degree and was a band director for a while. Clarinet was her primary instrument, but I never heard her play Rhapsody. My dad taught 90% clarinet and the rest were saxophone or bass clarinet. Mom taught clarinet, flute, and even trumpet and trombone on occasion. She minored in violin in college, and it was the only class she didn't get all A's in. I have her violin now, and am I tempted to play it? HELL NO! I can barely play a 2-chord change on guitar. And I already have a sore neck from other things, no way am I touching that fiddle!

[@dietz4052]

I don’t even play a wind instrument, but wondered how this solo glissando was achieved. What an excellent demonstration! I learned something new today.

[@winstonbeech3418]

The irony is that the trombone is the best natural smear instrument, but it can't produce a continuous 2-octave smear. If you had a 24-position slide and an assistant to stand 12 feet away and push it in maybe. But that would require a slide more than 3x the length of a normal trombone slide. They are enough of a pain in the ass to maintain at normal length.

[@chrisk8187]

I teach clarinet. When I was in high school my band director said we would play the Rhapsody in Blue if I could learn the smear (an aside; most of the upper classmen didn't want to perform the piece as we felt it was beneath us - not serious enough). When we started to rehearse he was astounded that I could already do the smear (he figured that would be weeks away. He had shown me the finger "fanning" motion. I never told him that instead of hours, it took me 20min. (some more weeks to make it consistent). I've had the good fortune to teach some of my students how it's done. I annoy them by fanning "in" bottom to top, fanning alternating in/out, out/in. And mostly with voicing. One last mini-story. In 7th grade my son (now a college freshman) wanted to do the smear. I said I would help him. Big mistake! Soon that's all we heard at home and he drove his director and classmates crazy. Every once in a while we do some smear "offs" when he's home.

[@robkunkel8833]

A great couple of stories and this (Earspasm) teacher is fun. I took lessons a half century ago and, after three years, I’m still not sure what his technique was. I think he must have like horns more than woodwinds. He was sooo boring. Smear offs …:)

[@AntonVanDerSar]

SO, this is to clarinet what Smoke on the Water is to guitar??? Poor little you. Let me break out my tiny violin.

[@iYessicaH]

There needs to be more people like you on KZbin. Loved this, thanks for sharing.

[@kamilee4123]

I'm a violinist why am I here

[@brothaNblue]

Because it's good to have insight on other instruments.

[@Flpower2011]

Kami Lee because the clarinet is awesome

[@thefrenchbaldeagle3138]

Kami Lee no i should be hear I'm a brass player

[@Elizabeth-ut1kv]

I am too, but I also play the Bass clarinet

[@error_name]

same bro

[@TransitNerd]

I just preformed Rhapsody in Blue at my school’s Music Showcase Concert, and I owe a whole bunch to you! This video in really helped. Thank You!

[@RossiniSoprano]

This is the best, most detailed, and most helpful instruction of any kind I've seen/read/heard about how to play this solo. Keep on keepin' on, dude!

[@moneybags999]

Wow. I had no idea that was how that sound was produced. I always thought it was caused by purposely loosening the embouchure.

[@kagamikagami]

Yeah, I thought it was to do with embouchure

[@drumminfro]

Same 😅

[@winstonbeech3418]

It's both - when you're doing those fingering tricks you have to have the chops to hold it together and not just hiss out or squeak.

[@TheeBandGeek]

@@winstonbeech3418thanx

[@evikathurgood3017]

his bass clarinet is sexy

[@SebastianQ2003]

Erika Smith ikr

[@valentin7383]

Yeah

[@realtissaye]

Big black long stiff... bass clarinet

[@ralphyarl2246]

Indeed. But please dont say that.

[@eileenjurek6898]

Very!

[@hellothere-xz7kf]

I’m a 8th grader and when I was warming up I played this and my teacher was so surprised lmao

[@joechavez784]

Same but 7th grade

[@rainonedavid3564]

Should've practiced scales instead of this lmao

[@IceOfPhoenix88]

Well done

[@NPWIII]

Joe Chavez same but womb (China)

[@nhansboro]

I hope one of my band students surprise me with this! 🙏🏿

[@acsu96]

Very cool! As a cellist it's nice to know exactly how it works - and how hard my clarinetists have to work for that solo! I'd always heard it was complicated because you can't gliss "properly" on a clarinet, but no one really explained the smear to me before. Makes that solo even more awesome.

[@ryaneneal]

im a young clarinetist and this really helped out a lot. the hardest part was the glissando. i am only in 6th grade so it was a little difficult but thank you so much for making this video.

[@thorgodofthunder5086]

Ryane Neal I’m assuming your now in 8th grade

[@zvonimirtosic6171]

Then switch to an Albert System clarinet, because this piece was NOT made for modern clarinets. It was made for Albert clarinets used in jazz. Albert System clarinets have simpler keywork, and at least 3 bare holes WITHOUT rings, that allows techniques to produce sounds like this with ease.

[@zoot7981]

You still there? You still in band?

[@schienenlaufer697]

@@zvonimirtosic6171 he plays a modern one!

[@roboknight52]

Lol. Now he’s in 11

[@jadetealaaron2003]

I'm a drummer, why am here? oh right, Squidward

[@rayten4499]

yes

[@Rockypf2]

Nice 👍

[@pae913]

This video explained it so well! I've watched other videos and they didn't work so well for me. After watching this, I started practicing this today and got it down very well in the same day. So now I have this huge feeling of accomplishment and I'm having way too much fun with this

[@gracegorman3306]

All dressed up and ready, but nowhere to play!! Hahaha!!

[@tihana13]

I play piano and I knew nothing about clarinet techniques. This video was so interesting and so well explained! You, sir, are a rockstar!

[@SingleReedPitRat]

Nicely explained, and wonderful sound. Every time I see that all-black bass, though, I can't help but feel that you're going to cost me $10k+ sometime in the not-distant future.

[@jimstepan3038]

I love your enthusiasm on this subject, and the way you reveal the secret of the gliss! I do have a comment about when you said "when you pull your finger off a port, all of a sudden the instrument becomes a lot more resistant". I'm thinking you are referring to the fact that you have to blow more air through the reed and out the "new leak", thus raising the pitch of the reed and note the instrument is playing. It's easy to forget that a pump, like your lungs and diaphragm, creates flow, when blowing, NOT pressure! Pressure happens when there is resistance to flow! The main resistance to flow, in the clarinet, is the amount of flow it takes to keep the reed vibrating but not closing. The pressure in the chamber downstream from the reed is very sensitive to pressure drops caused by ports opening and closing. When an extra port is opened, and if the flow through the reed isn't increased, the reed stays open and stops vibrating. By increasing the flow, the reed keeps vibrating, but at a higher frequency, or pitch. As more ports are opened, the pressure drops demand more and more flow, which results in higher and higher pitch.

[@edwardv.3550]

I don't play clarinet and I don't know why I'm watching a clarinet tutorial but the video was still very informative and I enjoyed it

[@mansumusa6132]

I’ve practiced this for roughly two years and I’ve finally done it. Certainly not perfectly, but it’s there, and I have this vid to thank for that

[@laserdisque]

OMG I''VE WANTED TO PLAY THIS FOR THE LAST 23 YEARS AND NOW I KNOW HOW thanks for sharing!!!! Like seriously. This video is amazing and it makes so much sense now.

[@isaiahcollins6643]

probably the best explanation on KZbin for this. it is worth mentioning that if you're having a lot of trouble playing this, you may need your instrument serviced and checked for leaks, the resistance caused by a break in tube like sliding your fingers off the keys can actually exploit leaks and cause squeaks. so if you're playing this and think you're doing everything right, check your instrument. particularly the trill keys.

[@botanicalabe]

Alright so what if I have extremely fat fingers and you create a custom bass clarinet with holes in the keys. Is it then possible?

[@earspasm]

Yes, absolutely. Oh wait. No, impossible still.

[@SuperMonaLisaBros]

If you have thin fingers, you're fucked.

[@evanericksonmusic]

Bass clarinet

[@zacharycoronado6749]

Grab an old alto clarinet or bassethorn

[@singaporeseaslugs1393]

Earspasm Music will you elaborate more ;-;

[@patricianorthall247]

It was fantastic to hear and see my good friend Sarath playing clarinet, I found it very relaxing... Pat xx

[@bobmas2629]

I finally heard someone do it as good as me. Not bragging. I got a master in clarinet performance and even my professors couldn't do it. Love it dude. ❤😊

[@Ted_DiSanti]

Jazz saxophonist here playing a chart where the whole sax section ones the tune by playing this intro. This was so incredibly helpful and I was surprised I could actually pull this off with my limited clarinet chops!

[@robd1889]

This is what I always wanted to be able to do and this made it happen - I owe you this guy a lot of beers!

[@lifeismystory]

I am simply in love with the finesse of your finger movement when you show the smear. It's so smooth!

[@1755ma]

Absolutely beautiful playing. Congrats ❤🎉

[@paulkrawitz6549]

Fantastic demo and instruction, Michael.

[@seahawk528]

Have to show this site to my grandson, the multiple instrumentalist. Your demos on how to make things work is great.

[@AntonVanDerSar]

Thank you very much for satisfying a guitar player's curiosity. I fell in love with Gershwin as a kid (played classical piano) and have always wondered exactly how this was accomplished.

[@MLMLW]

I played the clarinet for years and never learned how to smear. Thank you for sharing this. Now I just need to practice.

[@IsabelMakesMusic]

Thanks so much for that video, I'm playing the clarinet for 12 years now and you taught me something new :D

[@EightTinyRats]

This will always be my favorite playing of the clarinet solo. That glissando is so slow and clean I could eat off of it

[@didiernerrant6485]

Quelle énergie ... Ca donne vraiment envie d'essayer ! Merci pour les conseils !!

[@SarahSkilton]

I have watched several Rhapsody videos now and yours is by far the most detailed and best explained. Thank you so much for sharing. It no longer is as scary as it was. Although I am still not sure I will ever be good enough to play it, but at least now I can try.

[@LaScienceMusicale]

Yes !!! So great

[@war_kittens]

As a flute player, thanks for clearing up this mystery.

[@davidwalker6567]

That was the greatest 45 seconds of my life at the beginning 😍

[@mac8596]

God I could listen to that intro for hours, god, is that sooooo good.

[@martinlagrange8821]

Thanks for this ! Hugely enjoyed, and thanks for this master class - Rhapsody in Blue is now a cinch for yours truly :-)

[@edwardmorton6691]

Was this intro actually composed by Gershwin. I was told that Gershwin heard the clarinet player warming up and this was part of his ritual and Gershwin borrowed it from him. Not certain of This story's validity but it sounds like music only a clarinetist would know was possible to play.

[@windmillwilly]

Well, I mean, yes. He put in the score, so he did indeed write it. If Mozart has arpeggios in his piece because his violinist inspired him to do so, it would still be Mozart.

[@maddierosemusic]

Like Steve jobs saw a kid doing that finger touch thing on the screen while waiting for an interview and Jobs hired the kid.

[@winstonbeech3418]

@@maddierosemusic Steve Jobs would design eating utensils so you'd have to eat spaghetti with one chopstick.

[@Betterlattethannever307]

I love your energy while teaching!! Great video!

[@mchenrymaney262]

For bass clarinet, It is very possible. If you take it up an octave and use the altissimo to make a lip bend, you can get the same effect just lifting up Keys all together. It’s way out of normal range though for the high F at the end, but if you wanna get the gliss it’s mandatory.

[@niraatae-nkyou8134]

THANK YOU SO MUCH, I was going to ask in another video but i felt like you had already gotten hundreds of more request before. Again thank you SOOOOO much

[@RichardWardner]

I've been trying to find this out for thirty years - should have checked KZbin before! Thanks, now to practice!

[@JonFrumTheFirst]

Gershwin wrote it without the smear - it was originally chromatic. It was the clarinet player in the premier who came up with it in rehearsal. Gershwin heard and approved.

[@evangreavu9621]

I bought a clarinet so I could learn this opening. I'm not ready for this video yet as I don't even know the fingerings. But I used to play sax so I understand the note bending in your throat! One day I will get this solo down!

[@Reality_TV_Queen]

Just stunningly beautiful. I know there technically is no such thing as perfect but I think this guy really changed that. Rhapsody in Blue is my favorite song to listen to on clarinets and well, you all can guess why. I play this song on my violin as a warm up every time I practice but I can’t even explain how much I love it on the clarinet ❤

[@Maqrolltremiti]

Sucha bloody crazy teacher, I love him, I wish to have him on my bedside table so I can steal everything I need. (I'm a beginner)

[@lameborghini6980]

I keep squeaking when I try to do it 😂 Someday I'll figure it out

[@avarogers833]

same ugh

[@teddydunn3513]

Lαni Bοhmοnt The proper voicing will prevent you from squeaking. Experiment with your tongue position. This video was absolutely useless to me when I was first learning how to smear because he puts way too much emphasis on sliding your fingers when in reality your fingers do just about 5% of the work. Keep your pitch as flat as possible the whole time (you have to experiment a lot to learn how to do this) while pulling your fingers of the holes. It's not so much about all these detailed finger movements he describes in the video; you basically just need to keep your fingers close to the holes in order to provide adequate resistance to the airflow. In fact, a smear can be done by simply lifting your fingers in succession.

[@alickagali]

Yes, do it! Tell us when you can play..

[@amerdidi3126]

6:10 The smear on the BC sounds like the first time I played a Major scale on the instrument.

[@Dave-os1bn]

Might have been because of the exhaustion, but I woke my room mate up laughing at "nothing up my sleeve."

[@delilahs8037]

Yesss! Thank you soooo much! I've been trying to figure this out for what seems like forever!!! Super helpful!!! :D

[@nickholland2593]

What a brilliant rendition, and a fantastic tutorial - I'm a relative clarinet novice but I can't wait to try this out, but I think I'll have to wait until tomorrow to stop the neighbors going nuts at me!

[@cicadacustomcontrollerz578]

Did you do it?

[@musiciangal02453]

I don't remember Rhapsody in Blue being in Fantasia unless it was in Fantasia 2000 but you totally nailed every bit of it and even got all the glissando!

[@josephrivera8507]

I’m a baritone sax player. I always wanted to play bass clarinet

[@jimcoulson6909]

Great job showing and explaining how to do this. Loved it and am perfecting it!

[@Saxmasterj]

I just wanted to say that that's a sexy bass clarinet. I love the onyx keys and finish. I'm extremely jealous

[@khanoclast]

I saw the St. Louis Symphony perform Rhapsody in Blue last night -- the clarinet solo was sublime! He added some schmear to the rest of the solo as well, not just the leading glissando. As the rest of the orchestra came in, I leaned over and told my wife, "OK, we can go now." The clarinet got a bigger ovation than the guest pianist when it was done. On another note, did you know there is a banjo part in RiB? You couldn't hear him (at least I couldn't), but you could see him.

[@omdahlre]

I played the clarinet and bass clarinet from elementary through high school and loved it, and now my niece is starting to play clarinet and I couldn't be more excited to show her these awesome videos ❤️❤️❤️

[@wilzy30]

A magnificent piece of music.

[@Itz_helen]

Thank you so much I have been looking for a video on how to play a gliss for a while and this is great!

[@gerardbomhof6957]

Very nice to see how you are doing this. I wish i could play on this way. I am going to practise! Gerard Bomhof from the Netherlands

[@anarbatzoriganar]

if i want to purchase a decent clarinet how much will it cost? i live in mongolia and musical instruments availability sucks.

[@justinsaehoon]

1000ish for a decent one

[@lexx348]

Used beginner’s one can start at 300 usd, you don’t need 1000-dollar one to start learning

[@kylesheng2365]

@@lexx348 he never said he was a beginner

[@lexx348]

@@kylesheng2365 my point was encouraging the OP by explaining that an instrument price range doesn't start at 1000, or 1000 even isn't a median, unless you are professional. How did you help?

[@lmaolol8757]

My marching band is playing this solo and this video is helping me so much

[@bowserfan1011]

I'm a euphonium player why am I here

[@ishmamahmed7742]

Lol yes brass ftw

[@KyokoKirigirie]

Tuba here.

[@nicholastrombone9899]

Because us euphonium players are traitors

[@TheKidOfOnions]

There's a thing called half-valving (It's what it sounds like) that most piston-valved instruments can do. It gives us a "gliss" noise. (Woo hoo fellow euphonium player)

[@petedavidson7003]

Hell yeah! Same here

[@pokecardskev3267]

GREAT! GREAT! GREAT information on how this works. I will pass this along in the future.

[@kwcnasa]

Thank you for sharing this knowledge. As a self-taught clarinet student. I learn a lot in this video. Practice @00:00,

[@simphonysounds4570]

wow. You really know about clarinet. Thanks for your cooperation for my students.

[@sopranogirl13]

You nailed that glissando! Beautiful!

[@Lesliestevens92.1fm]

Learned a lot. Thank you. You are a really good teacher.

[@SuperMonaLisaBros]

Smearing is the theremin effect on the clarinet. It's done a little bit different on the hichiriki, however.

[@Recorder-e3e]

Espectacular! Más claro, imposible. Saludos desde Argentina.

[@dafneb857]

I just got my clarinet. I have no business watching this lol

[@winstonbeech3418]

My dad used to teach this to his students... but never taught it to me. I ended up switching to trombone and returning to reeds at age 40. I understand why this doesn't work on a bass clarinet, and why it's pretty difficult on a saxophone. Just to play the opening smear on "Yakkety Sax" I use a really soft reed and an open tip metal mouthpiece. What drives me nuts about that one is all the charts I have start that smear on an E, and listening to the record, he clearly starts it on a D. WTF. Anyway an old mystery solved. By the way, you really draw that smear waaaaay out and I like it that way. There are some very well known recordings where the clarinet not only misses the low note at the beginning, but rushes the whole thing. Might be possible to modify a bass clarinet with some sort of inserts below the pads to allow that pull-off. It's almost a guitar technique now that I know what it looks like.

[@gerryamatomusic]

Nice video man. Appreciate you posting this. Well done.

[@didko3968]

Oh my god, this is so good, I instantly subscribed

[@guysabol8743]

I saw a comical sheet music style for R I B whereas the ascending notes seem to be poured helter skelter from a pitcher (not pictured) but it all look inviting clear! seemingly like 35 notes poured inthe space for 20..wish I coul d see it again ..would take a pic

[@ColtraneTurnaroundBlues]

rip me ! for the first minute as a saxophone player i thought "ooh yeah thats really cool for sax as well!" and then rip the keys arnt the same

[@robertramos645]

Ernie- Roblox, Minecraft, and MORE #2b2t it's a lot harder on sax. You can achieve same effect with overtones. KZbin it. I play sax too.

[@brainmaxxing1]

Look up Leo P. You can do some insane things with sax

[@evancoons2925]

You can do it on sax its just really hard

[@Basstaco69]

If you were good enough you could lip slur them 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@jackianmayer5910]

an additional reason in the joy of clarinet...thanks !

[@thetaekwondoe3887]

Well! That's the easiest I've seen it explained. Will have to try it when I'm not too lazy to go upstairs to get my clarinet. LOL

[@goose6202]

I want a black bass clarinet cuz I'm black

[@valawee]

1881Gaming lmao

[@vanessaperez0]

im sorry but this was so funny lmfaoo

[@Phoenixspin]

I'm Black and I played a black clarinet. In fact, I probably still have it in storage somewhere. So, I don't need to carry my black card because I have a black clarinet. I am a legit Black person.

[@kagamikagami]

Sneaky boi sneaks around playing pink panther, unseen

[@sensorcato]

Reasonable.

[@Blackthorne369]

This was fascinating and wonderful- thank you!

[@Tototea7]

i really don't find that sliding your fingers off the keys is the "secret", i couldn't do a good glissando before i figured out the throat/tounge thing, and now that i have, i can kind of do it without sliding my fingers? am i doing it a different way than you are or am i just bad at sliding fingers or something haha?

[@earspasm]

no, you're right. It's not the secret - the combination of the two is the technique. In truth, there are no "secrets" in clarinet playing, just things you know, and things you have yet to learn!

[@gracegorman3306]

Thank you!! 😀 Always wondered about that. "Smear" sounds dirty, though. What's wrong with glissando?

[@rorypeters8710]

Grace Gorman gliss is a completely full 100 cents going up, you can’t do that on anything but unfretted strings, trombones, theremin, things like that

[@angelofklari]

The video is very usefull for me! I’m now capable to do a small gliss at the begining of the high C, B, A a bit. But I’m not capabel to lower te note when I’m already playing the note. Looks like my tongue refuses te go lower. Any tips herefor? 🙂

[@geofixated]

So much fun. Please come to Fort Collins and give a class. I promise to buy a clarinet and start learning how to play.

[@aevenegnotyalc3568]

Mesmerized❤👂❤👂Wow thank you need more please👏👍

[@jacobriley5150]

I started practicing this in the 8th grade. We got a new band director the next year and in the marching show music, there was rhapsody in blue. He pulled me to his office and talked to me about how hard and frustrating it is gonna be. Little did he know, I already knew how to play it.😉

[@barneyrussel8228]

Frighteningly fantastic!

[@janetaldrich7747]

Thanks for a great lesson. I could have you used you "back in the day" when I learned in school. ;)

[@mattmiller8614]

Hi! Do you know of any bass clarinets that might be worth buying for around $1000 US? I play sax, flute, and clarinet, and I have allways wanted to play the bass clarinet. Thanks!

[@redeyedfreaks]

Matt's Music you could probably find a Vito/Bundy/student Yamaha for something like a thousand on ebay. but keep in mind that they won't play anywhere near his bass. If your not doing anything crazy with bass clarinet they should do fine. (assuming you get them checked over in a repair shop to make sure they are in working order)

[@SirWinstonBeech]

I had a Yamaha plastic bass, it was not much fun to play. I got rid of it.

[@tinandglass]

When I was learning to play bagpipes on a chanter I quickly learned about the slurs and doublings. A friend gave me a clarinet and it was the first thing I tried ... hopefully one day I'll be able to play that intro.

[@winstonbeech3418]

Bon Scott "seems" to play a smear on the bagpipe *drones* in the song "Long Way To The Top". I ran it by a friend who plays bagpipes and he realized that the smear is an electric guitar slide that fades into the pipe drones. Doing a smear on bagpipe drones would be some trick.

[@chessisgreatd8802]

theoretically if you just played a chromatic scale while bending the pitch with your embouchure you could gliss on a bass clarinet? I developed a technique to gliss without smearing my fingers by doing that on the clarinet but I don't know if it works on bass

[@amanistrashydiary7220]

one word. . beautiful

[@gary1961]

This was the first thing I learnt to do on my clarinet, the second being Acker Bilk's Stranger On The Shore.