Music Composition DUMmIES

B flat bass clarinet..............................................................................

The B flat bass clarinet is tuned just like the B flat clarinet, but it plays an

octave lower. To write music for a bass clarinet, you need to transpose your

sheet music up an octave plus a whole step. The written range is E2 to E5

(Figure 14-3).

To hear Write

CD

C#/D% D#/E%

DE

D#/E% F

EF#/G%

FG

F#/G% G#/A%

GA

G#/A% A#/B%

AB

A#/B% C

BC#/D%

Bb bass clarinet

concert range

Best range

Early model bass clarinets

do not have these notes

?

Ob On O

Ob wn

(^) wb w
&
Figure 14-3:
The B flat
bass clarinet
range,
transposed
to concert
pitch.
&
√
w
Bb clarinet
concert range
Chalumeau
register (low)
w
Most effective range
X
Throat tones
Middle register
#X X^ X # w
w
Clarino register
(upper middle)
w
High register
X
Figure 14-2:
The B flat
clarinet
range,
transposed
to concert
pitch.
Chapter 14: Composing for the Standard Orchestra 169