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Contrabass-list Tue, 28 Oct 1997 Volume 1 : Number 19
In this issue:
Date: Mon, 27 Oct 1997 17:05:35 -0800
From: Frank
D Diaz <frank.d.diaz@wdc.com>
Subject: RE:
contrabass-list V1 #18
Grant, who wrote music for the Octo-contrabass clarinets ? Also, I believe that Leblanc's prototypes went down to low D, not low C. Assuming that the Guiness book is correct (old editions from the early 80's), under lowest pitch instruments list the Octo-contabass giving a concert C as its lowest pitch, not a concert Bb. This would gave written D as the lowest note on the horn. Anyone know otherwise ?
Also, I have a copy of Paul Mimart's Sarrusophone method. It's still in print listed as a method for Bass and Alto Clarinets (with Sarrusophone as a subtitle). It's published by Cundy-Bettoney and used to be in stock at Byron-Hoyt Sheet Music Service in San Francisco. The Sarrusophone section assumes that you are playing one of the contrabass sizes (it shows the use of 3 octave keys. I know the bass (baritone ?) upwards had 2 octave keys). The music is at a very elementary level and is probably only of artifactual use to us contrabass types.
By the way, U.C Berkeley's music department (not connected to Cal Band) has a silver plated Buffet Eb contrabass Sarrusphone in its collection. I photographed it about ten years ago. It had been completely restored, but was out of adjustment. Berkeley is very picky about their collection, but when I was there, you could make an appointment to see it. I assume that no one has played this horn in eons. They don't offer much in performance, so there's probably not much interest in using it.
Frank Diaz
Date: Mon, 27 Oct 1997 17:42:35 -0800
From: Grant
Green <gdgreen@contrabass.com>
Subject:
Octocontras
Frank Diaz said:
>Grant, who wrote music for the Octo-contrabass clarinets ?
The composer is Terje Lerstad. The following is from the contrabass clarinet page :
>Also, I believe that Leblanc's prototypes went down to low D, not low C. Assuming that the
>Guiness book is correct (old editions from the early 80's), under lowest pitch instruments
>list the Octo-contabass giving a concert C as its lowest pitch, not a concert Bb. This
>would gave written D as the lowest note on the horn. Anyone know otherwise ?
My information was from another subscriber, who had talked with Mr. Lerstad. Anyone care to interject?
>Also, I have a copy of Paul Mimart's Sarrusophone method. It's still in print listed as a
>method for Bass and Alto Clarinets (with Sarrusophone as a subtitle). It's published by
>Cundy-Bettoney and used to be in stock at Byron-Hoyt Sheet Music Service in San Francisco.
>The Sarrusophone section assumes that you are playing one of the contrabass sizes (it shows
>the use of 3 octave keys. I know the bass (baritone ?) upwards had 2 octave keys). The
>music is at a very elementary level and is probably only of artifactual use to us
>contrabass types.
I have a fingering chart, thoughtfully sent me by anther subscriber (Robert?). On my horn, there are only two octave keys (and a RT key for high D), although I can play well into the altissimo using the lower octave key.
BTW, Frank, are you subscribed under a different address?
Grant
Date: Mon, 27 Oct 1997 22:12:17 -0800 (PST)
From:
bj914@scn.org (John Micheal Bush)
Subject: electronic
music
This may be a little offensive to purists, but I was reading up on some great jazz fusion players, and became aware that many (Miles Davis in particular) experimented with adding electronic components to jazz. I have heard of wind controllers before, but am curious about other ways to play with the sound. Would it work if you hooked bass pickups or something to the horn? And is there any way to play with a bari's sound, without making a mess of it?
John Bush
--
Imperial Space Cowboy, Aspiring Beatnik, and high school
level musician.
btw, looking for a moderately priced
sarrusophone.
Check out my jazz/funk/blues combo
sometime!
Date: Tue, 28 Oct 1997 10:53:40 -0800
From: Grant
Green <gdgreen@contrabass.com>
Subject: Re:
electronic music
John Micheal Bush said:
>This may be a little offensive to purists, but I was reading up on some
>great jazz fusion players, and became aware that many (Miles Davis in
>particular) experimented with adding electronic components to jazz. I
>have heard of wind controllers before, but am curious about other ways to
>play with the sound. Would it work if you hooked bass pickups or
>something to the horn? And is there any way to play with a bari's sound,
>without making a mess of it?> John Bush
A bass guitar pickup probably won't do it: they're designed to detect the metal string crossing through the pickup's magnetic field. There are mics that one can use with a sax. They usually install in the neck of the sax. Sometimes you'll notice a little aspirin-sized button on top (or bottom) of an alto or tenor neck: this is typically a mic, capped when not plugged in. I've never seen one on a bari.
What I do (when I feel like processing) is to just mic my bari, and run the mic output through effects and/or preamp. Bari is pretty close to the guitar range, so guitar effects work just fine. You'll want to monitor the sound on headphones, because otherwise (unless you've got the amp turned to 11) the natural bari sound will overpower whatever effect you're adding.
Grant
End of contrabass-list V1 #19