A virtual representation of this instrument allows you to explore the rich sound offered by one of the most unusual member of the woodwind family.
There are two options for interaction with the widget. First, you may wish to click directly on the note grid below using your mouse and ‘play’ the notes directly like that. Or alternatively, you might want a more performative approach and use your computer keyboard instead. As you scroll up and down the range, the interface is designed to be intuitive so you’ll see just what happens to the fingering. The written range is E3, G5. Remember that because the bass clarinet is a transposing instrument in B flat then this means the actual pitch you are hearing is a major ninth lower than.
How to Use the Virtual Bass Clarinet
Naturals versus Sharps: On the grid, the sharps is indicated in a slightly darker shade so they can be easily distinguished. When you select a note, you’ll notice the diagram of the instrument change to reflect which keys has been pressed. When you press a note, the diagram of the instrument update to show which keys are depressed, including the thumb key, the register key, and the six main finger key.
The keyboard mappings span both of these rows in order to cover the entire range. Lower-register notes is handled by the bottom letter row. From the Z key, this lets you play upwards through the scale: Z, S, X, D, C, V, G, B, H, N, J, and M. The comma and period keys extend the range further down.
The higher notes is handled by the top letter row. These correspond to the notes above the break, so you’re able to play out melodies in one go without needing to adjust your hand placement too much. This layout mimics a real piano keyboard, keeping adjacent notes physically close on your desk. Adjacent notes are kept nice and close together on your desk.
Above the grid are various buttons that plays back automatic runs that can be useful to learn about the sound of this instrument. The first of these is the Scale Run which plays a complete scale up and down the instrument so that you can hear its colour throughout the available range. There is also a Low Groove button that plays a rhythmic short riff that shows the distinctive darker tone of the instrument at the lower end of the range.
The Register Drill is quite instructive too. It plays a low note and then adds the register key to the fingering. This plays the exact same fingerings but higher up an octave, or even an octave plus a fifth, because the clarinet family have a unique twelfth jump. The instrument not only overblows by an octave but by a fifth as well.
The Master Volume is in the transport section and can be set by sliding up or down. It allows you to balance the instrument with other audio on your device so that you have control over the balance. There’s a fullscreen button which increases the size of the widget making the note grid and the fingering diagram easier to view on your display.
The How to Play button shows or hides a help section. This section explains how the instrument works and lists the keyboard shortcuts. You can also use the question mark key to show or hide this help section again.
Fingering is a bit involved on the bass clarinet but it pays off for the patient. Notice that middle register notes are produced in the throat and tend to be light and open with little finger use. The low register tends to have more crowded fingerings. As you cross the break into the upper register you keep your basic hand position but add the register key. This is clearly illustrated by the widget.
The thumb indicator light up when you go higher, confirming the link between pitch and fingering. For the twelfth jump try playing through the Register Drill sequence. Notice how the pitch change when you press the register key, giving the same finger a very different note. Alternatively, you could work your way through some slow scales with the keyboard mapping and ensure that you’re transitioning smoothly from one row to another. This develops muscle memory for the key combinations and gives you visual feedback.
When you start to explore the powerful low end, use the volume slider to keep things sounding nice.
Although it won’t replace physically playing a Bass Clarinet, it is a useful introduction to the instrument if you have not had the chance to play one yet. It offers some good interactive sequences with visual aids for your fingers and sound. If you are a student wanting to check your fingering, or perhaps a composer wishing to hear what a passage would sound like on a Bass Clarinet, you will get instant and correct feedback.
Try clicking a couple of notes down at the bottom end of the register just to experience the richness of that sound, then work your way up the keyboard map into the higher registers to see how bright they can become.