The contributing factors to bass clarinet intonation include, but are not limited to: Reed hardness and condition of reed Adjustments on the instrument Embouchure pressure Speed of airstream The player's ear Temperature of the instrument How the instrument was made And more! The list seems to go on forever! But if we learn to control a few of those factors, we have greater control over our pitch in general. First, if you're not sure what I mean by pitch or intonation, start with the intonation page and do some ear-training exercises. Then, let's experiment with some of the factors we can control.
While looking at a tuner, hold a long note. Does the note wobble at all-higher and lower? See if you can get it to stay steady. Then experiment with making it change on purpose. What happens if...
You use more air? You take more mouthpiece? You play a different dynamic? You change the shape of your embouchure?
Keep these changes in mind as you start the next activity below!
Learn Your Pitch Tendencies
The number one way to improve your tone quality is to listen, and that's true of intonation as well. To really get to know your instrument and its intonation tendencies, approach it like a scientist. Here is a document that will take you through a few key notes; first, the concert Bb scale, and then a few common problem notes for bass clarinet. There are also some blank spots for you to document other notes that may be giving you problems. Print this page and take notes each day you practice. If you focus on a few notes every week, you'll learn a lot within the first month. NOTE: The goal of this exercise is not to give you tedious note-taking to do! It's to train your ears in a measurable, step-by-step way. Think of it like conditioning exercises for a sport, or gaining skills in a video game. It's not the reason we play, but it makes playing way better!