DVD Movie

51) Bass Clarinet Portamento

Short ascending bends are especially idiomatic in the clarion and altissimo registers of the bass clarinet where the third finger of the right hand is depressed. Takayuki Rai employs some in Sparkel for bass clarinet and computer generated tape.

(Quicktime video - for free plug-in, click here)

Example #32

Longer ascending portamenti can be initiated and/or aided by this finger - some examples of especially easy portamenti follow:

Example #33

Descending portamenti in the altissimo register are also idiomatic. Takayuki Rai writes the following small portamenti:

Example #34

Others, including larger ones, are notated below:

Example #35

[It should be noted that the second example above begins without the left thumb covering the tone hole (shown on the DVD).]