When I play G, why does it come out as F on bass clarinet?
I'm new to bass clarinet, and I seem to be following the button chart accurately to play a G, which indicates to press no buttons.
However, when I measure the note with a tuner, it clearly plays an F and sounds like an F. The tuner was verified to be working with another instrument.
What obvious thing am I missing?
Thank you
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The bass clarinet is a transposing instrument: the Bb bass clarinet sounds a full major 9th below what is written for its sheet music. For example, that written G in the OP sounds like the F in the octave below.
The bass clarinet is nowhere close to being the only transposing instrument, though: for example, the regular Bb clarinet sounds a major 2nd below what is written (so a written C sounds like a Bb), and the French horn sounds a perfect 5th below what is written (so a written C sounds like an F). Note that transposing instruments are often labelled with what their written C sounds like (thus the "Bb clarinet" and "A clarinet" names).
(I played bass clarinet in 3 school concert bands, so I recognized that fingering for a G pretty quickly.)
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