any of you guys play contra? any tips? cos i have just got one to play in school

The one tip I remember hearing in when playing tenor sax was that the contra bass should listen to the basson, low brass, bari sax, and tenor sax. We all played the same parts...also to get the low low notes think Toe.

thanks!

hey i might play the contra i think its going to be really cool. but right now i want to get a bass clarinet.

I play da bass in band, but i played the contra in one song last year. its not much different from the bass... just ALOT deeper... but its KOOL! listen to the tubas and other low instruments and keep an open throat... its kinda hard to reach the lower notes, but with a little practice, u should be able to reach them!

good luck!

thanks alought. it looks to be fun

hey i can get most of the notes now! thanks again!

i am playing it now! all i can say is you have to practice! the low notes are really fun too! anyone know the fingerings for the low low d?? i have to play it in a song for band, and I just started playing in may, and i don`t really know it!

Hey, I`m going to play contra in Woodwind Choir for my high school. My main is Alto Sax, but somethings happened and i`m gonna play contra in w.c. like I said, anyone got a link to a fingering chart? Thanks!

Hey! I have played the contra for 6 years and got the must enjoyment out of it! The tips that I have read are good. Keep an open throat. And an open mind. yeah it sounds little wierd but its true. I had to play on a 5 to 10 year old contra and honey...whoa was that difficult to find all the little things that you had to baby it with. I also found out that when I went down into the LOW notes my eyes would water. It looked like I was crying when I really wasn`t people looked at me funny!! Well anyways, now that I am college I will be playing my b flat clarinet. And maybe jump back to the contra. We shall see. Talk with you all later.
Ashley

Besides the open throat, you need to keep your embrochure really steady. There is no room for error with this wonderful horn.

lol! Ashley, that is true! When I play my low notes, my music vibrates. If you look at a tv and play your low notes, you can see the different wavelenghts. The low ones are longer! lol! Plus, when we were playing the theme to Robin Hood today, I had to play the low g, my insturnment vibrated, and it sounded funny!

Ive been playing Contra for 3 years now. Dont worry about ambouchure too much and open your jaw when playing the low notes. Then youll do great! Contra is soooo much fun its an awseome but rare instrument. Its a great instrument to play so keep it up!

anyone know the fingerings for the really low notes that you have to play with your thumbs? plz let me know! ;D

I played the B flat Bass clarinet a couple years back, then I went into Percussion, now after two years of percussion I take an interest in doing a Duet I did back on the B flat clarinet, and while looking for the music I was asked to play on the woodwind choir, lo and behold they requested I play the Contrabass, I`m like "okay, can`t be that much different from Bass, I`ll try it" Man this thing is huge! ANd I love the low notes it can hit, it`s wonderfull, looking for fingering charts now.