Bass Clarinets

The bass clarinet is one of the largest and deepest members of the clarinet family. Pitched in the key of Bb, it sounds one octave below the Bb soprano clarinet. The bass clarinet is frequently played in orchestras, wind ensembles, concert bands, marching bands, and jazz groups. It provides bass tonalities in the absence of a double bass, and can also easily cover lyrical, melodic lines. While its pitch is low, like the rest of the clarinet family. music for the bass clarinet is written on the treble clef.
The earliest versions of the bass clarinet were made beginning in the mid 18th century. Around 1836, Adolph Sax, inventor of the saxophone, innovated the design for the instrument that has carried into the modern-day. After these developments, the bass clarinet became more popular and more widely utilized.
Bass clarinets have a broad range that spans nearly 4 octaves. Some bass clarinets begin at the E-flat below the treble clef staff and can go up to the F or G an octave above the staff, while most professional and higher-end bass clarinets begin at low C. All SeriO bass clarinets are professionally set up, and come equipped to play down to low C, providing an affordable option to make owning a professional low C bass clarinet accessible to all.