OctoContraBass Clarinet discussion
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Dominique, Future Owner Of The OCBC!
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Feb 25, 2009 08:50AM
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"Near-mythical woodwind instrument pitched a full three octaves below the soprano clarinet, two octaves below the bass clarinet and one octave below the contrabass clarinet. Very possibly the largest woodwind instrument, comparable in size to behemoths such as the contrabassoon and the contrabass saxophone.
There is only one octocontrabass clarinet in existence, in the private collection of the LeBlanc family. Not surprisingly, I've never heard it, although I have seen a picture. One presumes it would have a sound somewhat recognizable as belonging to the clarinet family, although I can't be sure.
The lowest notes possible on an octocontrabass clarinet are almost mind-boggling to fathom. Consider that the frequency of the A above middle C is 440 Hz. On a soprano clarinet, a B-flat instrument, that turns out to be the B above middle C. The B below middle C (the lowest B on the instrument) is therefore at 220 Hz. The same fingering on a bass clarinet is an octave lower, or 110 Hz. On a contrabass, it's 55 Hz. On an octocontrabass, it would be 27.5 Hz. However, that's not even the lowest note on the clarinet. Frequencies approching 15 Hz would, by my calculation, be possible on such a low instrument. Listeners with above-normal hearing might even be able to distinguish the 15 individual pulses per second and hear the note as a "vibration" rather than a pitch. "
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"The octocontrabass clarinet is the largest member of the clarinet family. The instrument is pitched three octaves lower than the standard Bb soprano clarinet. The Guinness Book of World Records lists the octocontrabass clarinet as having the lowest range of any orchestra instrument, capable of playing low Bb below the lowest note of the piano. Although only one such instrument was ever produced, by Leblanc, at least three pieces of music have been written specifically for it. It also is known as an "octo contrabass", "octo contra bass", or "sub-contra bass" clarinet and is thus one of the few instruments that has more names than instances. The octocontrabass clarinet is now in the possession of Mr. George Leblanc himself."
