What would it take for a bass clarinet in c to read bass clef music? (transposing?, learning new fingerings?)?

I just read much better in bass clef and the parts in band have no bass clarinet parts so I was wondering if it would be possible to read off of the trombones?

What would it take for a bass clarinet in c to read bass clef music? (transposing?, learning new fingerings?)?
A bass clarinet in C is an exceedingly rare instrument. The common bass clarinet is in Bb (one octave under the Bb soprano).





If one had a bass clarinet in C -- he would read a Bb on the trombone part and finger a low Bb on his clarinet. The only requirement would be the ability to read fluently in bass clef - a useful skill but one that many bass clarinetists haven't acquired.





It is possible for the bass clarinet to read off the trombone or tuba part even with the instrument in Bb. It's a process not unlike what a baritone/euphonium player does when switching from bass clef to treble clef and back.





This method would require that the bass clarinet player learn a set of alternate fingerings for the purpose but the process is a simple one. Similar to how a baritone player plays a Bb in BC open and also plays a C in TC open (the same pitch, differently keyed parts).





Recorder players use a similar method for switching between Soprano/Tenor in C and Alto/Bass in F -- they simply learn two sets of fingerings. On a C recorder, written middle C is played with all fingers down. On an F recorder written F is played with all fingers down......
Reply:If your instrument is a C instrument, yeah, you could read off the trombones. Most bass clarinet parts are simply transposed up one octave so that they can be written in treble clef so that it's easy for regular clarinet players to read.





If you play a C Bass Clarinet, the fingerings should be the same for treble and bass clef. When a bass clarinet reads treble clef music, the clarinet is sounding one octave lower than it looks. But when you read bass clef, the clarinet is sounding the octave as written on the page. So basically, the fingerings would be the same, and you would be reading things exactly as you're playing them. I hope this makes sense.





Also, the Bb Bass Clarinet is much more common. In my concert band and most others they use Bb Bass Clarinets.