Klarinet Archive - Posting 000116.txt from 1995/04

From: robert villarreal <rvillarr@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: A good question...
Date: Sat, 8 Apr 1995 22:20:38 -0400

On Sat, 8 Apr 1995, Jim Freeman wrote:

> My guess (just a guess) is that you my not be raising your LH pinky and
> ring finger quickly enough (from the G#) to get an incisive beginning on
> that rather unstable note. Or, it could be that you're not getting rid
> of the G# key soon enough before your LH ring finger leaves the
> hole.....or none of the above.
>
> Jim Freeman (collnjim@-----.edu)
>
> On Sat, 8 Apr 1995, robert villarreal wrote:
>
> > Is there any reason that the 'A' just above the staff is the first note
> > (while going up the chromatic scale) that has a tendency to refuse to
> > sound with good tone from the very start of its attack? It seems that if
> > I have a reed that does not respond at its optimum level in a certain
> > octave, the 'A' is at the lowermost or uppermost end of that octave.
> >
> > I doubt that the problem is in my playing (I'm working on my Master's in
> > Clarinet Performance). Could it be characteristic of the six-finger
> > instruments?
> >
> > Incidentally, I seem to recall a similar problem on my tenor recorder.
> >
> > Thank you.
> > Robert

I'm sure that's not it. I referred to the chromatic scale to point out
that if I were playing the scale upward, the problem would surface on 'A'
(not before). Starting a phrase on the 'A' would produce the same
characteristics.

Robert