Klarinet Archive - Posting 000098.txt from 1997/03

From: Roger Shilcock
Subj: Re: Boehm and Full Boehm (fwd)
Date: Mon, 3 Mar 1997 17:45:16 -0500

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 4 Mar 1997 00:11:36 +1000
From: Derek Grice <dr_grice%POSTOFFICE.UTAS.EDU.AU@-----.UK>
Subject: Re: Boehm and Full Boehm

>I cannot believe that nobody on this list knows an answer of my
>question I recently posted. Perhaps my mail never reached the list?
>Since I have learned that there are no stupid questions, I post it
>again:
>
>I have a question concerning the number of keys and rings on a Boehm
>clarinet. The usual (standard?) number seems to be 17/6 (17 keys, 6
>rings). But there are also numbers up to 20/7 (at least).
>
>1.) What is the meaning of the seventh ring? Is there a great
>difference of fingerings between 6 and 7 rings?
>
>2.) The higher the number, the better? Which player use/prefer which
>numbers? (I mean, is there a rule like "Jazz-players use 20/7,
>classical music players use 17/6..."?)
>
>3.) What is the meaning of "Full Boehm"? Does it mean 20/7? And why
>is it called "full"?
>
>Thanks in advance
>
>Dirk
>
>--
>Dirk Kussin dirk@-----.de
>Fachbereich 17 Mathematik-Informatik Raum D2.323
>Universitdt-GH Paderborn Tel. (+49) (5251) 60-2636
>D-33095 Paderborn ----------------------------------------------

To answer your questions:
1. The seventh ring means you can finger e flat on the bottom line of the
stave using the first and third fingers plus thumb on the left hand. This
firgering is much more in tune than the one and one finering used sometimes
on 17/6 clarinets.
2.The reason classical players prefer the 17/6 system is because it is
simple and works well. There are advatages with the full Boehm system but
also disadvantages(you cant play the long high F fingering).Also most 20/7
clarinets have the different way of fingering throat Bb(called the Mazzeo
system) this would be very hard to get used to and most of the really
effective ways of vent the throat tones would be effectively useless. I
think that Jazz players 'are starting' to use them more(mainly through the
Le Blancs) because they are a little more similar to the sax concept of
fingering(articulated G#).
3. When the Boehm system was tried on clarinet it originally had the 20/7
system on it because if you had a low e flat and an articulated G# you
could theortically play all 'A' clarinet parts(stilldone in afew places
like Italy).Thats why 20/7 clarinets are called full Boehm.

I hope this is all correct, if not please correct me.

Thanks
Derek Grice
Australia

I don't think 3. above is correct - as fas as I know, the earliest Boehm
(actually Klose/Buffet) clarinets were "plain" Boehms. Incidentally,
Klose was inspired by the earlier Boehm conical flute design of (I think)
1839, not the silver monster we all know, which emerged later than the
"Boehm" clarinet.
(Nick Shackleton no doubt knows *lots* about all this...).
Roger Shilcock
My memory has been jogged by this to produce the fact that Boosey &
Hawkes used to advertise their professional Imperial 926 and Symphony
1010 B flats as being available with 20 keys and 7 rings. (This would be
when I was first thinking about clarinets in the early sixties). Has anyone
seen one of these?