Klarinet Archive - Posting 000009.txt from 1997/05

From: Ian M. Dilley <imd@-----.uk>
Subj: Re: 1 + 1 fingering (Boehm system)
Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 14:16:03 -0400

>
> Wouldn't time better be spent teaching students a few pages of practical
> technical information, such as cleanly going between high G and B-flat
> on the right (a minor third higher)? Maybe it is just me, but I can say
> I use that 1 + 1 fingering less than 1% of the time.
>
[snip]
> Could it be that this 1 + 1 fingering which is somewhat rarely used, was
> created out of necessity for those players with clarinets lacking a RH
> B-flat "trill" key?
>

Is this fingering really so rarely used? Many years ago my teacher
used to be *really* keen on using this fingering. He used to insist
that I used it in any passage where I was moving from or to a note
involving the right hand. The justification for this being that
playing the side key Bb moves the hand away from it's normal
position. In particular the RH index finger is not ready over it's
hole.

He did prefer the side key for slow passages because the note sounds
slightly better (not a forked fingering).

Is this unusual? Am I doing it wrong?

Ian Dilley