Klarinet Archive - Posting 000770.txt from 1997/05

From: "Jay E. Niepoetter" <niep@-----.com>
Subj: forked B/F# key
Date: Thu, 29 May 1997 01:13:03 -0400

I have recently been looking for good beginner clarinet book for
students. I purchased Avrahm Galper's Clarinet for beginner series,
published by Boosey and Hawkes. I have respected Mr. Galper and his
students for some time now. He was formerly P. Cl. with the Toronto
Symphony. Anyway... he teaches to slide from the forked B/F# key
(chromatic B -- some people call it the knife key) down to the 3rd tone
hole.

Example -- in the low register: A#-B-G

I was always taught to use the middle finger for B natural when it is
followed by a note that use the 3rd tone hole in the left hand. I find
using the forked fingering fairly awkward, but maybe its just because
I'm not familiar with doing the slide. If I could develop this
fingering smoothly it could become a very useful technique.

My question is more a survey... Do you use the slide off the knife key,
or the switch to the middle finger to play this passage?

Just curious,
J