Klarinet Archive - Posting 000520.txt from 1998/02

From: Daniel.Meirsman@-----.com
Subj: Re[2]: LH Eb/Bb key
Date: Wed, 11 Feb 1998 12:59:02 -0500

It is also useful in passages like:

D#-E-D#-F#-F-F#...

when executed fast.

Look f.i. at the last Baermann exercise in part III.

Daniel

_________
Subject: Re: LH Eb/Bb key
Author: majordom@-----.us at #SMTP
Date: 11/2/98 17:38

On Tue, 10 Feb 1998, Birch wrote:
> I have a question:
> Does anyone ever use the left hand Eb/Bb key (between the middle and
> ring fingers)? I have never ever used it on a boehm-system clarinet,=

> though it is vital on an Albert. I was wondering if it actually does=

> serve a practicle purpose, or whether it was just a leftover remnant =
of
> the Albert.

I assume Birch is referring to the fork key Eb/Bb which is used for
chromatic passages. I am responding to this question to address a comm=
on
problem I find in most of the young students who come to me after sever=
al
years of playing the instrument. Once we have addressed and resolved m=
any
of the sound production problems, we move right to the chromatic scale =
-
usually as a way to teach pattern, fingerings, and, perhaps most
importantly, hand position. 9 out of 10 students are taught that the s=
ide
Eb/Bb key is the key to be using for chromatic passages. It takes a lo=
ng
time to break this habit. The old adage, "Whenever possible keep
technique in one hand," is a good reason for using the Eb/Bb fork key.
The same holds true for the B/F# fork key of the right hand.

Roger Garrett
IWU
=