Klarinet Archive - Posting 000981.txt from 1998/02

From: garylsmith@-----.com (Gary L Smith)
Subj: Re: Backwards clarinets
Date: Fri, 27 Feb 1998 14:57:32 -0500

On Wed, 25 Feb 1998 14:14:18 +1300 Dodgshun family <dodgshun@-----.nz>
writes:
>I was wondering whether a clarinet with the keys on the opposite side
>to a
>normal clarinet so the RH is on top has ever been made? I mean, you

I started a beginner out on tone production and making E, D, and C in her
first lesson. Next week, she was doing really well on them - with her
right hand. She's come a long way since then, but I still have to gesture
with a hand, not just say "your right hand" when discussing fingering.

I saw a rock video once where some disgusting synthesized "bloop, bloop"
sound was a regular part of the nauseatingly monotoneous rhythm track. I
suppose they decided this needed to be represented by an instrument in
the video, so they got some spaced-out looking dude (probably the bass
player :-) ) to sit and pretend to play a clarinet in synch with the
sound. You guessed it; he held it RH top.

To answer your question, I've never heard of such. It's acoustically
possible, but I can't think of any advantage. Yet another anecdote; this
one actually pertains. I'm left-handed, so when I joined beginner band I
asked my band director if this would affect my clarinet playing. His
reply: "Right now, one hand knows about as much as the other about
clarinet playing." I think both hands are equally taxed in clarinet
playing, to be sure.