Klarinet Archive - Posting 000276.txt from 1998/04

From: Michael Kolos <makolos@-----.ca>
Subj: Re: Off-topic messages PLUS an actual clarinet comment: legato technique
Date: Mon, 6 Apr 1998 23:13:29 -0400

The technique I was taught to use for "legato fingering" consisted of lifting
the fingers up before bringing them down, then bringing them down in a fluid
manner. It's kind of hard to explain, but it became more of a timing thing.
When the time was right, you'd lift the fingers up away from the keys so that
they were high, and then bring them down (whichever finger(s) applied) at a
steady speed, not really slowly, but fluidly. It works to give you smooth
closing of the keys, without banging them, but without getting pitch shifts.
Sliding them could not work, as you'd get notes being slurred into
pitchwise. Not the sound you'll want in most cases.

I feel like I just might as well have said "use dark fingerings"... I don't
know how else to explain. Does anyone else use this technique who could
explain it better?

Michael "watching his grammar" Kolos

> A friend of mine, in critiquing my recent recital, said I needed to work
> on what he termed legato fingering. IOW, in legato passages my fingers
> add too much of a percussive effect. He actually advocated sliding
> fingers more so than lifting them up and down. I know this is done is
> certain cases, such as venting the F# tone hole for altissimo notes
> (index finger of left hand) but have a difficult time visualizing sliding
> my fingers off as a general rule. I think the problem is more addressable
> by working on my finger height and overall level of tension in my hands.
>
> Comments?