Klarinet Archive - Posting 000373.txt from 1998/08

From: ROBERT ABRAHAM <rkabear@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Re: [[kl] articulated G#]
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1998 14:05:57 -0400

Karen...

An articulated G# is a mechanism standard on most saxophones, and optional on most upper line clarinets. The mechanism closes the G# key when one of the right hand (2nd, 3rd, or 4th finger) rings are closed. This is helpful on F - G# and F# - G# trills. It actually is *not* helpful on the problem or G# - A trills, which is how this thread got started. Anyway, when you use a long F fingering:

X
X
X
(G#)
X
X
X

...you would not be able to hold the G# key open to make the nice F. The articulated G# mechanism would close the G# key since one of the rings (in this case, all of the rings) for the right hand has been depressed.

If you were playing an F - G# trill, the G# key would be closed everytime the F (1st ring/2nd finger) ring/finger went down with this mechanism. Without it, you would just honk and squeak if you played an F with the G# key open during the trill.

By the way...I didn't mean any offense in assuming that you hadn't used Klose scales patterns. I just didn't see *you* mention it, just other people flaming each other about how horrible each other's assessment of the situation was. So I assumed that this might not be *your* fight. Sorry for the assumption. I would call to find out if they just want certain scales or for you to play all of them (which would be awful). If you have a choice, *my* choices for scales would be to play G (3 oct.) for range, Bb, Db, D, B, the relative minors to those majors, the chromatic from low E to high G, and the wholetone scale from (chal) C to (high) C (2 oct.) To avoid flames from the *holier than thou* scales afficionados, these are *my* choices to show comfort with different keys, not a *standard* by any means, and you can choose whichever scales you like.

I still stand by my thoughts on scales that, unless specified, I would play plain scale patterns, and leave the technique to your prepared pieces. This would allow for less scale practice time, and also less scale *taping* time.

Good luck on the audition tape...

Kelly Abraham
Woodwinds/Computer Geek
New York City

*********************************************************************
> what exactly is an articulated G#? Is it a way of playing the note, or the way
> the keywork is?
>
> Karen D
> Los Altos,Ca
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------

Get free e-mail and a permanent address at http://www.netaddress.com/?N=1

-------------------------------------------------------------------------