Klarinet Archive - Posting 000896.txt from 1998/11

From: "Edwin V. Lacy" <el2@-----.edu>
Subj: [kl] THIRD FINGERS STRAIGHT?!?!?!?!
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 1998 09:26:08 -0500

On Tue, 24 Nov 1998, Roger Garrett wrote:

> 3. Hand Position - 3rd fingers straight, slightly curved fingers, etc.

So, you're the one who has been promoting the "third-fingers-straight"
technique! ;-) I've been battling this for 50 years, and always wondered
where it came from. This is heresy for me. My rule is, "All the fingers
should be curved, on all the woodwind instruments, all the time."

As I sit here typing this, I'm looking at my hands, and I see that my
third fingers are curved like all the others. I have observed my wife
teaching piano and organ students, and admonishing them to curve the
fingers. I looked in the encyclopedia under "human anatomy," and can't
see anything in the physical makeup of the hand that would indicate that
the third fingers operate any differently than the others.

Seriously, even recognizing the fact that every human hand is configured
somewhat differently, don't we want all the fingers to operate with equal
speed and flexibility? If so, then why would we want to have all of them
curved *except* for the third ones?

Please elucidate.

Ed Lacy
el2@-----.edu

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