Klarinet Archive - Posting 000990.txt from 1998/11

From: "David B. Niethamer" <dnietham@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] tuning/fingering questions
Date: Wed, 25 Nov 1998 20:15:29 -0500

On 11/22/98 3:58 AM, Diane Karius, Ph.D. wrote:

>I've been pondering these questions for a week and a half and I still
>don't get it - so: I routinely use resonant fingerings in the
>throat tones and half hole the low altissimo D, E, and F when I play.
>If I use those fingerings to tune, my clarinet is well in tune with
>itself (the notable exceptions being the throat Bb (A+register key),
>which is hideously flat - that gets worse if I don't use the resonant
>fingering in the G to tune; and the altissimo A, which is hideously
>sharp (higher notes come back down)). My new teacher has told me: 1)
>to use the resonant fingerings only when I drift sharp as a way to
>bring the tone down (which they certainly work well for); 2) not to
>half-hole the altissimo notes (at all); and 3) not to use either
>half-holing or the resonant fingerings when I tune. Given #1 and 2,
>I certainly see where #3 comes from, but I don't understand #1 and 2.
>
>My questions then:
>1. How uncommon/common is it for a clarinetist to use either of
>these fingering techniques? Is there any arguement against using
>them even when the tone & pitch of the note is improved by them?
>2. Given that the clarinet is in better tune with itself when
>I use those techniques as I tune and that all but the quickest notes
>are being played using these fingerings, what would be a reason for
>_not_ tuning using those techniques? (Obviously, this question is
>moot if there is a reason not to be using those fingering in the
>first place)

Where to start? Especially in view of Tony Pay's posts re: how to
ask/respond to questions. ;-) Lets start at #3.

>3) not to use either half-holing or the resonant fingerings when I tune.

I find that many players have an odd sense of the tuning process. In my
mind, matching the pitch is not the object of this process. It's to
discover where your instrument is relative to the tuning standard (oboe
or tuning machine), and to make the necessary adjustments to your
instrument so that you can play in tune with others more easily. In
general, this means not using any "adjusting" fingerings when tuning.

But on the clarinet, especially the Bb instrument tuning to A-440, there
are problems. Each octave of A concert on the Bb clarinet (written B
natural) is sharp. So, if you accurately tune those notes, in general,
you will be flat - not a good solution. If *I* were tuning my throat
tones, I'd want them to be slightly sharp without the resonance
fingerings, and on the money with the resonance fingerings, at a
reasonable mf or forte dynamic. That way I have room to go sharper if I
need to, and won't get too flat as I get louder. So I'd tune using *both*
fingerings for throat tones.

I'd also spend some time in practice playing intervals against a sounding
pitch from a tuner, to learn the tendencies of my instrument/mouthpiece
setup, to learn where it plays under normal circumstances (decent reed,
normal room temperature). Is Tom Labadorf's tuning exercise/article still
on Sneezy? It's the most useful I've ever seen.

>2) not to half-hole the altissimo notes (at all)

Since altissimo E and F are likely to be flat, half-holing them is not a
good choice. You're using a flat fingering, and then having to squeeze
them up to pitch, at the expense of their tone quality. Also, for most
folks, the half-hole gets in the way technically if you use it all the
time. For me it's better to learn to voice the C# and D not to be so
sharp without the half-hole, and get a fuller basic sound in that part of
the instrument. Not a louder sound, just rounder, fuller, warmer, nicer -
all the good adjectives you can think of. (Alert to the Los Altos
Emergency Medical Squad - Dan Leeson is getting ready to have a coronary
event due to imprecise and meaningless language here!!)

>1) to use the resonant fingerings only when I drift sharp as a way to bring
the tone down

For me a similar approach applies here. Learn to play these notes well
supported, and without excess embouchure pressure, so they're not too
thin and/or sharp. Find a barrel length, or play pulled out so that the
pitch is a bit sharp unadjusted, and as close as possible adjusted with
resonance fingerings. If your Bb is very flat, you may need to compromise
here, but may I suggest 1.) cleaning out the register tube to assist the
Bb, and 2.) adjusting as necessary the corks on the Ab and A keys to
control their height/pitch.

So, to repeat your question,

>>My questions then:
>>1. How uncommon/common is it for a clarinetist to use either of
>>these fingering techniques?

I use these fingering techniques all the time, especially the throat
resonance fingerings.

>>Is there any arguement against using
>>them even when the tone & pitch of the note is improved by them?

Not for me. Playing in tune with others is a cooperative effort. The
ability to stop the needle or LED light on 0 on the tuner for any given
note is not playing in tune to me. "A" can be 440, or sharper (minor 3rd
of F# minor triad, leading tone of the Bb scale) or flatter (major third
in F major triad). One uses these fingerings to assist in whatever
context they seem to be necessary/helpful.

>2. Given that the clarinet is in better tune with itself when
>I use those techniques as I tune and that all but the quickest notes
>are being played using these fingerings, what would be a reason for
>_not_ tuning using those techniques?

I'd want my students to try to get as close as possible without
adjustments before using resonance or other adjusting fingerings. I
wouldn't want those fingerings to become a "crutch" for good tone and
intonation.

>Sorry for being so long winded!

And you thought your question was long!!

HTH

David

David Niethamer
Principal Clarinet, Richmond Symphony
dnietham@-----.edu
http://members.aol.com/dbnclar1/

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