Klarinet Archive - Posting 000793.txt from 1998/12

From: CmdrHerel@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] The Bb sounds different
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1998 14:07:32 -0500

In a message dated 12/21/98 11:34:31 AM Eastern Standard Time,
steen.nygaard@-----.com writes:

<< How can it be, that my clarinet sounds more "airy" when I play the midle Bb
and A? Dont tell me: it is my embouchure?! >>

Because when we play Bb, A (and also Ab and G) very little of the clarinet
tube is being covered. What happens is that with that short little area that
the sound wave is set up in, there isn't a lot of room for overtones, making
those notes sound thin and weak (please pardon the laymen's physics,
everyone!) or "airy."

What we tend to do for those notes is used what are called "vented"
fingerings, that is, fingering combinations that result in forcing the air to
travel further down the clarinet body, allowing for more overtones in the
sound. I use vented fingerings whenever time allows, that is if the notes are
slow enough so that I have time to get the extra fingers down.

Now there are a number of vent options since every clarinet is a bit
different, and these fingerings need to be in tune. For starters, I'll give
you mine, and from there you can either grab a good fingering chart for
others, or if these are out of tune, ask the list and I'm sure you'll get
more! :)

Okay, if you label your fingers 1, 2 and 3 on each hand with the index being
one and the ring finger being 3, these are my vented fingerings (top hand
listed first, bottom hand listed second)

Bb: A key, Bb key, 3 / 3 Low F key

A: A key, 3 / 1 2 Low F key

Ab: Ab key, / 1 2

G: / 1 2

Hope this helps!

Teri Herel

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