Klarinet Archive - Posting 001358.txt from 1999/05
From: Jack Kissinger <kissingerjn@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: [kl] resonance keys
Date: Sat, 29 May 1999 15:25:34 -0400
Richard Bush wrote:
> I'm still trying to figure out exactly what Gary Van Cott meant in his
> response to Loh Tzu Liang's question about resonance keys.
I really think it would help your understanding of Gary's response if you read it from the point of view that he's pretty knowledgable about clarinets and knows the names of the different registers. The fact is that he has been playing for many years and has been
on this list long enough to have been through several threads where the nomeclature was defined. When I read what he has to say at face value, (e.g., when he says clarion, I interpret it as clarion, not throat), I have no trouble visualizing the keys he describes.
Richard wrote:
> I always thought that a resonance key was a bit of mechanism, key work or a
> pad that came into play to improve a particular note. An example of this
> would be the resonance key for low Bb on some oboes. When the low Bb key on
> the bell of an oboe is closed, a smaller connected pad opens below it for
> additional venting and some improvement of the lowest Bb note. This pad
> closes when the Bb key returns to an open position.
Gary Van Cott wrote:
> I believe that
> resonance keys are one way to resolve problems relating to the size and
> placement of toneholes. In other words, to prevent having to make
> toneholes too large or to avoid place them in awkward places.
While I would probably describe these keys more the way you do, Richard, it's not clear to me that Gary's isn't saying fundamentally the same thing. When I initially read Gary's original response, my first thought was of resonance *fingerings* used to improve the
pitch (and sometimes timbre) of a note. Examples would include fingering throat A as:
A ooo oxx Eb (or some variant)
or throat Bb as:
R A oxx oox Eb (or some variant)
or "high C" (i.e., the C at the top of the clarion range) as:
RT ooo (right-hand trill Bb) xxx
Because all of these examples (and many others) involve both opening and closing additional tone holes simultaneously, I conclude that most clarinetists don't bother with a distinction between venting (opening holes) and resonating (?) (closing holes) in their
descriptions. Given this understanding of resonance fingerings, it seems to me that resonance mechanisms would be mechanisms built into instruments by their manufacturers for the exclusive purpose of improving the pitch or timbre of one or more notes. I think
this description pretty much agrees with your understanding of the term, Richard. Isn't it true though that the reason these mechanisms are necessary is to compensate for other aspects of the instrument's design, e.g., the resonance fingerings used for the throat
Bb described above become necessary because the register key is neither the right size nor in the right location on most clarinets to give an ideal throat Bb -- essentially the point Gary made. So, it seems to me that both of you are saying the same thing -- just
saying it in different ways.
(snip)
Richard Bush wrote:
> [When you say "clarion g" are you talking about second line "g" or
> > top space "g?" If you are talking about second line G, this G is often called throat tone G or open G. The easiest way to know would be for you to state which finger opens or closes it. Until I know that, I really can't figure out what you are talking about.]
I don't understand the motivation for this question. Why would you think he might be talking about "open G." He clearly said "clarion G." He said nothing about "Throat G." To me, he is about as unambiguous as he can be. Is there something specific elsewhere in
his comments to lead you to doubt his word?
(snip)
Richard wrote:
> On any alto or bass clarinet, the ring finger of the right hand closes an
> offset G/D key. There is no additional hole under the touch plate PERIOD!
I think one should be careful about making such absolute statements. I know that whenever I make one, I invariably wind up being absolutely wrong. I don't know whether this comment holds universally for bass clarinets. It very well may, because the options for
dealing with finger spread are pretty limited. In any case, I can't confirm it because I haven't seen every model ever made. I can't refute it because mine has no tone hole under the touch plate. I can say, however, your statement is not correct with regard to
alto clarinets. I have a Marigaux alto clarinet that absolutely DOES have a tone hole under the (chalumeau)G/(clarion)D touch plate (the one on the lower joint played by my right-hand ring finger, to forestall any confusion). In fact, unlike Gary's, mine has no
additional offset key for this mechanism. PERIOD! (Of course, it might not be an alto clarinet after all, but it's pitched in Eb and it's longer than my soprano, shorter than my bass, and has a metal neck and curved metal bell. I'm pretty sure it's not an alto
sax. Dan L., could it be a basset horn in Eb?)
(snip)
Richard wrote,
> Gary, I realize that talking about technical things can be damned hard, but
> when doing so or attempting to do so, try to use an appropriate vocabulary
> and very detailed descriptions. Most importantly, learn what to call the
> different registers of the clarinet.
FWIW, I thought the vocabulary was entirely appropriate and I don't think the final sentence was either necessary or called for.
My $.02,
Jack Kissigner
St. Louis
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