Klarinet Archive - Posting 001517.txt from 2000/10

From: "Patricia Smith" <pattiesmith@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Left Hand
Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2000 08:04:25 -0500

Ken Shaw wrote:

Beginners are taught to "roll" the left index finger onto the A key, but the
word "roll" invites rotation of the wrist to get on the key and rotation
back
to get off. Once you find a hand position that has most of the roll built
into it, the motion is small and mostly sideways, with the edge of the
finger. It's the same for the register key -- a nudge up with the upper
edge
of your thumb.

I would like to point out here that when teaching this to beginners,
especially children who are learning, it is VERY important for the teacher
to demonstrate the movement over and over again VERY slowly, and to have the
student mimic it, for the reason Ken states above. For each of my students,
I write out exercises that address this - and, in the cases in which the
rotation of wrist is very difficult to overcome, we work assiduously at
eliminating as much movement as possible. Thanks Ken, for a thoughtful
post, as always.

Patty Smith

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