Klarinet Archive - Posting 001209.txt from 2000/12

From: Richard Bush <rbushidioglot@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Eb Lever
Date: Sun, 24 Dec 2000 10:59:33 -0500

The left hand, pinkie Ab/Eb (G#/D#) lever is not new. All of the big makers
have offered it for years on some of their fancier models. It has only been
recently that it has been added as a regular feature to some of the models
offered by Leblanc, Buffet, Selmer and Yamaha.

While it is a common addition to artist grade bass clarinets, it is not on
the student model, plastic bass clarinets that descend to low Eb. It should
be because these instruments have only one key to play the lowest Eb.

If I had one on my soprano clarinet, I would make an effort to add it to my
fingering patterns and technique. But on those occasions when I've had
chances to play such clarinets, I mostly forget that it is there. Simply, I
grew up and established patterns that work work arounds for not having this
key. It is hard for old dogs to learn new tricks.

I'm sure that players who develop on instruments with this keywork feature
would incorporate it into their playing and use it without a second thought.

The same goes for the fork Eb fingering that was common on saxophones built
in the 20s and 30s. I have two saxophones with this fingering feature, a
1923 Buescher bass sax and a 1925 Buescher baritone. I seldom use this
fingering because I forget it's there. If I have a passage that is difficult
and need to woodshed it, slowly working it up to speed, and if the fork Eb
helps, I will include it and make it part of the fingering pattern. These
situations are rare.

Very possibly, because the saxophone forked Eb did not have an equivalent on
flute, clarinet or oboe is the reason why the mechanism was removed. Players
just didn't use it, didn't demand that it be on their instruments, and it
was a mechanism that could and did cause regulatory problems. In short, it
was a pain that nobody appreciated.

In the case of the clarinet and the left hand Eb lever, it seems that it is
becoming more popular. If the trend continues, there is a chance that it
will eventually be put on all clarinets. We'll see.

Neil Leupold wrote:

> --- Forrest Davie <mcpusc@-----.com> wrote:
>
> > I was browsing a web site selling clarinets and they
> > referred to a model as "the only student clarinet with
> > an Eb lever". What does this refer to? my clarinet
> > (not very good) has Eb keys. Whats the deifference?
>
> They were likely referring to an auxiliary left-hand pinky Ab/Eb,
> located between (rising immediately above) the low E/clarion B and
> low F#/clarion C# keys. This extra key is offered typically only
> on the higher-end models of a given maker's line of clarinets. All
> bass clarinets come with this "extra" key as a standard feature.
>
> Does anybody know why it took so long for somebody to include it on a
> soprano clarinet model? Was the R-13 Prestige the first Buffet model
> to include it? Was the Concerto the first for Leblanc?
>
> -- Neil
>
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>
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