Klarinet Archive - Posting 000152.txt from 2001/06

From: stewart kiritz <kiritz@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] curved fingers
Date: Mon, 4 Jun 2001 00:54:39 -0400

Thanks, Anne, for your suggestion. I will try out the idea of practicing
descending scales. The problem is that, with all due modesty, I have no
problem creating a very good sound and play with quite a bit of facility --
only the fingers are not as curved as they could be, and therefore certain
passages are less facile than they could be. If I didn't play pretty well
already it would be easier. Since I do play pretty well, it takes the
patience to take several steps backward in order to go forward. But I am
working on it.

Appreciate the input.

Stewart
----- Original Message -----
From: "Anne Lenoir" <AnneLenoir@-----.net>
Subject: Re: [kl] curved fingers

> Stewart. about 2 or more years ago, I had a short-lived bout with
> "fobble-fingers". For some reason, my fingers simply weren't working up
> to par. Later on when I started teaching beginning clarinet students at
> the music store, I noticed a phenominal improvement in my own fingering
> as well as my students, because of the way I was teaching them to use
> their fingers, starting on a thumb F, and descending, eventually playing
> an F scale, then adding the low E key, and repeating that scale over and
> over, with the metronome, making sure that the fingers are placed very
> comfortably and happily.
> I very quickly realized that this principle of playing scales
> descending, also works for several other scales in the chalameau,
> including G, A, Ab, F#, E, & chromatic. The reason I don't bother with
> the break, at first, is for 2 reasons. First of all I believe that it is
> important to concentrate on getting a beautiful tone in the lower
> register first. This makes it easer to move on later. And secondly, the
> finger positions are pretty much the same in the lower register as above
> the break, so why bother with it (the break) while you are getting your
> fingers to work right, and the pinkies right on the button? There's
> plenty to concentrate on in the low register without becoming distracted
> with a whole new can of worms right away. If your fingers start to work
> beautifully together, why screw it up by going over the break and risk
> being distracted by any number of new problems right away? Anyhow, this
> is only my opinion. I'm sure that there are many different opinions
> about fingers. I hope this wasn't too wordy. ANNIE
>
>

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