Klarinet Archive - Posting 000638.txt from 2001/10

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: Re: [kl] Finzi fingering
Date: Sat, 20 Oct 2001 11:38:59 -0400

On Sat, 20 Oct 2001 08:51:56 -0400, deehays@-----.net said:

> From: "agalper" <agalper@-----.com>
>
> > The passage mentioned in the query about the last movement of the
> > Bagatelles:
> > D-C#-B-C#.
> > One can make this easier by anchoring the little finger of the Right
> > hand on the Ab-Eb key.
> >
> > Regarding the Poulenc, the passage in question goes so fast, if you
> > played a passable high D any other way, it would'nt be noticeable.
>
> Another alternative is don't use the Ab/Eb key at all. It is possible
> on many clarinets to play that high D in tune without it. So pick the
> one that works for you. Anchor with the Ab/Eb all the time (the C#
> may then go sharp on you) or don't use the Ab/Eb at all (on some
> clarinets, the D may go flat). I find that on my instrument I have to
> play the D without the Ab/Eb key anyway to be in tune with those who
> play Buffet instruments.

The D in the Finzi passage is two octaves lower than that. Abe is
addressing two different questions in his two paragraphs, so the
anchoring applies to a chalumeau fingering D C# B.

As to how Abe's suggestion, or indeed Kelly's suggestions helps the
Finzi, I imagine it must be to do either with making the contributions
of the fingers of the right and left hands more symmetrical, or to do
with stabilising the instrument, or both.

The subjective feeling is that greater 'symmetry' of the fingers used
(even though in Abe's suggestion the RH little finger doesn't actually
move) makes the fingerings easier to *imagine*, and therefore play --
contrast playing contrary motion scales on the piano with playing scales
in octaves. I also find I can imagine fingerings better if I've watched
them, so looking at what's happening in a mirror can help.

Try watching just one finger at a time as you play through the passage.

With regard to instrument stability, sometimes people use over-vigorous
finger movements that actually move the instrument around in space, and
it's worth slowing down movements that don't need to be fast, as I
suggested in another post, for that reason too. 'Light' fingers are
sometimes mentioned in this context, but that can be overdone, as has
been observed by several commentators (Russianoff, for example).

Tony
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