Klarinet Archive - Posting 000200.txt from 2002/08

From: Richard Bush <rbushidioglot@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Throat F and F# fingerings
Date: Wed, 21 Aug 2002 17:23:31 -0400

Dear Martin,

I'm a firm believer that woodwind
players should know, become good at and
use whatever fits. The fit, or reason to
use any particular fingering will vary
with musical context. In some instances,
a fingering might be chosen because of
its tone quality or its tuning. In other
situations, the fingering chosen might
be based upon technical, fingering type
needs. Using a particular fingering
might improve the fluidity of a certain
passage and the tuning or tone quality
take a lower priority.

I can't buy into your logic or reasoning
for the following reasons:

1) There are many interval changes or
jumps that, simply require coordinating
the use of both hands. Going from low A
to E above and back is a simple example.
There are no other choices. But if I had
to play a fast A to E tremolo, and if
there were a simpler, easier to
coordinate fingering possibility, I
would use it.

2) The basic problem of exchanging
fingers (one or two needing to go up
while others go down) is a very real
problem and difficult to do. Let me
explain my thinking. The very instant a
finger breaks seal and starts going up
the new note is in effect. If another
finger or fingers have to go down when
that other finger comes up, it must be
at the end of its finger movement before
it comes into effect. That finger coming
down must be making the seal on the tone
hole at the SAME EXACT TIME the other
finger STARTS up. In other words, when
one finger comes up and one finger goes
down, the finger going down has to start
earlier. The two finger exchange is not
quite like two ships passing in the night.

This coordination problem is much worse
and problematic than involving both hands.

POWELLM397@-----.com wrote:

> Dear John,
> My preference is to use the 1st finger f sharp, for the simple reason that I like to keep my finger movement to one hand. I think it helps when going very fast.
> My pennies worth.
> Kind regards
> Martin
>
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