Klarinet Archive - Posting 000203.txt from 2002/08

From: w8wright@-----.net (William Wright)
Subj: Re: [kl] Throat F and F# fingerings
Date: Fri, 23 Aug 2002 00:24:24 -0400

<><> Richard=A0Bush wrote:
I think this discussion in turning into
bunk. When all of you took up a woodwind instrument you understood it
would take
two hands to do it. It also takes two
hands to wash dishes. Both hands are
connected to the same brain, so what's
the problem?

Every player has an upper limit for both speed and precision. Whatever
a particular person's limits are, they can play better if they don't
waste resources which otherwise would help them achieve their best.

Clearly a player may want to perform extra work in order to achieve a
certain sound, but that's not what I (at least) am discussing.

To be blunt about it, I can't afford to waste a portion of my
concentration. I need every bit of it to play easy music.

The statement about "connected to the same brain" is a drastic
oversimplification.

Two hands must somehow (however indirectly) communicate with and
influence each other on appropriate occasions in order to remain
synchronized. This conflict between parallel and serial requires extra
cycles while information travels back and forth, and while predictions
are made based on this information. and finally while the decisions are
coded/transmitted/decoded. Predictions inevitably include errors.
Other things being equal, less predicting (conscious or subconscious)
means less error, which means better playing.

To be absolutely ridiculous about it, since my feet and hands are
connected to the same brain, I should have no problem tap dancing while
playing because my fingers will know without effort or delay the effect
of each foot movement as it happens.

Cheers,
Bill

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