Klarinet Archive - Posting 001284.txt from 2003/04

From: "Keith" <100012.1302@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] My short Love Affair with the Fox Basset Horn
Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2003 18:07:30 -0400

Only a little ;-). The instrument is well supported by the spike of
course, and I've been playing bass clarinet with it for decades. Sorry
not to be clear - I was referring to the positional location of the
right hand. When I first started using instruments with thumb keys,
about six years ago, I realised that one uses the RH thumb position as a
reference to know where the RH fingers go. If your thumb is floating, or
in a very different position from usual, it is possible to miss keys
because the usual (thumb) reference has moved. On my basset horn, the R3
is not a plateau key but an open hole, so finger location needs to be
more accurate than with a bass. Of course one gets used to it as with
everything, but it is a bit strange at first.

Keith

>To: <klarinet@-----.org>
>From: "Joseph Wakeling" <joseph.wakeling@-----.net>
>Subject: Re: [kl] My short Love Affair with the Fox Basset Horn
>Message-ID: <003c01c30ef7$2ab4aa60$35021586@dm8ivu>

<< Well of course I use a spike and sit down! >>

>Sorry if I sounded patronising, I didn't mean to. ;-) But I don't
quite see how you are "losing your anchor"
>if the instrument is being supported by the spike. I don't remember
feeling that as a problem back when I was
>playing bass clarinet in youth orchestra, or on the one occasion I got
to try a basset horn a few years ago.

> -- Joe

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