Klarinet Archive - Posting 000110.txt from 2003/10

From: Richard Bush <rbushidioglot@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Banana key (was tongue movements)
Date: Mon, 6 Oct 2003 10:23:17 -0400

With a group such as this, with its many very talented members, I'm not
going to tell anyone what they should or shouldn't do, particularly
when it comes to fingerings.

I will, however, share with you what I tell my own private students.
First, I tell them that they should become very good at using all of
the fingerings. Only when one is comfortable with all fingerings will
one be objective when choices present themselves. I explain the logical
and mechanical reasons for choosing particular fingerings and come up
with a general rule that applies, then go on to also explain that a
particular fingering might be chosen for other reasons, such as tuning
or tone quality. Such a rule might be:

The sliver Eb/Bb is used in a Bb scale, but the side key is used
whenever the note before or after is one that requires the left hand
ring finger to close the third finger hole.

I figure that a particular key is on the instrument by popular demand
and if no one ever used it, the maker would be happy to not put it on,
saving some money in the process.

Richard Bush

On Monday, October 6, 2003, at 07:31 AM, Buckman, Nancy wrote:

> When I first learned to play clarinet, I used the banana all the time.
> After I discovered the right hand key, I quit using the banana key
> and very seldom ever use it now. I know how, but just don't find the
> necessity very often.
>
> Nancy

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