Klarinet Archive - Posting 000397.txt from 2005/11

From: Hendy Appleton <naadhira@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] Buffet 1907 LP Bb clarinet
Date: Mon, 28 Nov 2005 13:19:11 -0500

At 07:42 AM 11/28/2005, you wrote:
>Right. I thought all barrels had donut holes in them (hole in the center
>surrounded by matter). Describe it better for us. 8-)

Short version: looks like an open-hole flute key - a wide metal ring around
the second finger hole on the upper joint. The third hole on the upper
joint also has a ring around it.

Here's where I learned about these two variations:
http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=42518&t=42410.
It's a very interesting discussion. The most relevant post follows:

>Author: <mailto:kenshaw@-----.com?subject=RE: Checkout LH D/A>Ken
>Shaw (38.228.149.---)
>Date: 2001-04-30 18:33
>
>The mechanism gives you an alternate "fork" Eb/Bb, using the fingering for
>E/B plus the left ring finger. The extra ring around the bottom finger
>hole on the upper joint is connected to the pad between the left index and
>middle fingers. You use this fingering for the interval C to Eb
>(chalumeau) and G to Bb (clarion), where the usual fork fingering (with
>the two index fingers) can't be used. It also provides a decent trill from
>Db to Eb (chalumeau) and Ab to Bb (clarion).
>
>I suppose everyone has tried to get an Eb/Bb by pushing down on just the
>pad (leaving the finger hole for the left middle finger open). This is of
>course quite sharp. Adding your left ring finger makes the notes quite flat.
>
>The design used on modern instruments adds a tiny hole covered by a pad
>connected to the left middle finger ring. This gives additional venting
>that brings the Eb/Bb in tune with the ring finger down.
>
>Early in the 20th century, Buffet used a different method, enlarging the
>hole for the left middle finger instead of using an extra hole. This hole
>was too large to cover with a fingertip and so had a pierced flute-style
>key called a "doughnut" key after its shape. That's what you see on the
>eBay instrument.
>
>I've played several doughnut key Buffets over the years and owned an A
>clarinet for a while. I found that the mechanism tuned pretty well, but I
>thought it was mechanically heavier and maybe less reliable than the
>modern version, which is probably why Buffet stopped making it.
>
>Best regards.
>
>Ken Shaw

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Klarinet is a service of Woodwind.Org, Inc. http://www.woodwind.org