Klarinet Archive - Posting 000240.txt from 2006/04

From: kurtheisig@-----.net
Subj: RE: [kl] Re: more Mazzeo
Date: Fri, 21 Apr 2006 05:43:22 -0400

Danny,

Enlarging what I said to Margaret;

On sax and clarinet both, my wrists are totally loose and "hang". My hands are across the keys at an angle from above, I don't approach the keys at a 90 degree angle. If you look at figure 34 in Jack Brymers book you will see what I mean.

Also see page 214 in Stubbins book.

With the hands in that position the very slight motion of the hand plays side Bb easily.

I re-configured my Selmer VI soprano sax to accommodate that and can now play VERY difficult passages with ease.

Watch for some of my new sax designs coming out. I will be providing several improvements that will allow much faster more ergonomically correct playing.

Since I was taught on oboe to use my hands STRAIGHT in, I was delighted and surprised to see that Steve Adelstein uses his hands the same on oboe as those pictures and my own position on sax or clarinet.

For those too young to know, Steve was first call in New York years ago and soloed with most of the world's major orchestras. I remember listening to recordings of the Clarion Quartet, which he played in, when I was in grad school many years before meeting him here. He retired to Bonny Doon and lived in this LOVELY wood paneled home. The acoustics for practicing were sooooooo nice! I have NEVER enjoyed playing so much as when one day I got to borrow his living room for a couple of hours! (It sold for less than $900,000--how I wish I could have gotten it!)

Kurt

-----Original Message-----
>From: dnleeson <dnleeson@-----.net>
>Sent: Apr 20, 2006 2:44 PM
>To: klarinet@-----.org
>Subject: RE: [kl] Re: more Mazzeo
>
>Kurt, let me have a shot at the question for which you got an
>excellent answer from Margeret, but I want to raise the level of
>the question to the abstract.
>
>Mazzeo spoke of the traditional Boehm clarinet as one require a
>hand motion that rocked back and forth. Think of the hands in
>second space A and next on the third line B-natural. Go back and
>forth to get the sense of your hands rocking.
>
>Mazzeo's system, on the other hand, made the hand motion of the
>clarinet all up and down fingers, eliminating much of the rocking
>motion that inhibits fast execution over the break.
>
>Use of the third side key for the B-flat as you suggest just
>compounds the rocking problem, forcing the right hand into an
>awkward and highly idiosychratic movement. It's a great B-flat
>as you say, but not when you are running around on the
>instrument.
>
>Dan Leeson
>DNLeeson@-----.net
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Margaret Thornhill [mailto:clarinetstudio@-----.net]
>Sent: Thursday, April 20, 2006 2:15 PM
>To: klarinet@-----.org
>Subject: [kl] Re: more Mazzeo
>
>
>Kurt Heisig wrote:
>>
>> Why not use the a key and the 3rd side key up on right hand as
>Brymer recommends---been using it for decades and it is quite
>easy with a great sound.
>>
>Kurt--
>You don't always have the time to get to this key.
>The Mazzeo invention used this hole with a fingering that is easy
>in
>fast passage work and conducive to a smooth legato so you can use
>it in
>almost any situation. Bet you don't use your side key for a
>normal flat
>key scale in 16ths.
>> Margaret,
>>
>> Are you the one that taught at UCSC between Mazzeo and myself?
>Say about 1973?
>>
>> Kurt
>>
>Yes, and although I know you, I didn't know that you had taught
>there.
>
>
>Regards,
>Margaret
>
>>
>>> The curious may want to know that the Mazzeo really is just a
>Boehm
>>> clarinet with only one (no matter what Mazzeo claimed) note
>fingered
>>> differently--the throat B-flat--which is normally fingered
>with the
>>> throat A key plus the rings of the right hand (and yes, it
>is/was a
>>> brilliant innovation.)
>>>
>>
>>
>
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------------
>--
>Klarinet is a service of Woodwind.Org, Inc.
>http://www.woodwind.org
>
>
>
>-------------------------------------------------------------------
>Klarinet is a service of Woodwind.Org, Inc. http://www.woodwind.org
>

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