Klarinet Archive - Posting 000004.txt from 2010/10

From: DGross1226@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] Old fingers
Date: Sun, 03 Oct 2010 13:34:43 -0400

In a message dated 10/3/2010 8:59:10 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
peter.gentry@-----.uk writes:

> I have noticed recently that I am increasingly failing to fully cover the
> right hand third finger on the C/G hole especially when fingering clarion
> G#
> also a habit is creeping in of partly opening the register key with a
> slightly misplaced thumb.
>
> This seems to be associated with old fingers loosing "fingerprint" and
> becoming rather shiny or it may be a result of playing Bass. Does anyone
> else (seniors amongst us) have this problem?
> regards
>

Peter,

As a 70-year-old clarinetist whose primary instruments are bass, contra
alto, and contrabass, I would vote for your "problem" being the result of
playing plateau-keyed instruments. I also play soprano clarinets with a
community orchestra and whenever I have to return to playing A, Bb, and C
instruments, it takes me about a week of practice to "unlearn" all the "bad?" habits
that can result from the ease of playing instruments with plateau keys...like
not properly curving my fingers to ensure I cover the tone holes.

When I retired and went back to university to study music formally and take
lessons from my professor who routinely played with the LA Phil and the LA
Chamber Orchestra, she would forbid me to touch any of my "pedal clarinets"
for at least a week prior to my juries that we were required to perform on
soprano clarinets.

Granted, while playing bass clarinet, you can "imagine" you're playing open
tone hole instruments and try to incorporate all the things you've ever
learned about finger position, but I submit that the two instruments are
totally different and it just takes time to adjust your motor memory to handle
each of them.

I'll be interested to hear the thoughts of other "senior" players.

Don
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