Klarinet Archive - Posting 000006.txt from 2010/10

From: "Alan Zimmerman" <azimmerman1@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Old fingers
Date: Sun, 03 Oct 2010 15:11:40 -0400

After returning to my Bb clarinet after a 55 year absence, I too find
frustration in restoring muscle memory.
particularly critical in the altissimo keys and certain bridge keys.
Practice is helping, but oh so slowly.
Alan
----- Original Message -----
From: <DGross1226@-----.com>
To: <klarinet@-----.com>
Sent: Sunday, October 03, 2010 12:34 PM
Subject: Re: [kl] Old fingers

> 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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