Klarinet Archive - Posting 000372.txt from 1998/03

From: "Edwin V. Lacy" <el2@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: Altimetry register
Date: Fri, 6 Mar 1998 14:43:55 -0500

On Thu, 5 Mar 1998, Roger Garrett wrote:

> G, based on a fingering for a low Bb would be, in order of partials:
>
> Low Bb - 1st, or fundamental partial
> F (top line on staff) - 2nd partial
> D - Altissimo - 3rd partial
> G (actually G#) - 4th partial

The harmonic series of low Bb on the clarinet would be:

Fundamental or 1st partial: Bb
2nd partial: Bb on the third line of the treble clef
3rd partial: F, top line
4th partial: Bb, 2nd space above the staff
5th partial: D, 3rd space above the staff
6th partial: F, 4th space above the staff
7th partial: Ab, 5th space above the staff, but this one will be
quite flat. With a little alteration, it serves for a
high G fingering.

So, not surprisingly, on the clarinet we use the fingerings which are
based on the odd-numbered partials, which are the ones which predominate
the clarinet sound. The 1st partial is the normal fingering for low Bb;
adding the register key produces F, the 3rd partial; venting it by lifting
the 1st finger of the left hand produces the 5th partial, high D; and,
lifting both the 1st and 3rd fingers of the left hand, with the addition
of the 2nd finger of the right hand to bring the already-flat 7th partial
down even a little more results in high G, actually the (very) flat Ab.

So, the high G, while it is the seventh partial, is the fourth one which
is available on the clarinet. Still, I think it is better to retain the
standard terminology.

Ed Lacy
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Dr. Edwin Lacy University of Evansville
Professor of Music 1800 Lincoln Avenue
Evansville, IN 47722
el2@-----.edu (812)479-2754
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