 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Mike Clarinet
Date: 2004-12-17 13:09
Can anyone help me with hints on intonation of altissimo register? C# and D are fine with conventional fingering. Eb and E are good if I press the R/H Eb/G# key. F and F# are fairly flat, even with the Eb key using the conventional fingerings. I have tried playing F with T123C#/123 and F# with T12-/123G# fingerings, with good intonation results but are quite difficult to use as they do not 'flow' from other fingerings. The intonation of the rest of the instrument is fine. I play a Buffet RC with Vandoren 5RV lyre mouthpiece and Rico Gand Concert Select Evolution #3 reed.
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Author: William
Date: 2004-12-17 14:35
Sounds like a typical clarinet to me. For F#6, I have grown accustomed to using the normal fingering plus the RH "banana" key to raise its pitch. Eb6 I just lip it up. I think we all have to learn to live with "these" notes using the "L & L" system (listen and lip). Good luck.
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Author: Rick Williams
Date: 2004-12-17 16:23
I agree with William that this is typical, that said I'm surprised you gt a good tone using the long F fingering RT123C#/123 since that doesn't seem the be the typical case. You didn't mention your results with the basic F fingering of RT123C#/---G# ?
There are five fingerings that I know of for F and and ten for F#. A nice reference is at http://www.wfg.woodwind.org/clarinet/cl_alt_3.html.
Best
RW
Best
Rick
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Author: GBK
Date: 2004-12-17 17:19
As correctly stated by William, adding the RH sliver key (banana key) to the basic textbook F6 (TR oxx C#/G# ooo Eb) and F#6 (TR oxo ooo Eb) can raise the pitch appreciably for both notes.
An excellent alternative for the basic F#6 fingering is (TR xxo + side key#1 ooo Eb). It is similar to overblowing a Bb5. The merit of this fingering, aside from good intonation, is that it can be easily approached from most notes with little effort. If you still need to raise the pitch on this particular fingering, add the RH sliver (banana) key ...GBK
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Author: Vrat
Date: 2004-12-20 16:11
Using RH sliver (banana) key in this situation is difficult without partially depressing the RH rings. How do you prevent that?
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2004-12-20 16:15
Try pressing the banana key slightly to the right side (instead of pressing down, press on an angle). You'll hit the thicker part of the banana key but steer clear of the rings.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: donald
Date: 2004-12-20 17:34
when using the high F# with bannana key (instead of G#/D# key) i bend my right 3rd finger quite tightly to get it to hit the bannana key much closer to the "axle" than when i'm using it for the chromatic scale. This works as a bit of insurance that i won't accidentally depress the right had rings by accident. This way i'm using two separate finger motions depending on the context.
in scale passages i use this bannana key for high f# (0x0/000) and for the 1st finger high G (x00/000) and this seems to work quite well for these notes in combination.
at Clarinetfest 2003 one of the pieces i performed had lots of high notes that had to be 1)nice sounding 2) in tune...... and i worked very hard on what you'd call "lyric playing in the altissimo". One part of the piece had repeated high f#s dimming down to pppp- a friend in the audience was sitting behind Larry Combs who apparently commented to the person sitting next to him that "that note was very good" (not an exact quote).
It's worth noting that in that piece (Three New Year Preludes by Ross Carey) i must have used about 5 or 6 different fingerings in different places for the high F#. It's quite normal to have a variety of fingerings to use in different situations- some of which may require "bending", some of which may be dependant on which fingering you use for the note before (a very important consideration).
good luck
donald
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Author: Mike Clarinet
Date: 2005-01-10 12:11
Thanks for your help guys, this is much appreciated. Apologies for not acknowledging earlier, but I have been away from my computer for a few weeks.
The r/h banana key trick works fine, as long as I press the key close to the pivot point. This, as donald says, avoids the rings. I assume that avoiding the rings prevents the small hole at the top of the lower joint from closing. Whatever, the trick works. I just have to re-train myself to use it...
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Author: William
Date: 2005-01-10 15:19
Here is another solution to the "banana depression" problem.
One of our local repairpeople solves the banana depression key problem by cutting off parts of RH 2 & 3 rings leaving just the top half ring for the second finger and the bottom half for the third finger. The "B" key may then be depressed without also hitting the adjacent rings with your third finger. It feels strange at first, but you soon get used to it. At least, that is what my municipal band stand partner--whose A & Bb R13s both have half rings on the lower joint--says.
So, get out those wire snippers and.............(good luck)
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Author: Mike Clarinet
Date: 2005-01-10 15:23
Hmmm...I don't really feel like mutilating my baby in this way...However, if it works for you...
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Author: Vrat
Date: 2005-01-10 16:07
Thanks to Alexi and Donald for tips on using the 'banana' key to fix flatness in the lower altissimo register.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2005-01-10 19:25
For me playing the F# and maybe even F sometimes with the right pinky C/F key instead of the Eb/Ab key can make the notes sharper.
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