 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: clarnibass
Date: 2006-09-04 18:03
Hello
Not exactly clarinet related, but I would like to know what is your suggestions for an instrument that is possible to play with only one hand. Someone who only has his right hand would like to start to learn an instrument. The only one I could thing of is trumpet, since I saw people play it with one hand before, or even play two trumpets one with each hand. He thought of harmonica which might be possible, I'm not sure.
Thanks and any help will be appreciated!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: ned
Date: 2006-09-05 04:35
''Someone who only has his right hand would like to start to learn an instrument.''
Valve trombone is a possibility. Perhaps conducting may be an option if there is no suitable instrument.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Arnold the basset hornist
Date: 2006-09-05 06:45
Hello,
besides the recorder here a list of other woodwinds that could be operated by one hand only. Nevertheless, the're often unique instruments, only build once.
The problem is, how many keys have to be operated by one one hand to get a chomatic scale:
the clarinet speeks to the twelfth: 18 additional semitones plus regster key
most other woodwind instrumens speek to the octave: 11 additional semitones, some with additional register keys
brass instruments usually start at the first harminic, so the first (largest) step is on fifth: 6 additional semitones required
Now to the woodwind solutions (beside the recorders):
I remember a "historic" picture of a flute player playing with one hand only - on an instrument specially designed for him.
Saxophones were built for one hand operations - used in vaudeville shows.
Some bassoons (and at least one clarinet) were built with keyboard during the 19th century.
At least at that clarinet there will be a problem "crossing the break" from the throat tones to the clarin register. It was one keyboard layout for both chalumeau + throat and clarion.
It would be interesting, to link all then pictures, but I do not know, where to find them (with permissions to use/copy) in the internet.
Arnold (the basset hornist)
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Cuisleannach
Date: 2006-09-05 07:35
There is one instruemnt that is meant to be played one handed, probably the one-handed flute you mentioned. It's called a tabor pipe and is overblown to provide closely spaced partials to where you only need one hand. It is traditionally played along with a hand drum played with the other hand.
I imagine it wouldn't be too difficult to devise a harness so that slide trombone could be played. I'm not terribly familiar with playing the harp but I wonder if this might be a possibility. A lot of percussion instruments could probably be managed with one hand (I once saw Joe Morello do a perfect one-handed buzz roll on snare).
-Randy
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: EEBaum
Date: 2006-09-05 08:10
Harp repertoire would be fairly limited, given the two-handed nature of a good many chords as well as other techniques. That, and a person needs to really dedicate themselves to harp playing, from what I hear.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: David Peacham
Date: 2006-09-05 09:11
I have to say that, of the mainstream instruments, trumpet (or its close relatives cornet and flugelhorn) seems the only sensible option. They are the only mainstream instruments that are played essentially with one hand only. Their only real drawback is that they are a popular choice, so they may involve some competition to get into a band. Also, the left hand is used to operate a tuning trigger - it will be necessary to adapt this for right-handed operation, or develop the skill to lip notes into tune.
Sure, it is possible to make one-handed woodwinds, but the player's fluency is always going to be severely compromised compared to a two-handed player.
Sure, it is theoretically possible to play the larger valved brass instruments, but think of the practical difficulty of moving them around. These things are heavy and awkward enough to carry with two hands.
Trombone? No. I play the trombone (very badly) and believe you me, you need both hands. The idea of mounting it on a stand or harness and using the right hand to move the slide beggars belief. (OK, prove me wrong. Someone has probably managed it!)
("French") horn might, however, be possible. The conventional way of playing it involves using the left hand to operate the valves, with the right hand in the bell. However, in some playing traditions the right hand is dispensed with. The problem for clarnibass's friend is that he only has a right hand, so would need an instrument built the wrong way round, or some expensive custom mechanism.
Unless this guy actively wants to draw attention to his disability - which I very much doubt - trumpet is the answer.
-----------
If there are so many people on this board unwilling or unable to have a civil and balanced discussion about important issues, then I shan't bother to post here any more.
To the great relief of many of you, no doubt.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2006-09-05 11:53
There's the one handed flute:
http://www.flutelab.com/Editfluit2.jpg
:-)
And the one handed saxophone:
Information:
http://www.vocrehab.state.ne.us/vr/dec2001/01.html
Photos and fingering - (quite a large file):
http://www.unk.edu/departments/music/onehandwinds/togglesax.pdf#search='one%20handed%20saxophone'
Amazing pice of engineering!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: der_kluge
Date: 2006-09-07 21:12
I knew a guy in college who had no right hand, but he had a left hand. To be clear - he still had a right *arm*, just no hand. He played baritone.
The original post isn't entirely clear. Is he lacking only his hand, or the entire arm? I would think if it's only the hand, I can't see why Trombone wouldn't be very possible.
French horn might be possible, but the valves are done with the left hand. I don't know enough to know whether you can reverse that or not. I assume you could.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Iacuras
Date: 2006-09-09 05:48
Trumpet is very possible one handed. One of the trumpet players in our marching band shattered his left arm right before the start of the season, and now has pins in it and can't move it from right next to his body. He still marches and just plays with his right hand. It works quite well.
Steve
"If a pretty poster and a cute saying are all it takes to motivate you, you probably have a very easy job. The kind robots will be doing soon."
"If you can't learn to do something well, learn to enjoy doing it poorly."
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
