 The Fingering Forum
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Author: Rick Bonser
Date: 1999-07-12 11:51
I have been given a clarinet. I Have been told by a repairer that I purchased new pads from that it was an "Albert Clarinet". He said thet just about nobody plays them any more. I'm interested in finding out more about this instrument especially fingerings. Can anybody help?
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Author: Arnold the basset hornist
Date: 1999-07-13 13:29
Search the Phorom for "german system" or see:
http://student.physik.uni-dortmund.de/homepages/kiel/Clarinet/griffe.html
This will give you an overview to the albert system, too. Today's german system is a directly increased key system with a minimum of 17 keys, ending up at "Oehler" (possibly with a few more 'complications' added)
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Author: Eoin
Date: 1999-07-15 08:39
Are you a proficient clarinet player who has picked up this Albert clarinet out of curiosity, or are you a complete
beginner with this being your first clarinet?
The Albert system, also known as the Oehler system, is indeed a rarity these days. Most of the world uses the
Boehm system. As far as I know, the only places where the
Albert system is used are Germany and Austria. You should therefore not make this your only clarinet unless you want to play in an orchestra in one of these countries.
If you already have a Boehm system clarinet, it may be an interesting intellectual excercise to examine the Albert clarinet, but don't attempt to become proficient on it. The two fingering systems are very similar in a lot of places and different in others. This can lead to great confusion. I don't think you could become proficient in both at the same time.
As an example, try the scale produce by covering all the finger holes and then opening them one by one from the bottom, ending with the thumb. On a Boehm system clarinet,
this produces G A Bb C D E F G. On an Albert system, it
produces G A B C D E F# G.
I don't play Albert system myself, so I may be wrong, but I do play recorder, and find that my clarinet fingering suffers after a long spell of recorder playing.
Eoin
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Author: Eoin
Date: 1999-07-15 08:42
Note when interpreting the fingering charts at the
German site,
German naming scheme for notes is different from English:
"is" means # (sharp)
German B = English B flat
German H = English B
This explains how Bach was able to spell out his own name
as a theme in one of the very last pieces he wrote.
Eoin
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Author: Heidi
Date: 1999-08-06 03:38
If you want to try an old Albert system clarinet for fun, the Rubank Clarinet Method still contains a fingering chart with the Beohm system on one side and the Albert on the other.
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Author: Henning
Date: 1999-08-09 13:08
What is the problem if you play an Oehler whereas all others
play Boehm??? The only problem I can see is that you have
problems asking the others for fingerings...
(I´m an Oehler-player in Germany and there are some people
playing Boehm (but very few))
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Author: Keith
Date: 1999-08-13 18:18
If you like traditional (New Orleans-style) jazz, you may be interested to know that several players who perform in that style still use Albert system clarinets (including Woody Allen, the film director, who plays jazz clarinet as a hobby).
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Author: cas
Date: 2003-03-11 20:50
The Albert system clarinet was/is indeed used by many jazz players-easier to play scalar jazz lines supposedly.
But the Albert system was also used by many emigres to the US in the early part of the century-players like Simeon Bellison had a famously rich, dark sound, and could play anything on that system.
Playing multiple systems might be inviting danger for a novice player, but I don't see this as a concern for an experienced player.
Cas
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