 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: corinne
Date: 2004-02-22 14:23
Hey,
okay, my problem is that I'm not able to go fast enough in most music from
- A (LH 1st finger) to B natural
or
- Bb to C natural
- all of which are the middle octave in the staff. is there some easy way to get to these notes, alternate fingerings or something? Thanks a bunch!
Corinne
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2004-02-22 14:43
You can keep your entire right hand down and shouldn't affect the pitch (often, it helps the pitch). A good "resonance" fingering for the A which also somewhat works with the Bb is this . .
Thumb, A, X23|X56 C/F lever.
Hope you can understand that small diagram. This makes it a CINCH to jump from A to B or C. Also Bb. Although on my particular clarinet, a better Bb would be,
TR, A, XX3|XX6 C/F lever.
Hope this helps.
Alexi
PS - Even when running up a scale I automatically now ALWAYS put down the resonance fingerings for those two notes. It helps them sound clearer and project more plus it facilitates over the break maneuvers. And it's become automatic to the point where I can do them even in moderately fast runs.
Alexi (again)
US Army Japan Band
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Author: John O'Janpa
Date: 2004-02-22 14:44
Crossing the break smoothly ( the transitions you are describing) is one of the most difficult things to master.
One thing that helps, if you are not already doing it , is placing your right hand down "early"(or in some cases keeping it down). This can be done without significantly changing the intonation for throat G and higher.
The rest as far as I know, (I'm learning myself) is good mouthpiece, good reed,
good air support, and practice, practice, practice.
John
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Author: William
Date: 2004-02-22 14:59
Most of us have learned to go "as fast" as we need to between those notes using the conventional fingerings. It just takes lots of real consciencious and methodical practice of your major and minor scales and arpeggios. Be sure that you are rolling your LH 1st finger off of the "A" key onto the ring rather than lifting and placing it. Play the "A" on the side of your finger, not the pad. It may also help you to "get the feeling" of playing from A to B if you keep your right hand fingers down--and ready for the B--while still playing the 1st finger A. That way, you only have to place the left hand fingers, not both hands at the same time--which for many beginners is simply a coordination obstical. But this technique is only a learning device and eventually, you must learn to coordinate your hands--and that's where the "P" word comes in (practice). Many hours, days, even years to finally get it right.
But the "good news" is, YOU CAN DO IT if you work at it. Even the most experianced members of this BB still regularily practice their scales to keep their technical "chops" up to speed. You just "gottawantta" bad enough. Good luck.
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Author: cujo
Date: 2004-02-22 19:41
http://www.wfg.woodwind.org/
Go here for a bunch of alternate fingerings.
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Author: ken
Date: 2004-02-22 22:35
Playing smoothly and accurately over the break is a rudimentary skill that takes time, practice and patience ... no magic decoder ring mastering this fundamental. And, if I were a beginner-intermediate level player I'd be super careful using the right hand as a pseudo anchor to negotiate the break. Clearly, establishing and combining good habits with solid, “repetitive” fundamentals are basic to cleaner technique. At this stage of the game, the right hand should really be trained/reserved for auxiliary-resonant fingerings when in and around the throat tones.
William's suggestion is insightful. One accepted method (for clipping the edge on the A key) is raising the left hand up at a slightly higher angle. I've been using this technique for years and it provides a more natural feel, better control and eventually, lightening speed. Additional benefits are more thorough tone hole coverage and more pinky accuracy on the C#/G# teardrop key. v/r Ken
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2004-02-23 14:17
Corinne -
Learn to cross the break by going down, not up. That is, play middle line B and make as little movement as possible going to the A below. Keep your right hand fingers and even your left hand middle and ring fingers down, move your thumb as little as possible, and "nudge" the A key with the edge of your index finger.
Many people say to roll your index finger up, but I think that wastes motion, and it tends to move your other fingers away from their positions.
Once you get the feel of going down, just reverse it going up.
The same thing applies going from Bb to C.
It's something everyone has to learn, and the less finger movement the better. Watch in a mirror and see if you can make your finger movements for the transition light and almost invisible.
For more, see http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=95801&t=95776
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Alphie
Date: 2004-02-23 15:52
In Delacluse: "Vademecum de la Clarinette" (Correct my French grammer if necessary) there are many very good exercises for this. Among many other things.
Alphie
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2004-02-23 18:06
If you are not crossing the break to go any higher than C, things may be easier (much) if you use the throat fingerings for B and C. Play around with the two upper side keys while playing A or the standard Bb and you'll discover a few handy fingerings.
Regards,
John
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Author: allencole
Date: 2004-02-24 09:38
Some very good advice in this thread, particularly the advice to work from B to A rather than from A to B.
It's all in how you share the use of your left index finger between the A-key and the E-hole. (note detailed descriptions in previous posts)
An exercise that I have my kids do is to play the lick from "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" E-A-E-A-E. (throat register, slurred) If they can get this lick up to speed with no tongue, most over-the-break problems quickly fade away.
Allen Cole
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2004-02-24 10:27
Quote:
An exercise that I have my kids do is to play the lick from "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" E-A-E-A-E. (throat register, slurred) An exercise my instructor showed me which was showed to him by Russianoff is similar to this. It's done entirely in slurs. Start on an E, then go one halfstep up and one down in this pattern -> E, F, E, Eb <- First quarter notes, one each, then quarter note triplets in four beats, then eighth notes for four beats, then triplets, then sixteenths. Once you can do that one smooth, go two half steps up and two half steps down. Keep increasing.
This hits a lot of "wierd" transitions such as the above mentioned E to A. Also an E to over the break. E to C# is a bit "odd" to me, etc. etc. Start on E seeing as the lowest note on the clarinet is an E. Once you get all that done, do it from F. Then F#, etc. etc.
For this particular problem, you may want to work on the throat tones (Bb, A, Ab, G) to coordinate the "all fingers down". But this seems to be a good exercises nonetheless.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
Post Edited (2004-02-24 10:28)
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Author: elmo lewis
Date: 2004-02-25 20:35
Everyone is talking about fingers but only one person mentioned air support! The resistance is very different for A and B so most students support the notes differently. It is essential to use the same support for both notes. Once you are supporting correctly it is a matter of repetition-practice it 4 or 5 minutes a day and in a year or two you'll start to get results.
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Author: allencole
Date: 2004-02-26 15:27
That's a good point, Elmo, but it's also a matter of priority. Support won't solve the problem if the fingering is not in place. But getting the fingers straight will still do much for a player who doesn't properly support.
Allen Cole
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Author: Joel Clifton
Date: 2004-02-26 21:36
When I learned to play the Mendelssohn clarinet part from the beginning of A Midsummer Night's Dream, I couldn't get it either, so after a half an hour or so I tried keeping my entire right hand down. It worked great, and did not affect the sound.
Later, my clarinet teacher taught me a fingering for A and Bb that made it sound much better than the normal weak fingering. She had me push the Ab/Eb key and fingerholes 2, 3, 5 and 6, and sure enough, A and Bb came out with a much improved sound.
So, as sfalexi said, holding down your right hand can't hurt, and could easily help.
Since the resistance is much different from A/Bb and B, try relaxing your jaw and moving it forward slightly, as if you're saying EEEEE-Ahhhhh (or some such vowel sound, not sure if those are exactly the right ones).
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