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Re: Eb Lever

Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2006-03-09 22:06

I assume you mean a lever for the left little finger that opens the right little finger key for low Ab, clarion Eb.

With only one Ab/Eb key, there are "you can't get there from here" passages, such as (chalumeau) G#-F#-E-G#, where you have to slide your finger from one key to another. The extra lever makes it possible to play these without sliding.

Some players object to the addition of this key because:

-- it adds weight (this seems dumb to me -- the weight is tiny).

-- the older key design put the lever between the two upper left little finger levers, separating them -- however, current designs mount the lever outside those keys and have it curve over.

-- in order to be easily reachable, the lever must be long enough to interfere with secure technique on the other keys for the left little finger -- but current designs let the key be easily removed.

-- if I remove the lever, it leaves an ugly pair of posts -- but current designs make the posts almost invisible.

-- if I don't have the lever on all my instruments, I may reach for it on an instrument that doesn't have it -- but almost all bass clarinets have the lever, and I know of no one who gets confused after playing bass -- certainly I don't.

There's no reason not to have the key. On the other hand, Robert Marcellus, Harold Wright and almost all the other great players have gotten along fine without it.

Ken Shaw

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