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 Brahms F Minor Fingering Question
Author: Jeff 
Date:   2000-08-03 03:25

Ok, at the beginning of the Brahms, there is a jump from a 3rd space C to a high Eb. I can't seem to find a good fingering for this. Does anyone have any suggestions?

thanks,

Jeff

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 RE: Brahms F Minor Fingering Question
Author: Kevin Bowman 
Date:   2000-08-03 03:37

Yup:
TR -23|--3 Eb

You have to play the C on the left anyway, so the RH is available to play the Eb key - no problem. This "3rd finger" Eb comes in handy in a lot of situations, like jumping the octave from/to the lower Eb, like in measure 130 :)

Also, unless you have a LH Eb lever, mark a switch of pinkies in the Db in bar 110 (L-R).

Have fun and good luck.

Kevin Bowman

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 RE: Brahms F Minor Fingering Question
Author: Pam 
Date:   2000-08-03 07:02

Try fingering high Eb with the right middle finger and the right pinky remaining on the C key. Then you can finger the C regularly and already have your fingers down for the following F#.

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 RE: Brahms F Minor Fingering Question
Author: Robin 
Date:   2000-08-03 12:43

This is exactly the same problem that confronted me while my orchestra was reading through the Schumann Piano Concerto.

I wasn't quite expecting such a tricky solo! Why is it not on excerpt lists? I recommend everyone get a score before you are shown up in a read through like I was.

Robin

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 RE: Brahms F Minor Fingering Question
Author: Mario 
Date:   2000-08-03 13:10

OR, as James Campbell told me once (and recorded), play the opening one octave lower (AS BRAHMS WROTE IT). It is much easier, and so dramatic.

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 RE: Brahms F Minor Fingering Question
Author: Jerry K. 
Date:   2000-08-03 13:33

Mario wrote:

OR, as James Campbell told me once (and recorded), play the opening one octave lower (AS BRAHMS WROTE IT). It is much easier, and so dramatic.
---

How much is played an octave lower? The first twelve bars (excluding the four-bar piano intro)? And why is it now written and played an octave higher?

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 RE: Brahms F Minor Fingering Question
Author: Mario 
Date:   2000-08-03 13:58

Just the first 12 bars.

According to what I read, the first few times Mufehld played it were one octave lower. However, the first official edition of the work was done in the way it is today. Brahms was still alive and well at the time and it cannot be an error by the editor. It looks like Brahms changed his mind between the first few performances and the first publication of the work.

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 RE: Brahms F Minor Fingering Question
Author: earl 
Date:   2000-08-03 17:58

Third finger high E-flat, preceeded by the LH 3rd space C is the more traditional solution to this fingering situation; however, one can play the "cheap" 2nd finger E-flat and open the throat G$ key (with a gentle twist of the left-wrist) and still play RH C and have the top-line F# ready for the next down-best. That side G$ key is sort of akin to the oboe's 2nd octave key and is a big help on high E-rlat and high E - so much so that the use of the right hand little finger pressing the third-line D# key might not be needed.
all the best!, ET

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 RE: Brahms F Minor Fingering Question
Author: Ken Shaw 
Date:   2000-08-03 18:03



Jeff wrote:
-------------------------------
Ok, at the beginning of the Brahms, there is a jump from a 3rd space C to a high Eb. I can't seem to find a good fingering for this. Does anyone have any suggestions?

thanks,

Jeff


Jeff -

There is no perfect solution - only various compromises. The important thing is to choose the one that works best for you and your instrument, work on it to get it as nearly perfect as possible, and use it every time.

The instrument Muhlfeld played had a different fingering system and avoided the problem.

I discussed the various possible fingerings a while back at <A HREF=http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?id=17767>http://www.sneezy.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?id=17767<A>.

Good luck. There's no such thing as a perfect instrument or design.

Ken Shaw

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 RE: Brahms F Minor Fingering Question
Author: A.R. 
Date:   2000-08-03 19:48

Buy the book of Phillip Rehfeldt: New Directions for Clarinet and soon you will play "a thousand" of fingerings!

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 RE: Brahms F Minor Fingering Question
Author: RussellW. 
Date:   2000-08-03 20:14

I played this solo last year it is the best!!! Use the second and third finger on the first joint of the claribet and the third finger on the second joint plus the R6 key. This is also the same fingering for the f# coming down from the Eb

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