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 left forefinger vented key on bass clar
Author: Ken Rasmussen 
Date:   2000-09-23 01:39

I feel silly for asking, but what is the hole in the key for? I presume it must be used for altissimo register playing, but I haven't got my horn playable yet, so I can't experiment. The other alternative would be for adjusting intonation, unless there is some other possibility which I'm overlooking. Is there a book that tells basic stuff about bass clarinets and includes a fingering chart that goes up to where only dogs can hear?

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 RE: left forefinger vented key on bass clar
Author: Don Berger 
Date:   2000-09-23 14:34

Your guesswork is correct, [altissimo fingering, dont know of other uses, like the half hole on an oboe].Since it isnt[badly] needed on the soprano clars, it may not be described in the teaching books. Its use seems to be limited to alto and larger cls. Don

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 RE: left forefinger vented key on bass clar
Author: Dee 
Date:   2000-09-23 15:19

On soprano clarinets the half hole technique is easily performed since the left forefinger keyhole is an open ring. It is mentioned in some tutorials. It is helpful on some clarinets in stabilizing altissimo notes. On others, it generally isn't needed.

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 RE: left forefinger vented key on bass clar
Author: Mollicus 
Date:   2000-09-24 14:31

Call me curious... or a moron... how exactly do you do this half hole technique on soprano?

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 RE: left forefinger vented key on bass clar
Author: Dee 
Date:   2000-09-24 17:33

Mollicus wrote:
>
> Call me curious... or a moron... how exactly do you do
> this half hole technique on soprano?

This technique is used only in the altissimo register (i.e. notes higher than two ledger lines above the staff). Standard fingering charts show the first fingerhole on the left hand as being open when playing in the altissimo register. When you "half hole," you just place your finger so it only covers half the hole. That's all there is to it. It seems to help in pitch and stability on some of the altissimo notes on some instruments.

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 RE: left forefinger vented key on bass clar
Author: Eoin 
Date:   2000-09-25 23:15

Even if you fully uncover the first hole on a soprano clarinet when playing altissimo notes, it should be done by sliding the finger off the hole rather than by just lifting the finger. This is obviously not possible on a "plateau key" clarinet such as the alto or bass, where all the holes are covered by pads. The venting hole provides an alternative. Instead of raising the first finger for altissimo, you just uncover the hole.

What is actually happening here is that the first finger hole is acting as a second register hole. This causes the vibrations to shift into the 5th harmonic, which is the one used for the lower "altissimo" notes.

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