 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: janlynn
Date: 2010-01-11 13:40
I am currently working on a problem where my middle right finger colapses when I press/cover the hole. My teacher has given me exercises to do slowly in the mirror.
I realized that I am holding and pressing much tighter and harder than is neccessary. so I have loosend and softened up. If I touch the keys softly my fingers act as a "pivot" but as soon as i start going fast my grip gets tighter and I start pressing too hard and my finger colapses again.
Exactly how much pressure does one use when pressing down the keys? Should I be aiming for as softly/lightly as possible? Or should I be able to keep the finger from colapsing no matter what the force?
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2010-01-11 15:08
There should not be any siginificant force at ALL !!! You only need enough force to bring down the associated ring (or key) and seal the hole with the pad of your finger. Perhaps trying the reverse could help. Play a low "A" or clarion "E" and see at what point you get the next highest note (Bb or F) as you slowly ease off that hole. Try this for all notes (keys too!!) until you are comfortable with the LEAST amount of effort for each.
The issue you have with speed sounds sounds to me a function of anxiety. Once you rid yourself of the "death grip" you will be surprised just how much faster your technique can be.
............Paul Aviles
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2010-01-11 16:47
Sounds to me like you're "breaking" your knuckles when you press down. A very common problem. (I have something about that in my clarinet article page on my website.) You need to move that finger from the back knuckle as if the finger is frozen in the curved position. Think picking up a ball, the way you curve your fingers. Then try to keep your fingers in that position moving only from the back knuckle at the end of the finger. One good exercise you can do without using your clarinet is to put your hand on a flat surface like a table. Put your hand on the table with the palm of your hand flat on the table and practice lifting your finger over and over again keeping it in the curved position. You can do this with one finger at a time and in coordination with others to practice not "breaking" your knuckles. (Good to practice while you're watching TV.) After a while you need to apply this to your clarinet. ESP http://eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: skygardener
Date: 2010-01-11 22:17
Which joint is it? The first from the tip of the finger, or the second?
In any case, It is possible that you are trying to get the tip of your finger on the hole. Are you?
This causes problems for some people because everyone's fingers are different lengths, but the holes in the right hand are straight. I relax my fingers more and lay them across the hole. For me, the part that touches the hole is the side that is opposite the nail; the pad of the finger, not the tip.
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Author: bstutsman
Date: 2010-01-12 02:38
Here's something else that might help you understand what is going on. At your next lessons ask you teacher to "play" with one had on your forearm. This will give you and idea of the pressure he/she uses.
It is natural for us to use too much pressure rather than to little. I believe that pressure depends at least a little bit on what you are playing. I once heard Robert Marcellus say this. Sort of a "legato" pressure for lyrical passages and a firmer "staccato" pressure for something technical. Keep in mind that the difference might be small.
In my daily warmup I try to think very hard about legato pressure to get myself to relax. It seems to be easier to use more pressure when required than it is to use less so I work on the legato for long tones and even scales and arpeggios.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2010-01-12 11:32
The pressure should be something similar to the pressure needed to open one of the keys that is sprung to a closed position.
If you need more than that, then your clarinet needs adjusting. It is likely that the normally-open keys are closing on the hinge side of the pad before the opposite side of the pad is closing. This is very common and almost the norm with brand new, unadjusted clarinets.
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Author: alvydas
Date: 2010-01-14 18:16
Try to relax your fingers,You have to use minimum finger-force when pressing down the keys
AK
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2010-01-14 20:19
When I press the keys, they crush, splinter and disintegrate. The entire instrument is vaporized.
Ahnold the Clarinator
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