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Re: Problem with a passage

Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2010-06-11 12:03

Renato -

The passage is one of those "you can't get there from here" sequences, with no perfect solution. Nevertheless, everyone needs to be able to deal with a passage like this without extra keys.

Barry Vincent's cross-fingering works, even though the G# is muffled, because it's a passing tone that shouldn't be emphasized. Morrigan's finger switch also works. However, you should work on moving quickly from the G# to the C#, making the G# a tiny bit shorter to give you time.

This bouree is #2 of a pair. In baroque paired movements, the second one is a contrast to the first, and the usual way of making the contrast is to play the second one a little slower and in a more relaxed style. This gives you time to make the switch.

BWV 996 is from a lute suite by Bach which is itself a transcription from a suite for solo cello. If I remember correctly, the cello suite is in a different key. But that's irrelevant when you're switching instruments. Since you appear to have Lilypond, there's nothing easier than taking the entire piece down a step, which removes the problem. If this is for a contest, give the transposed version to the judge and no one will know the difference.

There's also a hardware solution. Steve Fox makes an auxiliary right hand first finger touchpiece for the C#/G# http://www.sfoxclarinets.com/Accessories.html that makes the sequence possible and is much less expensive than having a left-side Ab/Eb lever installed.

Part of becoming a better player is learning how to make passages like this sound good. Just remember that bassoonists do it all the time. Violinists do everything with only four fingers and switch and slide as a matter of course. If they can do it, so can you.

Ken Shaw

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