 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2011-02-06 14:27
Is there such a thing? I realise there's not much chance in having a wider finger spacing than there already is, but do any Ebs have just that little bit more room in between the RH fingers (mainly between RH fingers 2 and 3 and the B/F# key) than Buffets?
I've disabled the LH cross Eb/Bb key which is fine as I never use that key anyway, but still have trouble with the RH cross B/F# 'sliver' key as it's prone to being accidentally nudged. Short of filing it razor thin or bending it down and seriously compromising the venting, have any other makers found a better solution?
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2011-02-06 14:54
Stronger spring?
(FWIW I never use either of them sliver keys)
--
Ben
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2011-02-06 15:12
On any eefer that my fat-fingered self has had to play, I've done the following:
1) Narrowed all the sliver keys, and sometimes re-curved and shortened them.
2) Narrowed the throat A key spatula and angled it off to the right (away from the l.h. index finger).
3) Ground some metal (on a slope) off the top of the key cup just below the l.h. index finger.
It's the only way I can play the little beastie without covering multiple keys per finger.
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Author: Ed
Date: 2011-02-06 17:10
I have an older Selmer Series 9 and the keywork is much more comfortable to play. I don't know about the current Selmers, but I have played a couple that have the same characteristics. Key placement and the size of rings is a little more user friendly.
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2011-02-06 17:14
Oh, another idea: bend the key closer and machine a groove into the body to keep enough clearance under the touchpiece.
--
Ben
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2011-02-06 17:35
I thought of that, but it will make the key too low to be of any use.
The RH3 B/F# touchpiece could always be placed further back - just above the RH ring key barrel near where the bevel of the RH3 ring arm joins (almost like a piccolo trill key) so you'd have to reach back for it as you would on saxes.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2011-02-06 17:36)
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2011-02-06 17:59
My teacher uses the right hand sliver key a lot in the altissimo register.
To avoid pressing the rings and closing the pads connected to the bridge mechanism, he curls his finger and touches the sliver key well to the right of the rings.
Because he's practiced this strange finger shape so much, he could easily play with the sliver key cut back to within a few mm of the pivot.
Bob Phillips
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Author: DAVE
Date: 2011-02-06 18:39
The Patricola is friendly as are the Yamaha and the Buffet Prestige. The Prestige is nice in that the sliver keys are shorter than the regular R-13.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2011-02-06 18:48
Tom Ridenour, who has pudgy fingers, shortened the right hand sliver key to about 1/4". I used to own a Selmer Eb with the same alteration.
Gino Cioffi (who weighed close to 300 lb.) said that he came over from Italy as an Eb specialist. He trained himself to curl his right ring finger (like Bobs teacher) to hit the sliver key as close as possible to the rod holding the right-hand rings. He said that if he simply laid his ring finger across the key, it blocked the tone holes and made the notes flat.
You could try altering your right hand position so that your fingers go horizontally across the holes rather than angled. Lowering the thumb rest can help with this.
Conversely, you could raise your right wrist, angle your fingers down, cover the index finger hole well back on the pad and the other two holes coming in vertically -- a less extreme version of the bagpiper's grip. http://www.thewhistleshop.com/beginners/lowd/lowd.htm.
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Author: salzo
Date: 2011-02-06 18:48
Start cutting and bending. On my Eb, I had both thebis and sliver keys grinded down to a sliver. I like those keys, and I like to keep them (how do you play Daphnis without the sliver??)
I also had the just a bit grinded off the bottom side key, because I would often touch the bottom of the key when pressing the right hand holes. I also grinded a bit off the left hand F/C key, my pinky often catching multiple keys when being used.
One area I have not been able to figure out a good solution is the throat A and G" key. I have trouble going back and forth rapidly between a and g#(ex. Shostakovich 6)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2011-02-06 20:40
I'm used to curling RH3 for using the cross F# key on saxes, the cross F key on oboes as well as the lower trill key on flutes, so repositioning the cross B/F# key isn't a huge issue - it's only on clarinets (Bb/A, alto, basset horn and bass) where flat fingers can be used for this key due to the shape and positioning of it which it seems to have been designed for.
Some B&H clarinets had a reasonably wide cross B/F# key, but it was bevelled on the top side quite considerably to make it triangular in cross section so clearance on either side was good, but resulting in the actual contact area being sharp like a bevelled key arm.
I only wish I did this alteration (as well as added a LH Ab/Eb lever) before having it all silver plated, but that's not to say it can't be done - but it will go for some time before getting the keys silver plated only to match the rest of the keywork.
My fingertips are wide (though fortunately I do have the long fingers gene from my mum's side of the family), so playing right on the tips of the pads isn't any better. Fingers 2 and 3 on both my hands are the worst culprits as they widen at the tips whereas my index fingers narrow slightly.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2011-02-07 00:05
> Fingers 2 and 3 on both my hands are the worst culprits as they widen at the tips whereas my index fingers narrow slightly. <
So -- ever heard of a pencil sharpener? You could become famous by converting one to a finger sharpener. ![[grin]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie5.gif)
Ken Shaw
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2011-02-07 00:47
I could only watch while a string repairer removed a fair chunk from the side of both his left thumb and index fingertips when he wasn't concentrating while cutting a violin bow wedge with one of his chisels.
At least it was a clean cut due to the sharpness of his chisels, but it did alter the shape of his finger and thumb and wasn't exactly an advisable thing to do as he's a bass player, so things were tender for a while.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: William
Date: 2011-02-07 14:46
I not had any fingering issues with my Yamaha 681 or my Bundy Resonite effers although I have bent the sliver keys so that they are less accidently bumped open. Many clarinetist's I know have the keys removed and holes plugged, but I find that unneccessary with my effers. My little finger keys are especially easy to find on the Yamaha.
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Author: jasperbay
Date: 2011-02-07 14:56
For the more adventurous out there, the Eb 'simple Albert keywork' clarinets are easier to play with large fingers, and you don't have to worry about all those extra pesky keys you don't use much anyway .
All of them I've seen on 'the auction site' have needed restoration, but the price is right, often in the $40-80 range! These are more for "fun" playing, pitch control is usually not up to symphony standards.
Clark G. Sherwood
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2011-02-08 04:19
Gads, Chris.
My son tapered his left index finger in a radial-arm saw. He did a thorough job of it, beveling the tip joint's bone. YOUCH!
It took a long long time to recover, and the cost... Well the cost makes it seem cheaper to hire someone to play your effer gigs for you --for life!
Bob Phillips
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