 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2013-03-22 00:01
I've gotten into a habit of halfholing altissimo C# through F. I got into the habit while practicing long tones and exercises of crossing breaks. I realized halfholing really smoothed the transition and makes it very easy to play at a ppp or cross a break at a ppp.
But lately, (past couple months), I've just halfholed everything up there. An example is our band is playing Holst First sweet. Third movement towards the end there's a line that shows up often that is eight notes G-D-F-D with the D's being altissimo. I just shift my index finger down slightly exposing very little of the tone hole and it pops out fine.
Bad technique? Or is this one of those "As long as it works and you're comfortable with it" things?
There are some times I definitely lift my finger (smearing through the altissimo, the F# and up), or some arpeggios, but should I worry about it? Or go with what works? I tend to go with what works, but I'm wondering if there's some potential disaster.......
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2013-03-22 00:42
Is it in tune or does the half-holing make the pitch flat? Seems OK if it's in tune. It should stabilize those notes a little - the first tone hole is really too large to be the most effective vent. My bass clarinet (probably all of them, but it's the only one I know) has a plateau with a very small hole over the LH 1st finger that more or less enforces half-holing - that tone hole is much too large when fully open to use as a vent for the altissimo notes.
Although there are probably passages where it's less fussy to just lift the 1st finger. But you already know that.
Karl
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2013-03-22 01:28
In fact, half-holing the left index finger is one of the advanced techniques that improves the altissimo. You're absolutely doing it right.
Ken Shaw
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2013-03-22 01:34
Ok. So it's ok then. Whew! It doesn't affect tuning negatively. Just seems to smooth out the tone and give me more control at a softer dynamic. Thanks for the responses.
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2013-03-22 02:16
If you consider basset horns, alto and bass clarinets have a half-hole plate for LH1 which leaves an aperture a fraction the size of the tonehole (between 2-2.5mm), then doing something similar should work on Bb/A clarinets just as well. I've often wondered why it should be normal practice to fully open the LH1 tonehole on soprano clarinets when half-holing (by rolling LH1 down) can give better results.
Why shouldn't soprano clarinets be fitted with an oboe/bass clarinet-style perforated LH1 fingerplate if requested? A plateau clarinet can easily be adapted by drilling out the centre of the LH1 fingerplate, silver soldering an internal chimney on the inside of the pad cup (if needed), fitting an extension plate to the underside or a linkage from the E vent (with an adjusting screw) to close the LH1 fingerplate (so you can lift off instead of rolling) and fitting a perforated cork pad to it once it's all finished as it has all the correct linkages and adjusting screws in place anyway, so it won't take much to do on a plateau clarinet - it will require more surgery to make this adaptation to a ring key clarinet, but isn't impossible. I did a similar thing on an old Conn bass clarinet which didn't have a perforated LH1 fingerplate or extension plate on the underside and used my Buffet bass for the diameter of the perforation which is 2.4mm, so on a soprano clarinet the perforation will probably be around 1.2mm minimum to around 2mm maximum - it will be easy enough to experiment by using wax in the perforation to find the ideal diameter as that can easily be altered until the best diameter is found.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2013-03-22 02:32
Chris -
I think a pierced plate is not used on the soprano clarinet because the optimum amount of leakage varies slightly from note to note. Also because without a plate, the hole is too big for human fingers. A plate would also spoil the left thumb F4 ![[F4]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/f4.gif) and C6 ![[C6]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/c6.gif) .
Ken Shaw
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2013-03-22 02:50
In agreement with Ken above,
"Halfholing - am I just being lazy?" NO
Halfholing -- I'm just developing awesome technique? YES.
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2013-03-22 16:26
There are those who think half holing is a bummer (my teacher), and I'm half to 2/3 in agreement. When I started with this teacher half-holing was part of the techniques I brought along (with others tied to my full Boehm Buffet).
He thinks that half-holing is a "crutch" compensating for not properly voicing the altissimo.
Now, on my Buffet RC, and after a lot of work, some of those "bad habits" have been exorcised from my playing. These days, my altissimo won't even speak unless my LH1 tonehole is almost completely uncovered and the G#/D# pinky key is pressed. When half-hold, they are also flat.
The single exception is E6, which I can sometimes sneak into by half-holing.
This is working for me, but (of course) my old habits/muscle memory are still with me.
Bob Phillips
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2013-03-22 19:19
Isn't half holing all about attaining a smooth slur? High D will tend to pop out when leaping to it from below. The half hole smooths this out.
Freelance woodwind performer
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Author: Arnoldstang
Date: 2013-03-22 19:20
If you are playing bell tone notes in the upper register then there isn't much point to half holing.
After some consideration and advice from my consultant I claim insanity with this post. Clarification of my intent would prove painful and ultimately lead to my demise. I do refuse to delete it however as there is a speck of truth in it.
Freelance woodwind performer
Post Edited (2013-03-22 21:37)
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Author: Paula S
Date: 2013-03-22 20:42
I love half-holing! My Eatons don't seem to need it much but my 1010s love it and I think there is something really quirky and creative about it :-)
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2013-03-22 20:46
I find half holing works well at low dynamics but causes flatness at higher levels. It definitely makes the C# flat on my instruments but used as a quick flip just at the start of the note can ease the transition.
I find just as Ken does that the optimum amount is different on each note.
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2013-03-22 21:28
Halfholing, for me, is a not just something done for a legato connection in desired slow passages. If is a fundamental part of my technique and occurs in rapid sixteenth note passages (Time Pieces for example).
In practicing it, all you have to do is begin to concentrate on removing the first finger after the legato connection has been achieved. It can become a smooth fluid gesture that achieves the legato connection without the pitch impacts.
In response to Bob -- I don't think it is a crutch for improper voicing, because I can initiate any altissimo note at any dynamic without much concern.
So, needless to say, I'm all for it.
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: Buster
Date: 2013-03-23 00:35
Am I the only idiot here that uses half-holing for intonation purposes, and tonal-coloring, in Some settings.
Half of the time yes, half of the time no; and the other half perhaps. But the final half of the time, only if needed.
Or, 6 of one, half a dozen of the other... and a third of a baker's dozen for the remainder.
And the rest of the time perhaps.
-Jason
Post Edited (2013-03-23 20:10)
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2013-03-23 01:50
Quote:
Am I the only idiot here that uses half-holing for intonation purposes, and tonal-coloring, in Some settings.
Nope. I agree wholeheartedly.
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: jbutler ★2017
Date: 2013-03-23 02:32
I've done it that way all my (so far) life. Didn't know any other way!!
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Author: michael13162
Date: 2013-03-24 02:14
In fact, my teacher encourages half holing very much. It helps with legato and the stability of altissimo notes. Plus, it's cleaner to roll the index finger down than to lift it off completely. I don't see how it could be detrimental. (for me at least, it barely effects tuning)
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Author: srattle
Date: 2013-03-24 23:30
I use half holing. I imagine most professionals do.
However, I would say that there are many times not to use it, and when I realized this, it was difficult to break the habit of using it all the time.
I say, learn it, use it, but don't forget what playing altissimo with full holes is like. Both are a tool to be used.
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Author: alto gether
Date: 2013-03-25 18:12
The one thing I miss most on my contra alto is the little hole in the middle of the left-index-finger key that makes the first few notes of altissimo easy on alto (and, I'd guess, bass and basset). Not quite to the extent of drilling a hole and inventing the keywork - something that crowsfooted down with the LH index finger key comes to mind - just wishing that somebody already had.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2013-03-25 20:43
On contra you may need a more complex split plate arrangement (as seen on oboes d'amore, cors anglais and bass oboes) where a linkage from the E/B vent pad holds the lower half closed (with an adjusting screw linkage) and the top part opens and closes by lifting LH finger 1 so as long as LH2 is closed and LH1 is lifted off completely, the smaller aperture will be in use for the altissimo register.
The only problem with this arrangement is it rules out using resonance fingerings for open G as putting down any RH fingers will lower the top plate so you'll get an F# instead of open G. Sometimes it's useful to play F# this way, but it does interfere if you put any RH fingers down out of habit.
A better arrangement is having the split top plate that isn't linked to the rest of the mechanism with a fingerplate whereby holding the upper half of the plate down holds the entire mechanism closed and rolling down to the lower plate allows the smaller aperture to open, but that does mean you will have to roll down as you'd do on alto and bass clarinet for the altissimo register.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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