The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2001-04-30 18:33
The mechanism gives you an alternate "fork" Eb/Bb, using the fingering for E/B plus the left ring finger. The extra ring around the bottom finger hole on the upper joint is connected to the pad between the left index and middle fingers. You use this fingering for the interval C to Eb (chalumeau) and G to Bb (clarion), where the usual fork fingering (with the two index fingers) can't be used. It also provides a decent trill from Db to Eb (chalumeau) and Ab to Bb (clarion).
I suppose everyone has tried to get an Eb/Bb by pushing down on just the pad (leaving the finger hole for the left middle finger open). This is of course quite sharp. Adding your left ring finger makes the notes quite flat.
The design used on modern instruments adds a tiny hole covered by a pad connected to the left middle finger ring. This gives additional venting that brings the Eb/Bb in tune with the ring finger down.
Early in the 20th century, Buffet used a different method, enlarging the hole for the left middle finger instead of using an extra hole. This hole was too large to cover with a fingertip and so had a pierced flute-style key called a "doughnut" key after its shape. That's what you see on the eBay instrument.
I've played several doughnut key Buffets over the years and owned an A clarinet for a while. I found that the mechanism tuned pretty well, but I thought it was mechanically heavier and maybe less reliable than the modern version, which is probably why Buffet stopped making it.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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mw |
2001-04-29 03:10 |
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Lbh |
2001-04-29 04:23 |
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Dee |
2001-04-29 11:28 |
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jbutler |
2001-04-29 10:45 |
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Don Berger |
2001-04-29 14:33 |
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mw |
2001-04-29 15:39 |
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Dee |
2001-04-29 20:04 |
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jbutler |
2001-04-29 20:02 |
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Don Berger |
2001-04-29 20:26 |
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mw |
2001-04-30 03:08 |
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Ken Shaw |
2001-04-30 18:33 |
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Don Berger |
2001-04-30 20:17 |
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