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Beginner Questions

Author: wkleung
Date: 2016-08-26 13:00

Dear all,

I am a total beginner on the clarinet. Today was my fourth day playing it. I am learning without a teacher, on an old plastic clarinet I borrowed from a friend. Currently I am working Hindemith’s Sonata, Finzi’s Bagatelles 1&2, and Brahms’s Sonata No. 1 (last two movements). I have some questions for the experts here:

1) I notice most of the little finger keys (except Ab/Eb) are duplicated. Is there a default/preferred fingering for those notes? Or I can just use L or R randomly?

2) For the Hindemith Sonata, last movement, between rehearsal numbers 37 and 38, there is a sequence (G#-C#-D#, occurring twice) that I cannot find fingering combos without sliding either my left little finger or right little finger. Is there a trick that will overcome that? My cheap plastic clarinet doesn’t have a duplicate Ab/Eb key;

3) For the Eb/Bb, which is the default fingering? Is that the one with the side key, or the one with the banana key for the left hand ring finger?

4) My sound is not very nice and I am having trouble hitting high C and above. Should my embouchure stay the same throughout the range?

Thank you so much in advance for your help!

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