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My Left Pinkie*

Author: BethGraham
Date: 2021-04-23 18:57

kdk, in replying to a comment I left in the "How is my progress" thread, wrote:

"BethGraham wrote:

> (P.S. I've got bigger issues than reed strength: my stupid
> fingers won't move smoothly from throat A to left-hand clarion
> C. Rose #2 is going to be the death of me.

Before you continue to beat yourself up over this, consider that it may be an ergonomic issue. The key may not be at a good height for you )or, maybe, anyone else) to leave smoothly, the spring tension may be slowing your finger action or making you press too hard, making the movement off the key sluggish. The ring on either the thumb or the LH index finger could be too low or too high, which can interfere with smooth movement.

And then, since you're talking about LH C4, there are possible problems with the position of that key, its travel and its spring tension.

What's actually happening when you move from A to C? And (BTW) which Rose #2 features [A4]

to LH

so prominently?"

In reply to Karl:
I suspect that the problem is that my left-hand pinkie doesn't want to remain close to the keys. (It likes to hover off to the side, as it does when I'm playing recorder) At any rate, I'm in Rose 32, #2, measures 11-12 and 17. I need to play the LH C because of the Eb/D# that follows.

After much practice, I can play it smoothly when I go slowly, but when I speed up it goes off the rails. For one thing, my LH pinkie doesn't locate the LH C key consistently (occasionally it misses and hits the side key just above).

I'll have to think more about what you said about ergonomics: that could very well be what's happening here; if so, that's something I can address with my technician. I can play this spot in Rose #2 more smoothly at a faster tempo on my Trusty Bundy than I can on my new Backun Protege. (Perhaps the short-term answer is to practice Rose #2 on the Bundy!)

It occurs to me that maybe I could slide from RH C to Eb/D# and avoid the problem altogether. I wonder if that would work -- and if that would be cheating? Hmm....

Beth

* with apologies the makers of the movie My Left Foot.

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