The Clarinet BBoard

G#4 to A4

Author: SecondTry  Date:   2021-10-08 22:10 In what I admit is only a two page search of dozens of posts here I can't seem to find an answer to this mostly academic question. I call it "academic" because for the few times that we're called upon to trill from G#4 to A4, I imagine use of the second from top right hand side key on the upper joint, combined with embouchure changes, allows us to approximate how this trill would sound if we, say, ever had a right hand touch piece, that activated the A4 key normally actuated with our left pointer finger, at our disposal to effect this trill. That said, has any clarinet maker ever, to anyone's knowledge, ever done such a thing? Like I said, it's just a curiosity thing. Thanks. (P.S) I suppose in extreme cases, as a sitting player, we could put the instrument between our knees and bring our right pointer up to the A4 key, not unlike, how in far less extreme form, Mr. Williamson does here in the opening solo to Rhapsody in Blue! https://youtu.be/r4teoC3OnEg?t=29

Reply To Message

Re: G#4 to A4

Author: SecondTry  Date:   2021-10-09 05:14 Philip Caron wrote: > Hi SecondTry. Mr. Williamson seems to be using his rh middle > finger to trill G5-G#5, holding the clarinet with his knees to > do so. > > Why? Why? Why? Hi Philip: I do realize that Mr. Williamson's fingering here is analogous to something I describe, not actual that I describe. Perhaps you realize that I realize that. Both fingering, that I seek and that Mr. Williamson effects, have in common use of the right hand fingers on customarily left hand keys. In Mr. Williamson's case I imagine it is because he feels he can turn more trills, faster and more accurately with his right pointer than his left pinky on the C#/G# key. I actually own, but don't have this installed http://www.sfoxclarinets.com/Accessories.html. The C#/G# touch piece shown on this webpage that is. Maybe he'd like to try one. I could have sworn that before Dan Gilbert was a Backun artist he had one of these on his Buffet for a while. That fact is hidden somewhere in a Youtube video if I can find it. Speaking of videos, there's one with Ricardo Morales which cites the opening solo to Rhapsody in Blue as what he considers the hardest solo: in part due to the fact that everyone listening knows it, if not for its technical difficulty compared to some others. Perhaps Mr. Williamson just feels that extra level of comfort in the solo using this piece of hardware. Anyway, back to my question, I figure if clarinet makers can correct the pitch of the low F, that someone, at least at some point in time made a dedicated trill key for that I described in my OP, going from G#4 to A4. :)

Reply To Message

Re: G#4 to A4

Author: SecondTry  Date:   2021-10-09 20:57 John Peacock wrote: > There are times when the G#4 to A4 trill needs to be better > than "approximated": a good example is the opening of the 2nd > movement of Mahler 7. An effective way to play it is to use the > LH thumb on the G# key, leaving the LH index finger free to > trill the A key. No doubt. The phrase I had in question is short and fast though where there's not only little time to arrange the fingers as you describe, but less need to, given the short duration of the trill.

Reply To Message

Avail. Forums  |  Need a Login? Register Here

User Login  User Name:  Password:  Remember my login:

Forgot Your Password? Enter your email address or user name below and a new password will be sent to the email address associated with your profile.