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Re: Extra pad on lower joint? Why?

Author: Chris P
Date: 2022-06-15 13:28
Attachment: debe.png (18k)

G and D (xxx|xxx) are effectively forked notes having a tonehole closed immediately below the one where G/D issues directly from, so this doubled tonehole/pad cup arrangement is effectively like having the F#/C# key open when playing G/D (only without it closing the RH F/C key).

See attached diagram which shows the ventings of G/D, Ab/Eb and A/E on a regular clarinet.

Fully vented notes on clarinets are:

Throat Bb with the standard or trill key fingerings
Throat A
Throat G#/Ab
Open G
F# with the side key fingering (LH thumb and side F# key)
E/B (xoo|ooo)
Eb/Bb with the side key/cross key fingerings (xxo|side Eb/Bb and xx\o|ooo)
C#/G# (xxxC#/G#|ooo)
C/G (xxx|ooo)
B/F# with the 'sliver' key fingering (xxx|xo/o)
Bb/F (xxx|xoo)
Ab/Eb (xxx|xxxAb/Eb)
F#/C# (xxx|xxxF#/C# or xxx LH F#/C#|xxx)
F/C (xxx|xxx F/C or xxx LH F/C|xxx)
E/B (xxx|xxx E/B or XXX LH E/B|xxx) which issues directly from the bell, or the low E tonehole on instruments built to low Eb.

The forked notes with one or more toneholes closed immediately below the tonehole the note issues directly from are:

F# (LH thumb off xoo|ooo) as LH1 is closed below the thumb tube where F# issues from.
Long Eb*/Bb (xoo|xoo) has several toneholes closed some distance below the LH2 (Eb/Bb) tonehole. *The long fingering for lower register D#/Eb will be sharp
D/A (xxo|ooo) as the C#/G# tonehole is closed immediately below the LH3 (D/A) tonehole.
B/F# (xxx|oxo) as RH2 is closed immediately below the RH1 tonehole.
A/E (xxx|xxo) as the Ab/Eb tonehole is closed immediately below the RH3 (A/E) tonehole.
G/D (xxx|xxx) as already discussed as the F#/C# tonehole is closed immediately below the G/D tonehole (the one covered by the RH F/C key).

Do remember that notes can only issue from open toneholes and most given open key and tonehole given names don't always relate to the tonehole name in question.

Clarinets fitted with a LH forked Eb/Bb mechanism have a small vent tonehole between LH2 and LH3 to fully vent the forked fingering (xox|ooo).

Clarinets fitted with an Acton vent (B&H 1010 and several reform Boehms and German Boehms) have a small side key to fully vent the B/F# (and altissimo Eb) fingerings when played with the standard fingering (xxx|oxo).

As well as those extra mechanisms, there are some instruments fitted with:

An F# vent (LH thumb off xoo|ooo) eg. Buffet Prestige basset horns,

A D/A vent (xxo|ooo) eg. Buffet prestige basset horns, reform Boehms and German Boehms,

An A vent (xxx|xxo) Buffet Prestige basset horns again and some others

and as you have on your clarinet with the double pad cups on the RH F/C key, the G/D vent (xxx|xxx) as well as Buffet basset horns yet again, reform and German Boehms and several bass clarinets.

Leblanc Ab sopranino clarinets also have the G/D vent crammed onto them.

Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.

Post Edited (2022-06-15 16:26)

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