Author: ghoulcaster
Date: 2023-01-29 13:32
After using clarinets with a forked Bb/Eb, I’ve really been questioning the necessity of the bridge key. To me it seems to be a much better solution for Bb/Eb than the bridge key which is more mechanically problematic for less return IMO.
I don’t know if going from clarion F to Bb as xoo/xoo is that much easier than Bb as xox/ooo. I don’t have a clarinet at hand but maybe there is a blip going from xox/ooo-> xxo/ooo that doesn’t happen with xoo/xoo -> xxo/ooo? I can’t think of any other reason to prefer that fingering.
I wonder of disconnecting the bridge key would allow one to keep the right hand down when crossing the break up from throat E, F, and F# in fast passages where intonation is less critical (If that is the case, I reckon it should be possible on Albert/German clarinets as they don’t have bridge keys).
That, as well as not having to worry about bending the bridge key and adjustment issues leads me to believe that the 7th ring obsoletes the bridge key, at least in theory, unless I’m missing something.
An articulated G#/C# is a great convenience but I understand the criticisms and concerns about losing fingerings like the long F. However, the 7th ring has the potential to greatly facilitate the playing of certain sequences with no drawbacks that I have found. Mechanical complexity is not a valid argument in my opinion because 1. it really is not that complicated and is very reliable and 2. the bridge key is a better target for that qualm.
Its a shame that attempts to improve the clarinet’s mechanism are a thing of the past. Rose gold plating and coccobolo?? not innovation
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The Clarinet BBoard
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