 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2023-05-25 04:24
![[G#4]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/ab4.gif) to ![[A4]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/a4.gif)
man is it wickedly sharp trill, no surprise given how much higher the side trill key one down from top on the right upper joint has its tone hole that the throat "A."
What have people done, if anything, to help the intonation on this trill other than lip it down?
TIA
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Author: NOLA Ken
Date: 2023-05-25 05:46
I suppose depending on what is on the other side of the trill, you could just hold the G#/Ab key down with the left index finger and use the right index finger to trill the throat A key.
This is just too simple an answer. There must be more to this problem. Like whatever is on the other side of the trill.
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Author: Tom H
Date: 2023-05-25 06:11
NOLA Ken-- Funny thing-- 50 years ago I was playing in an orchestra where the principal player actually did this. But not for intonation, but because of his arthritis.
The Most Advanced Clarinet Book--
tomheimer.ampbk.com/ Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001315, Musicnotes product no. MB0000649.
Boreal Ballad for unaccompanied clarinet-Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001314.
Musicnotes product no. MNO287475
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2023-05-25 06:40
It happened to be from Etude 3 of Rose 32.
Two hands on the clarinet's upper joint would be a stretch here.
Tom, your story reminds me of Stephen Williamson's taking of the 3rd opening trill of the Rhapsody in Blue opening clarinet solo with the right hand here:
https://youtu.be/r4teoC3OnEg?t=30
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Author: Dibbs
Date: 2023-05-25 20:12
Yes, use the register key.
Alternately, if feasible, open the G# with your LH middle finger and trill the A key with your index finger.
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Author: JohnP
Date: 2023-05-26 01:43
My first teacher had extended the throat G# key on his B&H 1010 so that he could easily hold it down with the second finger and trill with the first finger. A drastic solution to the problem of playing this trill but it worked very well and the extended key was done in such a way that there was no risk of him catching and opening it by accident.
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Author: Tom H
Date: 2023-05-26 06:10
Andrew-- Neat RH trill he does on the Rhapsody in Blue. I played that piece once and never thought of that. Then again, if I tried it I might have "missed"......
The Most Advanced Clarinet Book--
tomheimer.ampbk.com/ Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001315, Musicnotes product no. MB0000649.
Boreal Ballad for unaccompanied clarinet-Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001314.
Musicnotes product no. MNO287475
Post Edited (2023-05-26 06:11)
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Author: lmliberson
Date: 2023-06-01 00:25
I guess I don’t quite get what’s so difficult about this trill.
As the OP stated, using the side key is unacceptably sharp. But, contrary to a couple of you who suggested using the register key as an alternate, this, IMO, is also sharp enough to be avoided, let alone the discrepancy in the sound between the two notes of the trill.
My only suggestion is to avoid the shortcuts, alternate fingerings and the like and practice the trill solely with the LH first finger. While it may seem somewhat awkward at first, it’s hardly problematic to accomplish it with a bit of focused practice.
Even with my increasing arthritis…
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Author: nellsonic
Date: 2023-06-01 05:47
lmliberson wrote:
> I guess I don’t quite get what’s so difficult about this
> trill.
>
> As the OP stated, using the side key is unacceptably sharp.
> But, contrary to a couple of you who suggested using the
> register key as an alternate, this, IMO, is also sharp enough
> to be avoided, let alone the discrepancy in the sound between
> the two notes of the trill.
>
> My only suggestion is to avoid the shortcuts, alternate
> fingerings and the like and practice the trill solely with the
> LH first finger. While it may seem somewhat awkward at first,
> it’s hardly problematic to accomplish it with a bit of
> focused practice.
>
> Even with my increasing arthritis…
>
My experience as well, but having taught this etude numerous times it seems not everyone can do the trill well with the regular fingerings. It sometimes helps if you rest a different part the first finger on the G# key from what you would usuallly use (and of course keep the G# key down through the whole trill). The register key is not bad for pitch on my horns but is thin and not at all easier.
This particular trill can be started slowly and sped up over the course of the two beats, making the trill both easier and more expressive.
Anders
Post Edited (2023-06-01 22:38)
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Author: Jarmo Hyvakko
Date: 2023-06-01 08:13
I have heard in several recordings of Mahler's 7th symphony the side key used. You can also try to develop the second joint of your left index finger faster.
That trill is just "one of those things"
Jarmo Hyvakko, Principal Clarinet, Tampere Philharmonic, Finland
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Author: John Peacock
Date: 2023-06-01 14:10
For Mahler 7 specifically (start of the 2nd movement), this trill can be executed very effectively by putting the thumb on the G# key and trilling with the index finger. This is easy to do because the note before the trill is the throat A, so the index finger is where it will need to be and the thumb is already floating around in space. This wouldn't work if the previous note required the thumb to be on the thumb hole, but where the thumb is free I would say this is the best solution.
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Author: Philip Caron
Date: 2023-06-03 16:36
I tried the lh index trill a found it's doable. Not the fastest, but decent - and it has the best sounding trill note. Thanks to the group for pointing it out this as a viable option.
Some trills or tremolos are too awkward using the natural fingering, and their trill fingering sounds substandard. I think I heard Stanley Drucker quoted as suggesting the use of the natural sounding fingering just to start such a trill, and then switching to the trill fingering for the rest. I tried it, and somehow that does seem to make the trill fingering sound better - maybe just to me the player, but still.
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