 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Wookie001
Date: 2024-03-08 01:50
Are the right hand lower plateau pinky keys for B and C# in clarion register needed for playing certain pieces or can I ignore them? Because I find it pretty uncomfortable to reach these keys with my right pinky finger and would prefer not to use them at all if possible
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Author: ghoulcaster
Date: 2024-03-08 04:17
They are weird but you get used to them, absolutely essential.
You will soon come across pieces where they are unavoidable.
The only key IMO that is not essential is the left hand Bb/EB sliver key. Some pros don’t use it ever. I personally like it.
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Author: kilo
Date: 2024-03-08 16:32
The extra keys enable the player to effectively make use of the extended range of the low and middle registers. If you don't like using the option of alternate fingerings you could always take up the saxophone.
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Author: lydian
Date: 2024-03-08 16:52
As a big guy with big hands and long fingers, I hate them too. But they’re a necessary evil in some cases. Best to suck it up and learn them. They do get easier with practice.
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Author: donald
Date: 2024-03-09 16:33
B major, E major, E harmonic minor are the first 3 keys that come to mind, yes if you care about playing well you need those keys.
Re the left hand sliver key. I have, in 40 years of clarinet playing, met ONE pro player who claims not to use that key, but can identify at least 2 pieces where you need to use that key in order to next use the chromatic F# keys...
If you look at the original designs for the Boehm system clarinet, you'll discover that the left hand sliver key and the right hand side key were originally intended to have slightly different tuning- so you could use one or the other depending on the voicing in the chord. Hamelin mentions this in his scales book in the early 20th century so the lost knowledge in this department is really just in the last 50/70 years (I've never heard any modern player mention this).
If this were a facebook forum where I could easily just make and post a video, it would take about 1min to demonstrate how useful this left hand sliver key is.
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Author: stevesklar
Date: 2024-03-10 21:27
You may want to check your finger position in relation to your thumb.
If you lower your thumb, this will rotate/shift your fingers, which may or may not be more or less comfortable for the ring keys but also may allow your pinky to more easily reach the pinky keys.
You can put some various thickness cork on the thumbrest or really anything else to test this.
At one time while playing in a university band (filling in missing spots) I sprained my right pinky. I used my Full Boehm clarinet to use my left pinky to cover all the right pinky keys. But for more complex music you really need your right pinky for smooth transitions.
==========
Stephen Sklar
My YouTube Channel of Clarinet Information
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Author: m1964
Date: 2024-03-10 22:59
Different clarinets have keys placed differently; it was easier for me to reach rt. pinky keys on some clarinet comparing to others.
I did not like an Artley, partially because those keys were not easy to reach.
It could be useful to try different make or even a different model of the same maker...
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Author: Wookie001
Date: 2024-03-13 03:12
Attachment: IMG_0171.jpeg (1838k)
I've tried to use the right pinky keys, I think the only one for me that is complicated to reach is the one for B. the C# is okay. Can I also play the B like this? I think playing with the finger tip doesn't work. Maybe because my right pinky finger isn't completely straight, but a little bent to the next finger.
By the way, the clarinet is a Buffet R13 from late 60s
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Author: moma4faith
Date: 2024-03-13 03:32
As others have said, yes, those keys are very helpful and are needed. I teach my students that the right hand B/lowE key can be pressed with any part of the pinky, so long as the tone holes are covered. You can press any part of that key with any part of your pinky. You can extend the pinky out straight and nudge it on the closest edge if that is all you can reach. (If you have short pinkys, it might be a reach.) The right hand C#/F# key is trickier if you have long pinkys, because you have to curve the finger to fit it into the space without uncovering a tone hole and without hitting the B/lowE key. I teach them to think of a gentle curve of the pinky in whatever angle is most comfortable for them, that allows the tone holes to stay closed, and is most consistent to get between notes without gaps, squeaks, or grunts.
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Author: Wookie001
Date: 2024-03-13 05:01
Would it be possible to have the right hand pinky keys adjusted by a repair technician so it is ergonomically optimized and better to reach (especially the B)?
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