 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2025-07-16 19:10
Why are so many players who've never had a clarinet with a LH Ab/Eb lever dead set against them and say stuff like "It's NOT needed" or "I NEVER use it" if it's not even fitted to their clarinets? You can't slate something you've never even used!
It should be standard on ALL clarinets from entry level plastic ones and upwards. It is optional on 200 series Yamahas and Buffet Prodiges as well as entry level Amatis and others. It's far less costly to fit it at the point of manufacture instead of having it retrofitted (if that's the correct term).
At least if it's fitted as standard, then you always have the option to use it or not - it's there when you need it as it's better to have it and not need it as opposed to not having it fitted and wanting to use it.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
Independent Woodwind Repairer
Single and Double Reed Specialist
Oboes, Clarinets and Saxes
NOT A MEMBER OF N.A.M.I.R.
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2025-07-16 19:22)
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Author: m1964
Date: 2025-07-16 19:15
I have a friend who removed it from his R13 Prestige because he was accidentally hitting it.
I guess it may be easier to remove the lever than change the lt. pinky position, esp. as we get older and the fingers become less flexible.
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2025-07-16 20:13
I have golden era R13's made in a time when such levers were not on instruments, as far as a know, or at least not anywhere near as prevalent as they are today.
Several years ago I installed a retrofit LH Ab/Eb key on my instruments as per this link:
https://www.clarinetworks.com/product/bolt-on-alternate-e-flat-key/
I was motivated, and glad I did this upgrade, of all things, by the Cadenza in Messager's Solo De Concurs, whose opening passage, as a fair number of you know, would require a mid note pinky swap, on notes known to accelerate in speed in many player's interpretations of same, on the ![[B4]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/b4.gif) or ![[C5]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/c5.gif) (but not both) in the 5th of 7 group of 4 notes.
It took me a week or two to get use to this new key. Now I don't know its there.
I'm still old school and when faced with arpeggios in keys like B flat or ones with even more flats, where the player learns to anticipate mid note pinky swaps to make the ![[Eb5]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/eb5.gif) above I'm inclined to not use this new key and resort to pinky swaps instead: of course at high enough speeds this can become prohibitively difficult, not simply because of the speed of the pinkies, but the almost unavoidable movement of the instrument when moving either pinky at such speeds.
Similarly, I've learned to slide down where necessary from the top two right pinky levers to the bottom ones, recognizing many of the note patterns where this is necessary to make available a pinky for the next note, where use of this new key might be easier.
There are still times I will, mid passage, forget the new key is there, rather than use it, and get stuck. Certainly practice can address this.
Drucker had the key removed. I guess he wasn't interested in the adjustment involved in having it, and learned to live without it in his career.
It would be nice for it to be on all Soprano clarinets but costs would go up on instruments it was provided on.
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Author: bradfordlloyd
Date: 2025-07-16 20:33
I learned to play without the lever. Now that I'm old and I'm finding it standard on some newer instruments, I'm wondering why I didn't seek it out sooner.
My sightreading has improved because I don't have to fumble through those tricky passages where Eb and C (or Ab and F) are juxtaposed. It was like being let out of jail once I got used to it.
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Author: David H. Kinder
Date: 2025-07-17 00:32
I have one on my AureA. It's different in that it doesn't have a separate post/rod mount, but is a 'sleeve' inside the C#/F# lever, so you can't remove it without it affecting the fit of the other key.
I've gotten used to it. Tom Ridenour isn't a fan of that mechanism so he's discontinuing the AureA. He may resume if he's happy with a new design. I'm sure it's also an attempt to streamline his operations and product line.
He replied to me in a Facebook post saying this:
"I'm very disenamored with the left hand Ab/Eb key. [...]
It's not worth the frustration. You, IMHO, always get a better with the standard mechanism. [...]
In my years at Leblanc I always disliked the LH Ab/Eb, not because of the technical issues but because the added key placement and weight seemed to change the ringing, responsiveness, and resonance qualities of the clarinet. In short, the clarinets just doesn't ring right. I tested dozens and dozens of Opus/Concerto clarinets, and the results were the same. I always played the Concerto clarinet myself. It was such a vibrant, responsive instrument.
There was no change in my experience with the AureA/Libertas II. I love playing the Libertas II.
I only decided to produce the AureA because players seemed to want it. I often tried to talk them out of buying it. Because I was sure they would get a better horn with the standard mechanism. But some people will not listen. Fine.
We know Harold Wright's playing was incomparable for its nuance and subtlety --- to my knowledge he never had any interested in playing the LH Ab/Eb modification. I never saw him play the LH Ab/Eb, and I saw and heard him play a LOT.
I know it sounds stupid. But that's good enough for me. I think he was sensitive to the clarity and vibrancy of the clarinet. He liked a lot of clarity and ring in the sound, for sure."
Ridenour AureA Bb clarinet
Ridenour Homage mouthpiece
Vandoren Optimum Silver ligature (plate 1)
Vandoren Traditional and V.12 #4 reeds
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Author: donald
Date: 2025-07-17 00:33
I have mine removed, but can easily put it back on if I'm going to be playing a piece where it's useful (there are a number of pieces it's true, but I really only need to do this 2 or 3 times a year). It takes about 1min to put it back on.
Reasons for removal?
Weight- I was suprised how even this small key made a difference
Teaching- when showing fingerings to students, inevitably their pea sized brains get confused if I have the extra key. Yes, that was mean but it really happens... it's much easier if my clarinet mirrors their one (plus I don't have to give the speech about how only some clarinets have it etc).
I have to say, the passage in the Debussy Rhapsody for instance is much more fluent with this key, definitely worth sticking it back on when needed!
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2025-07-17 02:44
I need access to a point lower on the alternate left B and C# keys than the Ab/Eb lever addition allows. I do a slide both directions off those keys so the Ab/Eb key is not only redundant, it gets in the way. All my (Boehm) clarinets for the last 20 years had those levers......I take them off.
............Paul Aviles
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