 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Mike
Date: 2001-11-30 06:40
Hello,
I was wonderin if anybody could help me out. The problem is that my altissimo F# is extremly flat and I haveto work a great deal to get it in tune. The rest of the altissimo register is in tune. It's just that F#. Maybe a alternate fingering? Help would be appreciated.
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Author: ron b
Date: 2001-11-30 07:48
Something's not right with the instrument.
The usual first suspicion is a leak, but...
Without personally examining the clarinet, we'll need some more info.
What make (brand) is it?
Has the F# always been flat (since you became its owner)?
Are the tone holes clear of obstructions (lint etc.) ?
Is the register key pad cork, kid skin (brown) or a regular skin pad?
I don't know of an alternative fingering (assuming it's a Boehm) except maybe using RH third finger instead of second finger but that's a poor remedy. You should never need alternate fingerings to play in tune. Do notes lower than F# play okay, I mean are they easy to play or are they 'stuffy' and cause you to work at them? How is the low register, to lowest E? Can you play real softly down there?
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Author: GBK
Date: 2001-11-30 08:03
Mike...The standard fingering for high F# is probably the worst of the so called "traditional" fingerings. It is flat, and the response is sluggish. The solution to this problem however is very easy:
1. If you must use this fingering: TR oxo/oooEb add the right hand "sliver" key to raise the pitch. Or, substitute the right hand low F# key for the Eb key.
Better yet:
2. Be familiar with 2 or 3 of the better alternative fingerings for high F#. There are about 20 of them.Some will work better than others, depending on your instrument. Remember though, that their use always depends upon the context of the passage, and the notes which preceed and follow the high F#.
I would start you off by giving you 2 of the more popular alternative F# fingerings;
TR xxo/xxxEb (sometimes called a "long" F#)
TR xxo side Eb / oooEb
3. I recommend purchasing the Ridenour fingering book. It is a good reference to have on your stand at all times. Much valuable information is contained.
Also, check the on line Sneezy fingering chart:
http://www.wfg.sneezy.org/
Let us know how you do...GBK
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Author: Katie
Date: 2001-11-30 16:29
In response to Ron B, I think it is a little inaccurate to say that you should never have to use alternate fingerings to play in tune. Many instruments that are not perfectly crafted will have intonation flaws--and even good instruments can have variations in the altissimo tuning. Sometimes, just because your tuner will say that you are in tune does not mean you are in tune with the people or ensemble that you are playing in, and you may have to use different fingerings to compensate for that.
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Author: ron b
Date: 2001-11-30 18:46
Oh, oh. If we're talking about F# way above the staff (not fifth line) then I owe you a big OOPS! I misunderstood your post :| and had better go back and review the terms for registers (hangs head in shame). Sorry 'bout that.
Livin' an' learnin',
- ron b -
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Author: Anonymous
Date: 2001-11-30 20:08
The standard fingering GBK discussed, with the sliver key, works well for me in raising the pitch of the high F sharp, as well as improving the response. The use I have found most useful for this fingering is in playing scales or trilling to high G. You can get a decent trill to high G by using the side E flat/B flat trill key.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-11-30 20:10
ron b wrote:
>
> Oh, oh. If we're talking about F# way above the staff
> (not fifth line) then I owe you a big OOPS! I misunderstood
> your post :| and had better go back and review the terms for
> registers (hangs head in shame). Sorry 'bout that.
> Livin' an' learnin',
> - ron b -
Happens to us all. But here's a refresher.
Chalumeau - low E through throat Bb. The throat tones (sometimes mistakenly called a register) are a subset of the chalumeau.
Clarion - mid staff B natural through C two ledger lines above the staff.
Altissimo - Everything higher than the C two ledger lines above the staff.
Some notes can be played in more than one register. An example is the C# two ledger lines above the staff. If it is played as thumb, register key, and two side keys, then it is a clarion note. If it is played as thumb, register key, 2nd & 3rd left hand fingers plus 1st and 2nd right hand fingers, then it is an altissmo note.
Or here is another way to think of the registers for the technically minded.
Chalmeau - Fundamental (i.e. 1st harmonic)
Clarion - 3rd harmonic
Altissimo - 5th, 7th and higher harmonics
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2001-11-30 20:26
You could try the following
R ++0/+++Eb for F# leading to R +00/+++Eb for G. These are the standard Oehler/ Albert fingerings but they also work on some Boehm clarinets. The use of the Eb key will vary between instruments also.
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Author: GBK
Date: 2001-11-30 20:48
Mark... I find that your proposed fingering for G is a shade too flat on the R-13 to be used for sustained passages.
A better alternative to the G from the "long" F# fingering is:
TR xoo/xoxEb
Of course, ask 5 other clarinetists, and you'll probably get 5 other possibilities...GBK
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Author: Wes
Date: 2001-12-01 18:25
Sometimes, if one is playing in a first clarinet section in a band, it is better to go with the crowd on flat notes like high F and F#. If one plays it in tune, it may sound out of tune with the other players who don't use alternate fingerings or push it up in pitch enough. In my experience, these notes are almost always tending to be low in pitch and the advice given above to become accustomed to a couple of alternate fingerings is good. Good luck!
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Author: Micaela
Date: 2001-12-03 00:45
Wes- it would be better convince the rest of the crowd to also tune their notes in question. Even if the whole section is in tune with each other, they aren't in tune with the rest of the band and on a high F# that's going to show. The same solution might not work for every clarinet but it's worth passing around the tuner for a few minutes.
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