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RE: C# key

Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 1999-08-05 16:55

Tim T wrote:
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I am having trouble hitting this consistently, Either I hit other keys with my pinky, or I do not cover the third hole on the first section. Either way I get the dreaded squeek.
Can I bend the C# key, or do something different with my fingers.

I have the most problem going from A or B-flat to C#.

Any help would be appreciated.

Tim -

I assume you're in your first year or so of playing. The problem will disappear with time and practice - just keep at it.

It's possible to bend the key, but I would go to a repair shop to have it done, particularly if you have an Artley or other clarinet made in China, on which the keys are easy to break.

Check the position of the left little finger keys by comparing your instrument with others. If the C# key is in its normal position, the same as on the other clarinets, you should probably adapt to it rather than bending the key.

You may have a problem with your left hand being rotated clockwise, so that your left index finger knuckle wraps around the Ab key. If so, you need to bring your hand back to a straighter position, so that your ring finger and little finger have less of a stretch.

Dee made an excellent suggestion a few months back. Set your left hand position from bottom to top, rather than top to bottom. That is, start with the little finger on one of the keys, and then put down your ring finger, adjusting your wrist position so that your forearm and the top of your hand make a straight line. Then add your middle finger, index finger and thumb. This will feel odd at first, but you will adapt quickly.

Try to keep your left ring finger close to the hole, so that it knows "by radar" exactly where to go. Your little finger can't do that, since it has to take care of four keys, but once again, you need to do this with as little movement as possible, and get your muscles to memorize exactly where each of those four positions is.

It's easier said than done, but you have to learn not to press down hard on the ring finger hole or the little finger keys. Play a C, first ledger line below the staff, and hold it for a few seconds. If you can then see a definite imprint on your left ring finger tip, you're pressing too hard. Back off until you learn exactly how little pressure you can use without causing a leak. Then practice using the minimum force. Fairly quickly, you will become aware of the fingertip in contact with the hole. (Try a couple of light swipes of sandpaper on your fingertip, like a safecracker, to increase the sensitivity.) You will then come to depend on that feeling of contact, rather than high pressure.

Along with not pressing on the hole, it's very important to not bang your fingers down. It's easy to jab at the C# key with your little finger. This wastes motion and energy, and also, as you have found out, tends to jar your hand and pull your other fingers around on their keys.

Practice going from C to C# and back, moving the little finger down and up as slowly as possible, so that you get an intermediate smear. Then gradually speed it up, so that it is just quick enough for a smooth transition, using as little pressure as possible.

Then practice going from B to C# and back, once again starting so slowly that there is an intermediate tone, and gradually speeding up until the transition is smooth. Always keep the finger movements small, the finger speed slow and the finger pressure light.

Try doing this in front of a mirror, so you can watch for wasted finger movement.

You won't master this in a few minutes, or even a few days, but after a week or so, you should have the problem licked.

So - go home and practice. Then come back and tell us how you're doing. The clarinet world is waiting for you.

Ken Shaw

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