 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: nahya^^
Date: 2002-08-27 15:45
I am a right hander at most things and so is my dad. I tried playing recorder before i got my clarinet, and put my left hand up and my right hand down. My dad did the opposite.
What I'm asking is (or trying to ask)... (P.S.: It disturbs me when people use a colon after "is" ..etc. ) do left handers place their left DOWN when playing the clarinet, as I, a right hander, place my RIGHT hand down?
Just curious...
P.S.: I have a lesson starting from September 5th, 2002 Earth year... so.. no use telling me to get a teacher now! Hehe..
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2002-08-27 15:49
Do you mean which hand goes on which joint?
The left hand plays the upper joint. The right hand plays the lower joint. No exceptions. The trill keys on the upper joint will play havoc with you if you try to play it with your right hand.
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2002-08-27 15:55
Clarification: you will use fingers on your right hand on the upper joint trill keys, and you will use your left hand fingers on the lower joint arm keys. But, yes, your left hand stays "on top" and your right hand stays "on the bottom."
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Author: RonD
Date: 2002-08-27 16:24
I am distressed to learn that you do not approve of the manner some people use colons, but in the future I am sure that the people on this bulletin board will make a special effort to avoid offending you.) Its fortunate that your lessons start soon. Hehe
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Author: BeckyC
Date: 2002-08-27 16:39
You don't know how hard it was for not to comment on that myself.
;) lol
Again.....I love reading Nahya's post.
Becky
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Author: GBK
Date: 2002-08-27 16:53
I've witnessed some clarinetists whose technique was so poor, they may have been better off playing with their toes.
Of course, the rule still remains: left foot goes on top, right foot on bottom...GBK
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Author: RonD
Date: 2002-08-27 16:54
OK, as long as it pertains to clarinets. Hehe..
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2002-08-27 16:57
I really should not participate in this thread, as I am extremely intolerant of people who are intolerant.
On the other hand, nahya^^, it is almost impossible to reach some of the Clarinet's keys if it is played with right hand up and left hand down. And that goes for almost any clarinet made after the ancient 6-key instruments. However, for whatever reason, a very few "mirror image" clarinets have been made (none recently that I know), and some references have photographs of such instruments alongside normal clarinets (so it's evident that the appearance isn't just caused by a flipped negative). Today, left-handed clarinet players play standard instruments with no more difficulty than right-handed players experience. And we all do it with left hands on the upper joints, right hands on the lower joints.
Regards,
John
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2002-08-27 18:35
And since I cataloged Abe's collection before he sold most of it off - I can vouch that it really is a left-handed clarinet.
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Author: Kat
Date: 2002-08-28 00:36
I was told that Georgi Koev, a Bulgarian folk clarinetist, used a left-handed A Albert system. I've heard a few cuts he recorded, and, of course, there is no indication that it was an unusual instrument. He rocks!
I suspect nahya may be referring to which had different folks immediately put on which joint when first picking up the instrument. I have a young (8 yr. old) student for whom this is a problem. However, she's not left-handed. She's a righty, and still has an inner urge to put the right hand on top.
Katrina
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Author: David Pegel
Date: 2002-08-28 01:47
How ironic. I can talk about this in great detail.
I'm left-handed myself. I always instinctively put my left hand on top because it felt natural to me.
My older sister, OTOH, is right-handed, and she has trouble getting her hands the right way all the time when I let her "fool around" with my clarinet (shudder). She always turns to me and asks me "Is this right?" and I have to laugh because she suddenly has trouble reaching the keys.
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Author: Gordon (NZ)
Date: 2002-08-28 06:43
Most recorders cannot be played with the right hand above the left, because of the tone hole location &/or keys for the right pinkie.
How does your father do it?
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Author: Allie
Date: 2002-08-28 14:56
I (sort of) played the recorder for a while before clarinet, but when i first got my clarinet and started fooling around with it my right hand instinctivly went above my left. That's kinda wierd considering my extreme right-handed tendancies. Anybody got an interesting theory why Kat's student and I both did that? ---Aside to Nahya: It is EXTREMLY difficult to reach the lower joint arm keys when playing with your right hand on top!!
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Author: Ken Shaw
Date: 2002-08-28 15:05
Renaissance recorders were made with the holes running straight down the center line, except for an offset hole for the little finger, and where there were two holes, one on each side, so they could be played with either way. The unused hole was plugged with clay. On the larger recorders, with a key for the lowest note, the key touch was made in a "fish-tail" shape that made it playable with either hand.
I have a renaissance soprano and a renaissance alto recorder made by Tom Prescott, who makes exact copies of museum instruments, and they both have the extra hole.
The chalumeau had a recorder-shaped body, and I think it had little-finger holes at both angles. The original Denner clarinet had the same design.
When flutes had only one key, it was easy to rotate the foot joint to permit left-hand playing. The famous player Buffardin played that way, and the Irish flute player Paddy Maloney of The Chieftains does also.
Charlie Ponte used to have a left-handed Boehm system flute hanging on the wall in his store. It wasn't in playable shape, and it looked cheaply made, but at least it existed.
I've seen the photos of Abe Galper's left-handed clarinet, but I've never heard of another one.
It's possible, sort of, to play a scale on clarinet with your right hand on top, by reaching over and nudging keys with your fingertips. I suppose everyone has tried it. I remember when I was an absolute beginner, I put my left middle finger on the pad above the ring, my ring finger on the hole and my little finger on the ring finger hole. It took me a few minutes to get used to the correct position.
Best regards.
Ken Shaw
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