 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: ben1948
Date: 2020-11-08 03:28
I'm having a terrible time on a piece I'm working on which requires slurring from A5 to A4. Any alternate fingerings which would make the slur smoother? I've looked but haven't found any. I can get the notes to speak, but it doesn't sound good to me. The first note is marked piano and crescendos from there.
Thanks
Ben Withers - began clarinet 2014 at age 66
benjamin.f.withers@gmail.com
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Author: crvsp
Date: 2020-11-08 04:51
You could try using the vent fingering for A4: oxx|oxx with the A key and RH C key pressed down. I find this helps me personally, but let me know how that goes.
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2020-11-08 09:14
There's not really another way to finger A4. You can add fingers for resonance (like crvsp's fingering), but the basic fingering is still to open the A key.
What's actually happening? Is the lower note speaking immediately or with a delay? Is each note clear in tone or is A4 not clear-sounding? What does "it doesn't sound good to me" mean, if you can be more descriptive. Is the passage you're trying to improve fast or slow?
One way you can mildly cheat is to brush the lower A lightly with your tongue to slow the reed down. Make sure you aren't making a drastic change of embouchure as you make the octave change. My clarinet isn't handy right now, but when I practice tomorrow, I'll see what the interval does when I play it.
Karl
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2020-11-08 15:13
My vent for second space "A" would be to add the the first and second fingers of the right hand.
................Paul Aviles
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Author: Ken Lagace
Date: 2020-11-08 17:44
What sounds wrong? Is there a gap from sloppy fingers? Is there a break in the air because otherwise you will squeak?
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Author: Jarmo Hyvakko
Date: 2020-11-09 09:52
The movement of your left hand index finger? Practise the movement playing f#-a-f#-a in chalmeau register. The movement should be rolling the finger to the a-key. Then practise e-a, d-a and keep the rolling movement of the index finger. In my experience the legato a''-a', as we europeans say it, shouldn't be acoustically very challenging, the question is the co-ordination of the fingers.
The other question is, is your thumb released at the right moment. If it's late, the lower a will surely squeak.
Jarmo Hyvakko, Principal Clarinet, Tampere Philharmonic, Finland
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Author: Jarmo Hyvakko
Date: 2020-11-09 10:00
By the way, could someone explain to me the way you americans write the octaves? The "european way", that has been taught to me at school goes:
C,, - C, - C - c - c' - c'' - c''' etc. The c' being the "keyhole" c.
According to my calculations the keyhole c is C4!!??
Jarmo Hyvakko, Principal Clarinet, Tampere Philharmonic, Finland
Post Edited (2020-11-09 11:56)
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Author: Jarmo Hyvakko
Date: 2020-11-09 13:38
Thank you Tom, I actually checked it from our friend wikipedia: at least in finnish article your method is called "scientific method" whereas our european way is called "Helmholz method"
Jarmo Hyvakko, Principal Clarinet, Tampere Philharmonic, Finland
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Author: Bennett ★2017
Date: 2020-11-12 03:25
Right next to the large THE CLARINET BULLETIN BBOARD at the top of this and pretty much every page, there's a reminder about the location of C4.
Very handy.
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Author: ben1948
Date: 2020-11-13 10:50
Vent fingering helps, but basically I have trouble rolling my left index finger from its position playing A5 onto the A key for A4 while slurring. I tend to get squeaks or air gaps. No problem if I tongue the A4. I was hoping there was an easier fingering, but it appears I just need to keep practicing how to roll the index finger while maintaining smooth air. The previous measure slurs from G5 to G4, which is much easier.
Ben Withers - began clarinet 2014 at age 66
benjamin.f.withers@gmail.com
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2020-11-13 13:21
ben1948 wrote:
> Vent fingering helps, but basically I have trouble rolling my
> left index finger from its position playing A5 onto the A key
> for A4 while slurring. I tend to get squeaks or air gaps.
One thing to consider is that the A key may not be positioned well for your hand. Sometimes having it a little higher or a little lower or slightly bent to one side or the other can make the rolling action a little more secure and efficient. If you can work with a repair person, a little experimenting might help.
Karl
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2020-11-13 14:40
One impediment to opening the "A" key may be thinking of the movement as "a roll." We CAN'T roll our fingers. What we do is either a "nudge" off the medial side of the left index finger or just move it laterally up to the "A" key (if our hand position is more perpendicular to the horn). Either way, the movement is lateral and toward the thumb.
I isolate a practice (sans clarinet) by taking my left hand, fingers slightly bent (as if ready to play piano) finger tips upon a surface and then move my index finger laterally back and forth. I do this slow, fast, rhythmically, non-rhythmically, or even like a "flick" toward the thumb.
...............Paul Aviles
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Author: Tom H
Date: 2020-11-14 09:01
I confess to not reading every post, having been away. Can someone please describe where A4 and A5 is on the staff? I have never learned the numbering system for notes, amazingly.
The Most Advanced Clarinet Book--
tomheimer.ampbk.com/ Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001315, Musicnotes product no. MB0000649.
Boreal Ballad for unaccompanied clarinet-Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001314.
Musicnotes product no. MNO287475
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2020-11-14 13:50
These guys are saying "A4" is the second space "A."
.................Paul Aviles
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Author: Tom H
Date: 2020-11-14 23:32
Paul, Then I assume A5 is the ledger line above staff... So is the real question how do you get smoothly from A4 to any upper register note?
The Most Advanced Clarinet Book--
tomheimer.ampbk.com/ Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001315, Musicnotes product no. MB0000649.
Boreal Ballad for unaccompanied clarinet-Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001314.
Musicnotes product no. MNO287475
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2020-11-15 02:59
Tom H wrote:
> Paul, Then I assume A5 is the ledger line above staff... So is
> the real question how do you get smoothly from A4 to any upper
> register note?
The original question was the opposite - getting from A5 (first leger line above the staff) to A4 ("throat" A). It sounds as if Ben's problem has to do with getting his finger cleanly from the top LH tone hole onto the A key. I suppose the same problem could affect slurring down *to* A from any clarion register note, although it would be interesting, and maybe relevant, to know if Ben has the same issue moving to A4 from any other 5th octave (clarion) notes.
Ben??
Karl
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Author: Tom H
Date: 2020-11-15 06:13
Yes, the finger rolling motion to & from throat A. When I taught beginners I stressed keeping their (small) finger as close to the "bottom" of throat A key so rolling to the hole is as easy as possible. Also noticed back then that some throat As are arked "higher" than others-- ie. more of a bulge if you will.
The Most Advanced Clarinet Book--
tomheimer.ampbk.com/ Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001315, Musicnotes product no. MB0000649.
Boreal Ballad for unaccompanied clarinet-Sheet Music Plus item A0.1001314.
Musicnotes product no. MNO287475
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Author: donald
Date: 2020-11-16 16:04
Hi Ben, very good advice from Jarmo above... Here's another exercise you could try (work to improve your "blowing" (or voicing) as well as fingers).
Start on upper register C (3rd space) and slur down to A. THEN start one note higher on D, then on E then F/G and finally A. So you're working up to the high note step by step.
I have almost always found a progressive approach like this works well for my students (starting with a smaller interval then taking a series of small steps to get to a more difficult interval)
So you're playing...
C 3rd space slurring down to A
D to A
E to A
F to A
G to A
A to A
I hope this helps
Donald
Post Edited (2020-11-16 16:15)
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