 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: saxlite
Date: 2006-01-19 02:13
My teacher wants me to move my thumb rest back up to normal position- I had moved it to the lowest spot to prevent inadvertantly hitting the right hand sliver key. I have bent the key as close to the first ring as possible to reduce this, as well as the lowering of the thumb rest. Teacher says I must have a higher hand position. So, reluctantly I moved the thumb rest halfway back. Now I'm hitting the @#$%$ key frequently and missing notes. Grrr! Any suggestions would be appreciated.
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Author: bcl1dso
Date: 2006-01-19 02:44
practice practice practice. You have just gotten in a bad habit. now you get to fix it. however, if would really help even if you are hitting it to keep it how is supposed to be so that in the end you will be doing everything right
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2006-01-19 02:54
On some clarinets (particularly Boosey & Hawkes models) which have fat sliver keys, I grind them on the sides to thin them down, otherwise I have the same problem of hitting them inadvertently, regardless of how I bend them.
Practice is great, sure, but it doesn't solve mechanical/ergonomic problems.
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Author: crnichols
Date: 2006-01-19 10:40
Some people have the sliver key reduced in length because of this problem, it ensures you don't depress the rings when using the sliver key to sharpen notes such as altissimo F#. You should be pressing that key close to post regardless.
Christopher Nichols
1st Infantry Division Band
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-01-19 11:48
The only one I have trouble with, especially on Eb and bass is the LH Eb cross key - on my Eb I've bent it down so it won't open at all, and on my bass I've taken it off completely, as well as the pillars as I never use it, and the only role it has on my Selmers with forked Bb/Eb is keeping the top joint rings at a certain height so the long Bb connection doesn't get knackered during assembly, although I do hold the top joint rings down during assembly anyway.
The RH B/F# touch on my B&H 1010 has a bevel on top which is as sharp as the bevel on the other key arms.
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Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2006-01-19 13:58
My solution for the sliver key problem has always been to either cut them down. I have them cut similar to the "stump" key on my bass; order the parts and do the surgery on the replacements; keep the originals in case you ever decide to sell the horns.
The "practice" suggestion works as long as your fingers are small enough to fit the space allowed between the key and the ring. If you have big ("ham") hands, no amount of practice will correct the problem and the surgery is the only real solution.
On the Eb clarinet, I go so far as to plug the hole for the LH "sliver" key. Use a wad of warm wax, and work it into the hole from the outside and up against a mandrel placed up the bore. No intonation problem, the key never gets "bumped" open, and it decreases "accidents" on the Eb horn by a factor of a hundred. You lose a few fingerings, but they're not the end of the world.
Haven't figured out what to do about the bis keys on the saxophone yet, though. I can just barely fit a finger in the slot on my Yamaha baritone, but tenor and up are too tight for me to use the bis pearl smoothly. Once again, it's a matter of doing without, combined with occasional use of the dreaded "long Bb" that sax players are taught to dread from their first lesson. Short of cutting off the flesh on my hand, I can't see any other options.
The good thing about "big fingers" is that they do a great job of sealing up tone holes...
leader of Houston's Sounds Of The South Dance Orchestra
info@sotsdo.com
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2006-01-19 14:39
I plugged the Eb/Bb tonehole on my bass with a couple of cork pads so it fills the tonehole though to the bore (but not into the bore), and the one on the outside is just slightly proud of the tonehole rim so it protects it from getting chipped, used a cut down pillar to blank off the pillar hole and an undrilled pillar the right height for the C#/G# stop.
The LH cross Eb/Bb key and pillars are wrapped up and kept in the container that the crappy plastic stock Buffet mouthpiece came in, and kept in the case so I know where to find it.
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Author: Gandalfe
Date: 2006-01-19 14:42
The sax bis key is never used alone. It is a combination key that required the successful user to close both the b key and the bis key with the left index finger. The bigger your fingers the easier this is to do. I've heard of beginners trying to work the bis key with their a key finger which I imagine would be very hard to do because of the size of the bis key.
Jim and Suzy
Pacifica Big Band
Seattle, Washington
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2006-01-19 16:06
I"d be very suspicious of your teacher's (BAD!) acvice. I moved my thumb rest down to keep my forefinger from banging the Eb key and got no static from my teacher.
Hey, can you reach all the keys from your low position? Do you squeak in a moment of relaxed vigilance with the thumbrest set high on the horn?
BAHH
Be easy; we don't need surprise squeaks.
Bob Phillips
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