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Altissimo 'E'

Author: Bassie
Date: 2007-02-02 14:45

I'm finding the traditional fingering for this note (left hand 2&3, Eb key for pitch) a real pain right now. The note speaks so poorly for me. Any ideas? (other than 'practice'!)

Edit: that's Bb sop., btw., not bass.

Post Edited (2007-02-02 14:46)

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Re: Altissimo 'E'

Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-02-02 15:16

Try half-holing LH finger 1, or use this fingering:

Sp. Th. Throat G# oxx|ooo Eb

Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.

Post Edited (2007-02-02 15:33)

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Re: Altissimo 'E'

Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2007-02-02 15:27

The left index finger hole is too big and too low to serve as the ideal register vent. Try rolling your left index finger down a little at a time to find the best position, which, as Chris P says, is about halfway open.

For an absolutely reliable E, play G on top of the staff and open the throat Ab key. It's louder than the notes around it and tends to blare, so play it gently. Many people use it in the final flourish of Shepherd on the Rock.

Ken Shaw

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Re: Altissimo 'E'

Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-02-02 15:43

Strange that basset horn, alto and bass clarinets have a relatively tiny aperture (around 2mm) in the top fingerplate for the altissimo register, whereas clarinets from A and upwards rely on the relatively large F tonehole to be opened for the altissimo - German and non-Boehm clarinets have what is the equivalent of the thumb hole open on a Boehm system for the altissimo - so with that in mind, you can do the lower altissimo as the following with the thumb off the thumb hole but opening the speaker key:

C# xxx|xxxEb
D xxx|xxoEb
Eb xxx|xo,oEb
E xxx|oooEb

Has anyone ever fitted a half-hole fingerplate to a soprano clarinet?

Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.

Post Edited (2007-02-02 18:32)

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Re: Altissimo 'E'

Author: GBK
Date: 2007-02-02 16:56

As Ken said, the most reliable high E is playing G5 (just above the staff) and adding the throat G#/Ab key.

TR + G# key x x x / o o o

Peter Hadcock calls this "never miss" high E.

Another high E fingering which should be in your arsenal, is playing high Eb6 without the thumb, but adding the throat A key.

Thus:

R (no thumb) + A key o x x / x o I o Eb/Ab

One place to try using it is in measure 19 of the Copland Concerto ...GBK

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Re: Altissimo 'E'

Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-02-02 17:01

When I eventually get my copy of the Copeland concerto sent to me, I'll give it a whirl.

Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.

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Re: Altissimo 'E'

Author: Bassie
Date: 2007-02-02 18:19

Thanks guys - so many responses so quickly!

Glad to know it's not just me.

The open-thumb-hole options are entirely new to me - I'll give them a go!

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