 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2015-01-25 22:25
Through many years of training I’m pretty good, at least in the basic key signatures, and maybe reading ahead a note or two (or reading notes as a group) to know where to stick my pinkies, and in what order, so that, say, a clarion D# is free to be played with the right pinky.
An advanced clarinetist worth their weight in salt knows, for example, when ascending the key of E major scale, to take the clarion B with the right pinky, so the adjacent C# can be played with the left, followed by the D# with the right.
And I’m no Superman. Throw in the need to swap pinkies mid note, or double sharps and flats, and don’t expect me to play it right the first time, particularly at 120, even if correct annotations appear in the music as to fingerings.
Why is this necessary? How much could it possibly cost even the mid-range clarinet manufacturers to throw in a left Eb/Ab lever, that like all the other left pinky levers, could be removed if the user desired. Its placement could certainly be arranged in a way that does not find it accidently being played in lieu of other left pinky keys. Providing it would prevent all “you can’t get there from here” finger situations with the pinkies.
Nearly all other fingerings on the instrument, barring maybe bad commitment to a chromatic fork fingering with either hand, don’t find it impossible (if not easy) to get to the next note without having to stop airflow, even for a brief second, to avoid playing a note not in the music.
The clarinet is challenging enough. Yes, people learn to live without they key. But I’d like to see it as standard equipment, not on just advanced instruments, but particularly entry level clarinets. And if not that, then at least designed into the clarinet, so that it can be acquired either upon purchase, or later on, without our bboard’s Chris P having to use his mechanical virtuosity to retro design one for you at no trivial cost.
What do you think? As for me, the grandpa argument, "I had to hand crank my car to get it to start, and so can you," just doesn't fly. We innovate to make life easier. I don't seek a clarinet that plays itself, just one that plays easier.
Post Edited (2015-01-25 22:27)
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-01-25 22:37
Besides the "doubling up" technique, there is the slide (RH down from D# to C#, up or down from C to Eb and LH up or down from B to C#).
Quite frankly the extra key gets in the way. I've run into some younger players who are used to having it, but I just don't see the need. When I get a horn with it on, I simply (and quickly) take it off.
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2015-01-26 00:17
* Paul, when you say doubling up, I take that to mean switching pinkies mid note so that you are don't find yourself in a "can't get there from here" finger dilemma.
(For purposes of clarity, all talk below pertains to the clarion register, even though it of course applies to the chalumeau as well.)
* True, I didn't mention the ability to slide down from D# or C, to C# or B respectively. Those are viable choices as well, but would be rendered obsolete, or at least not necessary, with the key addition of this thread.
* I don't consider "same height" slides between C to D#, or B to C# worthy of much praise, particularly as it involves sliding towards the bell, wherein in both cases, D# to C, and and C# to B, all tone holes connected to the top or bottom 2 keys respectively must be completely closed. Sliding up towards the mouthpiece, with the right pinky, where all tone holes involved, be it the top or lower level keys, must be open, I would conclude is more viable, but again would be rendered obsolete, or at least not necessary, with the key addition of this thread.
* Left pinky slides down I imagine would present more issue with overshooting the C#, but again would be rendered obsolete, or at least not necessary, with the key addition of this thread.
* If the key gets in your way I would argue that it hasn't been positioned well in relation to the others. It doesn't have to be close enough to slide to the other left pinky keys, or from those keys to it, or make for finger confusion. That's where the right pinky would come in, which could play the note while the left pinky gets picked up and placed on another key.
* Under my scenario, you could remove the key, or not buy it, but know its available to you, or someone you might sell the clarinet to someday who feels differently.
* You have proficiency in not only being able to use some of these methods, but know when to do so through a school of hard knocks that future players need not have to go through, giving them time to work on the other 10,000 things about clarinet play that require work.
My premise is that the key should be available as an option for later purchase, or standard and removable, all without costing a king's randsom. That way, everyone's happy.
Post Edited (2015-01-26 00:43)
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-01-26 02:47
I'm pretty sure there had been a thread in the last six months that concerned "retro fits." It sounded pretty simple to do. I only argue (again, from MY standpoint) that the extra mechanical part only adds to the level of options and could just make things unnecessarily complex ("Do I take it on the left, or do I take it on the right?").
There is a much younger player who I respect who feels it is necessary for "today's technique." But I don't think fine players of yesterday really had any obvious technical problems. Some might argue a bunch of them were a darn sight better than many today..........I dunno for sure.
..............Paul Aviles
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-01-26 03:09
Adding the LH Ab/Eb at the point of manufacture is a pretty simple affair as all the necessary pieces will be available to the keywork mounter and the joint will be set out accordingly with the extra pillar with only a slight increase in the cost.
All the extra pieces needed are:
- the LH Ab/Eb lever touchpiece,
- lever arm (both touchpiece and lever arm can always be cast in one piece),
- key barrel,
- rod screw,
- linkage piece or tab to be hard soldered to the Ab/Eb pad cup,
- extra set of pillars
- maybe a longer linkage piece for the RH F#/C# key if the Ab/Eb lever runs in between the existing LH levers,
- the pin in the end of the Ab/Eb lever to link it to the linkage piece on Ab/Eb key pad cup if it runs on the outside of the existing LH levers, otherwise have a flat on the end to lift the tab soldered to the Ab/Eb pad cup.
Schreiber offered the Buffet B12 with an optional LH Ab/Eb lever, so there's absolutely no reason why it can't be fitted as standard to all Boehm system clarinets from plastic models upwards instead of being an option on pro level instruments. At least having it fitted gives the player the option to use it or not - if need be they can easily remove it and keep it safe in the case compartment (if there's enough room for that) to be refitted when they sell the instrument on.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-01-26 03:11
Move on - nothing to see here!
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
Post Edited (2015-01-26 03:18)
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2015-01-26 04:51
I respect your opinion Paul but that retro fit thread was one that I'm pretty sure included Chris P's work, which I consider anything but trivial.
The very complexity you describe as potentially being part of the addition of the key ('which pinky do I take it with'), to my mind becomes moot because of it.
If you combine that with a Stephen Fox (like) R1 C#/G# Touchpiece key device:
http://www.sfoxclarinets.com/Accessories.html#clar acc
all the slides, mid note finger swaps, and lots of the reasons for marking up music becomes unnecessary.
Post Edited (2015-01-26 05:05)
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Author: WhitePlainsDave
Date: 2015-01-26 17:56
Well, to my mind, remembering is a function of practice, and I’ll certainly concede Paul that after doing things a certain way for many years, retraining is hard.
My feeling is that if some student can learn a skill like switching pinkies mid clarion “C” voicing, from right to left pinky, to open up the right pinky for a “D#,” then they can certainly learn how to simply switch to a left pinky “D#,” in so doing cutting out a step.
Players who’ve worked without the key for 40 years and find it burdensome, need not use it, or can orders of magnitude more easily and inexpensively remove it, than guys like Chris P can retro add it—absolutely no disrespect meant to Chris’ amazing repair work.
I respect though that you don’t want to pay for something you don’t use, or worse, that you see as a detriment, not a feature. Even if an option at purchase or at some point after ownership, presumptively the manufacturer would still have to design and implement the posts and levers, and reflect this in their cost, even if the marginal cost (factoring in R&D) for them would be “$8.75” per unit.
Marketed as an easier instrument to learn on and/or play, this cost might be well tolerated in the entry instrument market, let alone the mid range and professional end of the business, I think.
In fairness though, the manufacturers seem to side with you Paul, even if their motives may be different than yours or mine.
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