 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: iyossi
Date: 2015-05-31 13:06
Hi,
In the clarinet part of Leroy Anderson's "belle of the ball" there are two tremolos at the beginning (both in the Clarion register) : F-A, and G-Bb, I couldn't find a speccial fingering for them, but the standard ones are very difficult . Could you suggest me how to do them ?
Regards
Yossi
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2015-05-31 14:30
What's the tempo? If it's, say, 136, you should be able to do the tremolos with the standard fingerings. Get out your Baermann III and pratrice.
For the F-A tremolo, isolate the up and down movements. That is, play a quadruple-dotted F, stop and play the A-F interval as 128th and another quadruple-dotted F. Work on the A-F interval to get it absolutely clean, and take plenty of time between repetitions.
Then reverse it, with a quadruple-dotted A, pause and play a 128th F and another quadruple-dotted A. Work on that until the F-A interval is absolutely clean.
Then make the repetitions closer and closer together.
Then do a 3+1 pattern, A-F-A-F, with the first three very fast. Then do 3+1 on F-A-F-A.
For the G-Bb tremolo, use the same method.
You can also bend your left index fingertip down slightly so that it holds the pad cup down (the one attached to the left middle finger ring). Then tremolo with the left middle and ring fingers. The interval will be slightly wide, but that's better than sloppy or too narrow.
Ken Shaw
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Author: iyossi
Date: 2015-06-01 09:31
Hi Ken,
Thank you for your answer, but in this case the tempo is very fast, so I will be happy to know of any alternate fingering.
Yossi
Post Edited (2015-06-01 09:42)
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Author: John Peacock
Date: 2015-06-01 15:11
Those tremolos would be straightforward on an A clarinet. Are there enough bars rest to change for a short stretch?
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-06-01 16:53
Ok, I'm thinking from your question fifth line "F" to the first ledger above "A." I can't come up with anything for that, but coordinating finger three of the left hand and finger one of the right hand is not too hard (at least in context it shouldn't sound too sloppy).
As for the "G" to "Bb" (reading; "G" on the staff to first ledger above "Bb") just trill the second (middle) finger of the left hand (also not bad intonation in context).
...........Paul Aviles
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Author: kdk
Date: 2015-06-01 17:03
They're both awkward fingerings. I don't remember the part for Belle of the Ball, but I have to say that sometimes composers deserve whatever they get when they write things that any performer would have told them were awkward. That said, the tremolo effect is probably more important than the actual pitches, especially the upper pitch, so you may only need something that comes close.
For F-A try fingering F and opening the LH ring finger hole (the C4/G5 tone hole). The A is flat, but in context it may not matter.
Similarly, for G-Bb, finger G and make the tremolo by opening the middle finger (D4/A5 tone hole). It's not really in tune, either, but may work in the context.
There are, AFAIK, no in-tune alternates for these two intervals - they are notoriously awkward, at least with standard keywork.
Karl
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Author: iyossi
Date: 2015-06-01 21:45
No :-(
Listen to the very first bars of :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlwHJqFN3bs&spfreload=10
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-06-01 22:03
Just what we were saying, the tremelos are a pad for the melody which is BY FAR the more dominant voice.
Just the idea of movement is enough.......just make them major seconds!!!!
.........Paul Aviles
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Author: Floydinoz
Date: 2015-06-04 04:50
Hi,
One more suggestion for G-Bb clarion register:
Finger the G with the F fingering, but add the clarion Ab key this plays a pretty good G, then tremolo to the 1+1 Bb by lifting left hand fingers 2,3 and little finger.
Floydinoz
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Author: GBK
Date: 2015-06-04 07:45
Ken Shaw wrote:
> For the G-Bb tremolo
> You can also bend your left index fingertip down slightly
> so that it holds the pad cup down (the one attached to the
> left middle finger ring). Then tremolo with the left middle
> and ring fingers. The interval will be slightly wide, but that's
> better than sloppy or too narrow.
Bravo Ken. That's exactly the solution - and one that most clarinetists forget about using.
...GBK
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-06-04 14:33
It was mentioned on here not so long ago that if your clarinet has 'ears' on the upper part of the bridge key linkage (as Buffet and Yamaha clarinets have), you can use your right thumb to push up the linkage which in turn holds down the LH2 ring key and nothing else, so the G-Bb tremolo can be done by trilling with both LH 2 and 3.
Another option is to fit a Bis key that Stephen Fox makes which clamps onto the E vent cup arm and Bb is played sax-style by holding the Bis key touch down with LH1.
But for those of us with simple/Albert system, German/Oehler system and also Boehm system clarinets fitted with the forked Eb/Bb mechanism (with a ring key for LH3), the G-Bb tremolo is a very simple affair as the tremolo in question is played as G and lifting LH2 gives a well tuned Bb. I think it's also easy on reform Boehm clarinets but I'm not entirely sure of the fingering they use.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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