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The Clarinet BBoard The C4 standard

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Re: Fingering Practice

Author: Philip Caron
Date: 2017-07-26 05:39

I like what you said about trying to feel the fingers, but watching in a mirror can help. You might be pulling off the rh holes when reaching with the pinky.

Get the angle between your rh fingers & instrument right, which can be a bit of an individual matter. Same for the curl of the fingers and what part of the finger pads cover the holes. It should feel natural and without constant strain, though the stretch & coordination of the pinkies could take some time to acquire.

Experiment starting on B4 or C5 and going to A4 and back, leaving the rh fingers down. The A4 should still sound ok, though intonation may be slightly off.

Check the rolling of the left index finger between the A key and the top finger hole. Doing it wrong enough can cause squeaking. It's not a hop, and it's more of a roll than a slide, though tbh I also slide just a little. This finger operation mustn't disrupt the finger next to it. It has to time with the other fingers AND thumb. Watch in a mirror or eyeball down the clarinet.

Also in the mirror, watch your embouchure. Your jaw etc. should not move for these intervals. (True for most intervals.) It doesn't take much movement in this area to squeak in any context.

Practice these intervals and similar ones daily. You can get them as smooth and beautiful as silk.

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