 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: srattle
Date: 2009-10-24 18:33
Hi everyone,
Could anyone help me with Ab resonance fingerings.
firstly, what do people use (on buffets particularly) that works well for throat Ab.
secondly, I used to use a particular fingering:
Ab+ oxx | xxo
now, for some reason, it makes sort of a multiphonic, or at least has a really strange buzz to it, not stable at all.
I don't know if this has something to do with my technique, or if it's the instrument. I would really love to find a way to play Ab so that it sounds kind of like the rest of the instrument.
Thanks
Sacha
P.S. I don't have trouble with Bb or A. . .just Ab
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Author: rdc
Date: 2009-10-24 18:44
I usually don't use a resonance fingering for throat A-flat, but do for A and B-flat.
Somewhere along the line I picked up this resonance fingering for A-flat:
Ab oox | xxo
I sometimes use it to lower the pitch and/or add stability on a sustained note.
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Author: srattle
Date: 2009-10-24 18:51
could someone also tell me if their clarinet does the same thing as mine with the resonance fingering I wrote?
I play a Bb Rc prestige
Thanks
Sacha
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Author: rdc
Date: 2009-10-24 19:14
All three of these work on a Ridenour Lyrique and a Leblanc Opus. No sign of a multiphonic with your fingering.
The only thing I noticed is that the more fingers put down, the flatter the pitch. William's seems to have the most lively resonance to me.
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Author: donald
Date: 2009-10-24 19:59
I use the one William suggested, but find it is almost too resonant so sometimes avoid it if it has to match notes that aren't as clear and "ringy"... last week I used this fingering for a long sustained G# in the John Adams Grand Pianola music, but in another spot in the same piece where Clarinet 1 is in a unison solo with Flute/picc 1 (or was it fl/pic 2? not sure, I can remember WHO it was) I didn't use this fingering as it made the G# stick out more than the other notes in the solo.... (some Db, throat Bb and Cb were involved)
In the same program we had Rhapsody in Blue- and at the end of the opening solo (4th and 5th bars) used 00X X00 for G# and 000 XX0 for the G to help get a rich and powerful sound on those last two notes before the saxes etc come in...
dn
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Author: GBK
Date: 2009-10-24 20:19
I think of the three throat tones as a 3 note resonance fingering pattern. That way they are easy to remember.
Ab = 0 0 0 / 0 0 X (F/C)
A = 0 0 0 / X 0 0 (F/C)
Bb - 0 0 X / 0 0 X (F/C)
These seem to work well on Buffet clarinets.
The nice thing about this "system" is that the RH pinky always remains down.
...GBK
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Author: William
Date: 2009-10-24 21:02
"William's seems to have the most lively resonance to me."
Actally, the credit should go to Tom Rienour who showed it to me. I think it must also be in his very excellant book of clarinet fingerings. Just to set the record straight.........
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Author: mrn
Date: 2009-10-24 22:10
William wrote:
> I think it must also be in his very excellant book of
> clarinet fingerings.
Yes, it is. It's the one I use most of the time on my Buffets.
Other ones that I use frequently are:
G o o x | x x o
A o x x | o x x F/C
Bb o x x | o x x
The first one comes from Jack Brymer's book, the other two from Tom Ridenour's. These are the best sounding I've tried.
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2009-10-24 22:18
I own 3 "matched" pairs (1960 Leblanc LLs, 1946 B&H Imperials, 1972 Buffet S1's ) plus various other Bb makes and vintages including 1963 R13 and during my repair work have played on countless others. The point I find is that resonance fingerings are very specific to every individual clarinet even down to differences between the Bb and A in each pair and to some extent vary even between say Bb's of same make and model.
All I can say is that you have to spend some time experimenting with your individual clarinet(s) and see what works best.. Literally play the basic fingering and then add other fingers/keys in any combination you can imagine - you will be surprised at what will sometimes give the best result.
Even open G can often benefit from some resonance fingering as often does adding E/B key to improve B abve the stave etc.
Likewise other fingering such as fork G# xx0xx0 wil work beautifully on some instruments and hardly at all on others so you just have to experiment--experiment.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2009-10-24 23:33
I don't use any on my Buffets or Selmer but I've give you this advise. Everyone is different. It depends on your clarinet and mouthpiece. There are only so many combinations possible, we're not talking thousands. Just write down all the possible ways to play it, try them and choose the one you like best. That's the only way you will ever know which is best for you, if any at all. ESP http://eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: srattle
Date: 2009-10-25 00:13
Thanks Ed,
The problem I'm getting is that my Ab without resonance fingerings is much too stuffy.
I used to use this one fingering that worked well, then after something mysterious that happened after a tech worked on the instrument, this resonance fingering creates a strange multiphonic, and most of the fingerings around it as well, to a lesser extent.
The only resonance fingering combinations that don't cause this problem don't improve the resonance enough to match the surrounding notes (for instance, if I play on staff C to Ab, the Ab sounds much weaker and about 2 dynamics quieter)
I was hoping someone would either know what could be causing this multiphonic thing, or a completely different resonance fingering that might help me.
I haven't tried anything since I posted, but will tomorrow, with little hope that it will make much of a difference.
P.S. I'm quite amazed that you don't have to use any resonance fingerings . . .not even for Bb? and it really gives you a satisfactory resonance? Even for long sustained notes that need to project well?
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2009-10-25 01:09
Try the Ab key plus the right index and middle fingers:
0 0 0 | X X 0
0
Ken Shaw
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2009-10-25 04:33
I've become habituated to using resonance fingering for Bb and A on my Buffet RC.
A or Bb + add 0XX|0XXF/C (either left or right)
BUT, then I got a new barrel, and the un-aided fingerings now sound better than the resonance options.
So, I'm relearning --I hate breaking playing habits, but the resonance fingerings of yore are really, really jarring with this new barrel.
Bob Phillips
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2009-10-25 05:29
>> I'm quite amazed that you don't have to use any resonance fingerings . . .
>> not even for Bb? and it really gives you a satisfactory resonance?
>> Even for long sustained notes that need to project well?
Some clarinets (depending also on player/mouthpiece/reed) can have very good throat notes, even Bb. Side Bb or adding fingers can make the throat notes sound better, but the regular fingerings can still sound very good.
>> my Ab without resonance fingerings is much too stuffy.
Are you sure there is no dirt in the tone hole, and the key is opening enough? How is the intonation of this note generally without adding fingers (flatter than used to)?
If you have enough technical ability, I recommend first removing the key and try the Ab again without the key. Also look inside the hole to see if you have dirt or a 'tone hole bird nest'. This is a ring of dirt at the bottom of the tone hole. It's still inside the tone hole, so you can't really see it from the bore side. But it's low, so you have to put a bright light directly into the tone hole to see it (e.g. under a table fluorecent light).
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Author: Barry Vincent
Date: 2009-10-25 08:22
I'm a bit lazy with these resonate fingerings and just use the following for all the throat notes
000 0XX F/C with, if needed, LH E/B
and of course I also use the side key for A#/Bb if possible.
My instruments are Amati Klaslice Bb & A full Boehms and the tones I get from these resonate fingerings are full and in tune, although the A can be very slightly flat at times, which depends on other factors.
Skyfacer
Post Edited (2009-10-25 08:31)
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2009-10-25 16:19
Similarly I put all RH fingers down (ooo|xxx and add RH F/C, F#/C#, E/B or Ab/Eb) to resonate all throat notes from G-Bb, and depending what note in the upper register is to follow be it a B, C, C# or Eb, I keep that key down as well.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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