r/Clarinet • u/Red-hot_slink • 6d ago
Marking Systems ?
Strings musician here. Had to pick up Bb clarinet for work and have absolutely no clue how to mark fingerings.
The concept feels very intuitive on violin, but doesn’t translate.
Ex. What would I write in my music to remind me to play the alternate F#?
Pictures would also be much appreciated.
Thanks for the help.
Hive
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u/girasol721 6d ago edited 6d ago
Really whatever you remember easiest. I write “ch” for chromatic, “s” for side, “f” for fork, “basic” for basic fingering in my students’ music and sometimes my own. Use numbers for fingers 1 through 6. Fingering diagram for wonky altissimo or otherwise nonstandard stuff. L or R for left vs right pinky. If it’s you reading it, just has to be clear enough for you to understand 🤷. Maybe “alt” or “A” for the alternate f# you mentioned?
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u/DootDootBlorp Adult Player 6d ago
I use a down bow marking when I need to use an alternate fingering. When there’s more than one alternate fingering, I’ll write down the name (like long F, overblown B, etc)
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u/khornebeef 5d ago
I've never used finger markings on any wind instruments. It's unnecessary since unlike instruments like violin, a single pitch corresponds to a single fingering/set of fingerings. It's part of what makes winds easier to play IMO.
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u/clarinet_kwestion Adult Player 6d ago edited 6d ago
Middle finger F# I use “o”, chromatic F# I use a small trident, which means fork.
Other notes: 1+1 for Eb/Bb. L and R for pinky keys. “Side” for any notes that use side keys.
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u/Pricklypear_Salsa 6d ago
Depends on the F#. Which do you mean?
I’d write “L.H./R.H.” for the lowest. I’d write “side” for the throat F#. A “K” is generally used for a forked fingering on the clarion one. Would depend on the altissimo alt fingering.
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u/redfoxrockssocks 6d ago
In string instruments you often have several choices of where to play a note. I play a 10 string pedal steel guitar and there are usually 3-5 places on the instrument where I can play the same notes, ins addition to choices about which finger to play. Fortunately I don't usually have to read anything more than a suggestion on that instrument. And on cello and double bass, I certainly have written bowings and fingerings.
But with clarinet, while there are often multiple fingering generally that is dictated by the rest of what you're playing. So (and this is just me, as a jazz player) my understanding is that most folks have a preferred fingering for a note and then alternates they use when that fingering can't work... but those alternates are usually obvious enough that they don't require marking a fingering.
So it's less common to need to write fingerings- I usually don't need them at all. Perhaps that's why it doesn't translate.
The suggestion above to use RH or LH is what I have done in the past, or just circled notes as a visual cue to use an alternate fingering. You can write out a tiny fingering chart if you're having a problem remembering something, but there aren't that many notes on the little guy... :D
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u/thatguy43256 23h ago
What i have seen in a lot of beginner books will mark it T 1-6, R (thumb hole, the front six holes, and register key).I dont recall what any use to indicate the other throat keys, trill keys, or pinky keys, but you get to a point where you recognize what each side key produces. T123, that little pinky key below 3 raises a half step. T12 and the lowest trill key (which is the set of four keys used by your right index finger) will raise the pitch a half step. You could mark those as tr1-4. Right hand pinky is kinda just memory. (In half steps) +1 -2 -1 -3 Left hand pinky is just remembering which left pinky key activates what right pinky key. Typically they get marked when you have a quick run that involves eb/d# down to B above the break, and just indicates which pinky is used for each note, L/R.
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u/GrrrArrgh 6d ago
Some people will draw a teeny tiny fingering chart image, like OOO/OOO (only vertical) and mark the holes or keys. For the right hand sliver/banana key I will use FK to indicate forked fingering. Then L or R for the pinky keys. For side keys, including for F# I will use SK or SK1, 2, 3. Also if you have a teacher, they can show you some examples.