Fingering Technique: Motion of Fingers
Terry B. Ewell discusses half hole technique on bassoon and finger movement. Bassoon Digital Professor video #23. www.2reed.net.
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Terry B. Ewell discusses half hole technique on bassoon and finger movement. Bassoon Digital Professor video #23. www.2reed.net.
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Transcript
00:00Introduction
Music: Vivaldi's Concerto in E minor, opening. Welcome, I am Terry Ewell. In this video I will be discussing finger position and proper finger techniques. This is material that will be useful not only to the beginner, but also for the more advanced student as well.
00:36Half-Hole Technique
So let's start out with first the technique on the bassoon that we call the "half hole" technique. This particular technique is to used on the three notes above open F. We call that F, "F3": from the labeling system of the Acoustical Society of America. The first notes would be F sharp 3. Music: demonstration of F sharp 3.
01:04Positioning the Half Hole
Now I will come a little closer to the camera so that you can see exactly what I am doing here. So for F sharp 3 we need to vent a little bit this first half hole. You can understand the proper position of the half hole if you press down your first finger and then look at where the hole appears. And you can see that the hole is off to the side of my finger. The position of the hole should not be centered in the middle of the finger, but a little bit to the side. When we half hole we never slide up and down. Instead you turn the finger a little bit.
01:47Half-Hole Response
Now the proper effect of the half hole can be observed by the way the note sounds when the hole is opened or closed. For instance, I will start the F sharp, the F sharp 3 above open F with the hole half open. Then I will slowly close it. Music: demonstration of F sharp 3, closing half hole. If I loosen my embouchure the note will go down to the lower octave. If the half hole is not open, you get an indistinct sound. Music: closed half hole on F sharp 3. It is an indistinct sound, like a chord. In fact it is a multiphonic—this is what we call this on the bassoon. So it is important that you vent that hole, that you open up that hole.
02:41Half Hole and Intonation
The other thing you will notice—this is important for tuning—the more open the hole is, that first finger hole, the sharper the note. So if I open that hole all the way, I will demonstrate to you here: Music: demonstration. I don't know if you can hear that. I opened the hole all the way and then I closed it. Demonstration. Can you hear as I open the hole further, the note gets a little sharper. As I close it, it darkens the note and lowers the pitch. Particularly for F sharp it is important that we not have the half hole open all the way. Probably one-fourth of the hole open is just about right for that particular note.
03:40G3, G#3, and the Whisper Key
Now the other notes that use it are the G above and G sharp above it. It is important to have the whisper key down. This pad here needs to be engaged for the half hole.
03:57Finger Placement and Position
Now, let's talk a little bit about finger placement and proper position. Once again I will come up to the camera so you can see closer. What you want to do is keep a certain curve to your fingers. Avoid over collapsed joints. So if this joint or any other joints collapse then in order to raise it you have to have a little bit pre-excessive motion going. So if you can keep these fingers pretty much straight—without much collapsing—it gives you a movement that is good for opening and closing notes, rather than extending those motions. Those people that are "double jointed" are going to find this more difficult. They may have to work at training their fingers to be relaxed, with a natural bow or curve in order to move up and down. Now the other aspect of this is that it is important to avoid too much motion with your fingers. Keeping your fingers close to the keys and holes is the best approach to technique.
05:16Mechanics of the Fingers
Now let's address the hand, in particular the fingers. It is important for you to understand the mechanics of your fingers if you are to gain as fluid a technique as is possible. Your fingers—not your thumbs—but your fingers have three different joints. You have the joint furthest away from the hands. It is the distal phalange. You have a second joint, the intermediate phalange. And then the one in closest proximity is called the proximal phalange. It is interesting and important for you to understand how each of these work.
06:00Distal, Intermediate, and Proximal Motion
If you close off your hand and try to do it so that you can only move the distal phalanges—the joints that are furthest away. Go ahead and do that. See how quickly you can move those back and forth. Release those and see if you can move only the intermediate phalanges. I find that I can move those a little more swiftly than the distal phalanges. Then if you allow the proximal phalanges, the joints just right at the knuckles, to move, I find that is in fact the most free and quickest of the motions.
06:43Prioritizing Proximal-Joint Motion
Well, that is important for you to understand because if you want to maximize the hand and its ability to play as quickly as possible, then we have shown that by looking at these joints and the ability to move swiftly, as much as possible you want to move the proximal phalanges first. You want to give them preference over the others. If your particular instrument position doesn't allow for free movement there, next you want to move the intermediate phalanges. Last of all, the distal.
07:22Left-Hand Finger Motion
So if you look at the bassoon and placement of fingers, again I am going to bring my bassoon up closer so you can see the hand position, you will see with this first finger I can move the intermediate phalange. The proximal phalange is set where it is. With the second finger and the third as well, there is some distal phalange motion I can do. So it is important for me not to be moving my fingers this way, but to concentrate and try to get as much motion from there, proximal, leaving these fingers, other joints, set. The distal and intermediate phalanges are set, allowing the motion to be as much as possible in the proximal joints.
08:10Right-Hand Finger Motion
Now in the right hand, it in fact should all be proximal phalange motion. I can always move from the knuckles. Again I establish the curvature and position of the fingers. Not moving this way, like kneading dough or squeezing a ball.
08:30Closing Music
Music: Vivaldi's Bassoon Concerto "La Notte".
Credits
- author Terry B. Ewell