The “Right” Fingering (II)

Continuing from Part I.

To recap the general rule-of-thumb for tuning pitches within a chord:

• The tonic or root note should be relatively “on pitch.”
• The third in a major chord should be fairly low, in a minor chord it should be fairly high.
• The fifth should a little high.

The tricky part for some students lies in deciphering chord inversions and adjusting the third of major/minor chords. In the F major chord example above, the written “A” is the 3rd of a major chord, and requires a downward adjustment in order for the chord to fully resonate as “in tune.”

Here is where traditional fingerings might fail if strictly applied.

The 1st and 2nd valve combination for the written “A” tends to be sharp on virtually every horn, which in an F-major chord, is the exact opposite of what the chord needs to sound in tune!

To compensate for this particular instance, there are several choices:

• use the right hand in the bell to lower the pitch,
• use the lips to “bend” the pitch,
• adjust the valve slides,
• use an alternate fingering,
• or use a combination of these choices.

Fingerings depend on context

Myself, I tend to avoid bending the pitch with the lips as this increases my chances of cracking the note. I also avoid adjusting valve slides for one note as this can adversely affect other notes. My preference is using alternative fingerings or using the right hand or a little of both, depending on the context.

If this F major chord was within a loud fortissimo, I might actually finger the “A” with no valves on the open B-flat horn. This fingering tends to be very flat, but in context it may be the perfect sound. However, if the chord was a quiet piano, this fingering might be too open-sounding; a third-valve fingering (which tends to be a little low) with a slight cupping of the right hand to temper it might work better.

While out of context (by oneself in a practice room) these alternate “A”s would sound flat, in context within an ensemble they would fit quite nicely.

Now compare the F major and C major chord examples and their common tone – the written “C”. In each example it is a different chord tone – as the root in the C major example, and as the fifth in the F major example.

Because the “C” is a different chord tone in each example, it will need to be adjusted accordingly in context.

The choice of fingering can make a big difference. In the F-major chord, the traditional B-flat horn fingering for “C” tends to be a little sharp – this actually would be perfect for the fifth of a chord. But, as the root in a C-major chord, that same fingering would need adjustment to temper it.

Other examples

For a D major chord like the one above, I have a favorite fingering for the 3rd (the written C#) – 1st and 2nd, or 2nd on the F horn. It resonates nicely (especially at forte and above) and is low enough to fit in.

In this dominant seventh chord, a flat, seventh-partial B-flat on the open F horn can work nicely. While it sounds terrible by itself, in this context it can be the “right” fingering. In any dominant-seventh chord where I can use an open 7th partial, I try it out to see if it will work in context. Sometimes it is the right sound, and the “right” fingering.

Conclusion

Ethel Merker once exclaimed to me that “there are no correct fingerings – the horn is a compensating system!” and I agree.

While I would hesitate using fingerings like those suggested in this post within a ensemble solo section or in a solo performance, buried within the context of a chamber or large ensemble, alternate fingerings can be indeed be the “right” fingering.