I'm currently working on Brahms's clarinet sonata number 2, and the second movement has a really gorgeous middle passage that I want to do justice. The problem is, my throat tones, Bb in particular, are particularly awful on this clarinet. It's even worse if I'm using one of my "harder" reeds (which produces a better tone on most of the other notes).

I'm experimenting with resonance fingerings, and finding them very useful ("open" sound suits that passage imo), but I'm wondering if there's anything else I can do to help the sound of those annoying 4 notes?

I have no idea what you mean by resonance fingerings I'm afraid


But I leave my lower hand in place when playing anyting around this range of notes. It particularly helps the Bb and A I think...

resonance fingerings are basically what you do but with different, specific combinations of fingers.

The ones I currently use are:

G: oox xxo (preferred)
or ooo xox
Ab: oox xoo
and Bb oxx oxx

I've not found any that I like for A yet.

Anyone with any personal resonance fingering preferences, please do tell!

I don't know anything about resonance fingerings but my teacher often gets me to play Bb with the A key and the 2nd-from-top side key (usually used for trills). This works as long as it doesn't then go to an awkward note (eg C'), and it normally produces a slightly better tone. On my clarinet however (it's plastic) the throat notes always sound bad, and whatever I do all the notes on the clarinet are slightly flat.

Bb with standard fingering is very often a bit iffy in tone : and I very frequently use madbassoonist's alternative, as the tone quality is an awful lot better.

Me too wherever feasible and not in fast passages. In slow legato passages with long held Bbs I find it a must. That said I must be lucky because on my new clari there's not a lot of difference in sound quality between this and the normal Bb with 3 right hand fingers on too.

The side key was my option too, until I realsed that the hole-fingerings sounded better and were easier to get to...