I remember when I first picked up my Albert system clarinet I supported it with the Left hand. But later, when I couldn't cross the break, I had to reverse the position.

I've heard about those kinds of clarinets. Even saw a picture, I don't remember where or when. Recently there was a catalogue with a pair of clarinets that looked like they could be left-handed. But the negative could have turned around.

Here is what Geoffrey Rendall had to say about the Left handed clarinets:

"It is hardly necessary to observe that for more than 200 years, that is as soon as the clarinet assumed more than two keys, the upper joint was fingered by the Left hand, the lower by the Right hand. There are exceptions to every rule and very occasionally clarinets, even of elaborate construction, are found with the keys reversed. The players for whom such instruments are made are known to the French makers as 'gauchers'. "

Well, on my recent trip to Israel, I found one, a Left-handed Albert system, made by Adler in Germany. I am enclosing a picture. The one on the right is the "Left". I put a regular one on the left, so as to compare.

SO HERE IT IS!!

Avrahm Galper, agalper@pathcom.com

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