The B Major and the Cb Major Scales are enharmonic. Once you know the finger pattern for one, you will know it for the other. Notice that Cb Major has seven flats, the maximum number of flats for any key. Every note is flatted in the key of Cb Major. Memorize the order of the flats on the staff (B‐E‐A‐D‐G‐C‐F).
G3 requires a half‐hole on the first finger of the left hand, as does the octave below it. It is essential that the partial hole opens exactly at the same time as the other fingers move. If the first finger is sluggish in opening, or opens too narrowly or too widely, the G3 will not speak. Practice your half‐hole timing in this etude. Make the slurred notes as smooth and connected as possible.
Listen to a recording of Mozart’s Quintet for Clarinet and Strings to hear this beautiful piece and get a sense of its style.
Once you are familiar with the melody and can play it with solid rhythm in 4/4, switch your metronome to beat half notes and play it as if the time signature were 2/2, giving the music a better horizontal flow.
