DICTIONARY OF MUSIC - El Atril

54 FINGERING FINK
octave, but by an eighth hole closed by the
fourth finger of the right hand. This is required
by a prolongation of the tube sufficient to give
a note one tone lower than its keynote, the
keynote itself now sounding from this eighth
hole, instead of from the full length of tube.
This simple case of extension of the scale downwards
is typical of many ; the point to be observed
is that such extension does not affect the
general scheme of fingering, and the natural, or
characteristic scale established by the six fingerholes.
In the same sense that the natural
scale of the pianoforte is C, and is not altered
by the extension of the compass downwards
from CO to AAA, so the natural scale of a wind
instrument is that determined by the six finger-
holes, and is not altereii by the extension of its
compass. From this point of view the key or
scale of the modern concert flute is D, although
having downward extension to c', and in some
cases to &a or even h'^ ; the oboe is also in D,
with extension to 65 or h'ly. The bassoon mth
its six finger-holes closed, sounds G a twelfth
lower than the oboe, but its natural scale is C
major, the highest finger-hole sounding / and
not /(( as required in the scale of G. The holes
for the left hand only being closed, the instrument
gives c ; d, e, and / sound as the fingers
are successively raised, and on the closing of
the holes for the three fingers of the right hand,
g is obtained, followed, on raising the fingers,
by a, b, ami c' all as octaves of their respective
primes G, A, B, and C. The extension downwards
from G to BBiy is obtained chiefly by
key-work.
As the octave harmonic has no existence on
instruments with cylindrical bore, no rei^etition
of the scale in the octave, on such instruments,
can be obtained. Therefore e.xtra holes beyond
the normal six or seven are imperatively
called for if the scale is to comprise more than
eight notes. On some of such instruments, as
the racket, much ingenuity was displayed in the
doubling of the tube, so as to bring more than
one hole under the control of a single finger or
thumb. On others, as the sourdine and krummhorn,
key-work was used long before the evolu-
tion of the modern clarinet. The distinctive
feature of this instrument is not so much the
addition of keys to extend the fundamental
compass from an octave to a twelfth, as the
peculiar use of the thumb or pipe-key, as a means
of ensuring the production of notes, speaking as
the fundamental notes do from the different
lengths of the instrument as determined by sideholes,
but in each case a twelfth higher than
the fundamental.
The foregoing remarks give a general indica-
tion of the fundamental jirinciples and development
of fingering from a diatonic basis ; but as
the free use of all scales necessitates working
from a chromatic basis, modern improvements
have been influenced by this principle. The
most important of these is that known as the
Boehra system (see Boehm, Theobald), the
basis of which is that every speaking hole
is vented by the hole giving the semitone
immediately below it. To attain this result
key -work of a somewhat elaborate description
is required, but is justified by the equality
of tone and power obtainable in all keys.
The system is seen at its best and simplest
on the flute, but the use of it on the clarinet
is increasing.
This general summary of the scheme of fingering
common to all instruments with side-holes,
is given here rather than under the name of any
one instrument, but certain details peculiar to
each are, when possible, noticed under their
respective articles. D. -T. E.
FINK, Christian, born August 9, 1831, at
Dettingen in Wiirtemberg, studied music until
his fifteenth year with his father, who combined
the offices of schoolmaster and organist. In
1846 he was sent to the "Waisenhaus-Seminar
at Stuttgart, where he remained for three years,
his musical education being in the hands of Dr.
Kocher. Appointed in 1849 assistant music
teacher in the seminary at Esslingen, he pursued
his studies with such success that he was
able in 1853 to pass the examination for the
upper class of the Leipzig Conservatorium. After
a year and a half he went to Dresden to study
the organ under Schneider. From 1856 to
1860 he appeared as organist at many concerts
and oratorio performances in Leipzig, and in
1863 was appointed head of the seminary at
Esslingen and organist of the princijial church
of that place. Two years afterwards he was
given the title of Professor. He has published
many excellent works for the organ, some of
which have appeared in the Organist's Quarterly
Jaurnal (Novello), besides psalms for chorus
and orchestra, songs, choruses, etc. (Mendel's
Zcxil'07i.) M.
FINK, Gottfried "SVilhelm, theologian and
musical critic, born March 7, 1783, at .Suiza in
Thuringia, was educated at Naumburg, where
he was chorister, and Leipzig (1804-9). He
began writing for the ^l/g. Mits. Zeitung in
1808, and in 1827 succeeded Rochlitz as editor,
a post he held till 1841. In 1842 he became
for a short time professor of music to the
University of Leipzig. He died at Halle, August
27, 1846. Fink's only musical works of value
"were the 'Musikalischer Hausschatz, 'a collection
of Lieder, etc. (Leipzig, 1843), and 'Diedeutsche
Liedertafel ' {ihid. 1846). As an author he published
various volumes and ]iam]ihlets, but none
of which the names are worth preserving. Besides
the A.i[.Z., he was a prolific contributor to the
Conversations - Lc^-icons of Ersch and Gruber,
and of Brockhaus, and to Schilling's Lericon dcr
Tonkunst. He left in j\TS. a history of music,
upon which he had beenengaged for twenty years.
Fink was at once narrow and superficial, apd a