Klarinet Archive - Posting 000170.txt from 1995/10

From: niethamer@-----.BITNET
Subj: Re: Clarinet sound production/control
Date: Sun, 8 Oct 1995 21:16:59 -0400

On Sat, 7 Oct 1995, B. Keplinger wrote:

> P.S. For those of you who sit when practicing, have you tried one of those
> ergonomically-designed chairs that you sortof kneel into rather than sitting
> in? They really are great for practicing.
>
I have one of those "Balans" chairs - one of the real (translate
"expensive") chairs that is supposed to improve posture. I still use it
for desk work in my studio, and I sit in it to teach. But I never play in
it, since my physical therapist claimed it arched the back a bit too
much, and made the legs do all of the "sitting up" while playing. She
recommended a chair with a flat seat (or a cello chair, with a slight
forward tilt of the seat), and sit-ups, to increase abdominal strength,
so that sitting erect becomes "easier".

Also, beware the knock-off versions, with the flat surface on the floor
(the real ones have a rocker on the bottom). The erzatz chair is not
nearly so comfortable unless you're exactly proportioned to the chair!

At home I use a good office chair without arms, adjustable height (for my
students). It's as comfortable for long bouts of clarineting as anything
I use.

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David Niethamer
niethamer@-----.edu
dbnclar1@-----.com
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