Klarinet Archive - Posting 000254.txt from 1996/08

From: Suzi Crookshank <suzic@-----.COM>
Subj: Re: Chromatic F#/B key problem
Date: Fri, 9 Aug 1996 07:42:05 -0400

> > Ed Brown asks:
> >
> > >Does anyone else have a problem of accidently brushing the key between
the
> > >2nd and 3rd finger of the right hand? It's most unforgiving. I've
always
> > had
> > >a minor problem- but I recently purchased a new Buffet R-13 and it is
even
> > >more sensitive. What is the typical fix for those of us with fat
fingers -
> > >I'm ready to weld it shut if I knew how.--- Any advice would be
appreciated.
>

I have the exact opposite problem. My hands are so small and thin
that sometimes when I play, my fingertips cover the holes, but miss the
rings, so I make an unpleasant sound. But that doesn't happen too often
anymore -- it happened a lot when I was in 5th/6th grade, 8/7 years ago.
Also, having such small hands gave me problems when reeeeaaaaching for the
four pinky keys at the bottom for the right hand and the three for the left
hand, leading to major hand position problems. Thanks to my jr. high band
teacher and my clarinet teacher, I eventually overcame those. My hands are
still too small for me to be able to play tenor sax well, or any other big
instrument big instrument well (although I did play bass clarinet for one
concert in 7th grade -- I not only did not need a peg, I also had to sit on
a couple books!). For those of you who are teachers, what do you do when
you have a very small student who has problems similar to what I had?
BTW, I'm 4 feet 8 inches tall and weigh 98 pounds.
-------------------------------
Suzi Crookshank suzic@-----.com
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