Klarinet Archive - Posting 000157.txt from 1997/04

From: "Daniel G. Smith" <DANIEL.G.SMITH1@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Neck straps
Date: Sat, 5 Apr 1997 00:57:23 -0500

Hello!

My two cents.
I do use a neck strap and here's why. My thumb is double jointed, and
after a long period of playing - I play many hours a day as a college
student, my thumb has a tendency to "collapse" making my right hand
extrememly tense as it fights to maintain proper position. I find that
the neck strap takes enough weight off of my thumb that it won't collapse.

Have a great day everyone!! :-) *hugs*

Your friend always,

Daniel G. Smith

On Fri, 4 Apr 1997, KIMBERLY L. RIECK wrote:

> What's the consensus about neck straps and the Bb clarinet.
> Quite a few of the players at my school use neck straps fastened to the
> thumbrests of their horns. Does anyone on the list use a strap? It
> seems like a good idea......
>
> Sorry for the delay in the message but we just had Spring Break and
> then Easter Vacation back to back and I haven't been able to catch up
> with everything. But I want to tell you about my success story.
>
> I was a former neck strap user a few years ago when I was at
> a different college. My applied clarinet professor there had advised
> me to use one. At that time I couldn't really get through an hour
> without severe pain coming from my hand.
> Then I transferred colleges and I met up with Frank. He had shown me
> how to play the clarinet without having so much stress in my right
> hand. He showed me how to relax my hand and how to keep it relaxed.
> Well it has been a year and a half now and the only time that my
> wrist really bothers me now is when I apply a lot of stress to it
> (like long car drives on icy roads). I no longer use the neck strap and
> has been no pain while playing since then.
> I think that neckstraps are a good idea when you have to use them.
> They allow you to play the clarinet when you run into troubles like
> what I had. Like someone had said before they do get a little stretched
> out so you have to replace them. But I am really happy that I don't
> have to use one now.
>
> Kimberly Rieck
> UW-Superior
>