Klarinet Archive - Posting 000560.txt from 1998/01

From: Dee Hays <deerich@-----.net>
Subj: Re: Beginner Beginner teacher questions
Date: Sun, 11 Jan 1998 17:09:27 -0500

Ken Bryson wrote:

> Gary,
>
> In my limited experience with kids starting out (9-10 years old), I have
> seen right hand problems as you described that seemed to be mostly the
> result of the right hand not really being strong enough to support the
> clarinet properly--the thumb sort of collapses, leaving the index finger
> bumping the side keys. A neck strap may help if this is a good part of
> the problem.
>
> Nancy

I second the notion of a neck strap. Sometimes my daughter's thumb gets really
sore so I have her use one. She is using a wooden clarinet and it's much
heavier than her friends' plastic ones. I also use one sometimes since I have
dislocated my thumb in the past and it is no longer as strong as it used to be.

Dee Hays
deerich@-----.net
Canton, SD