Klarinet Archive - Posting 000589.txt from 1998/01

From: lanewhite@-----.com (Lane G White)
Subj: Re: right-hand position and mpcs
Date: Mon, 12 Jan 1998 12:22:11 -0500

On Sun, 11 Jan 1998 23:26:12 EST EbKlarinet <EbKlarinet@-----.com> writes:
>Dear Gary: For the right hand problem, I have my students think about
>curving
>their fingers as they put them down. I say, "down and in", and that
>helps to

This sounds really promising. I have also observed the thumbrest issue;
one of the students in question persists in putting the thumbrest over
the *middle* of the thumb. She may be the candidate for the neckstrap.

I'll admit have trouble placing myself in the shoes of a 12 year old girl
vis-a-vis overall strength and hand-span.. I had an early growth spurt,
and I must have been 5'8 or so when I took up the clarinet at age 11 (I'm
6'0" now)

> As for a decent mpc, the Woodwind Company's K series, which Tom

Mouthpieces are really disappointing. Lots of people carp about QC on
reeds, and I think mouthpieces are the real problem area. Truth be known,
a lot of us, myself included, tried 5-6 mouthpieces of similar type from
different makers last time we took a serious stab at buying one, and
think we ended up with one because it's designed "the best," when in fact
we probably ended up with the one that happened to be made on a Wednesday
a week and a half after payday.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Gary