Klarinet Archive - Posting 000617.txt from 1998/05

From: "Diane Karius, Ph.D." <dikarius@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] C Clarinets, and mixups
Date: Tue, 12 May 1998 16:13:43 -0400

Susan wrote:
<snip>
> While we're talking about hand problems, does anybody know of any exercises
> that could help a kid with double jointed pinkies that keep collapsing or
> locking up?

Because of the nature of the problem, I have found no reliable
sources that list such exercises (in fact, most of the literature on
repetitive use injuries indicates that very often the person who is
double jointed is applying more force across that joint than
someone who is not double jointed (translation: its not a matter
of weak muscles)). According to most of the literature on
repetitive use injuries that I've found, the best thing for someone
who is double jointed to do is to learn not to press so hard that the
joint collapses. Most of the time, the key being depressed doesn't
need that much force applied to it for it to open (and others on the
list have reported that it is possible to modify the action of a
clarinet to accomodate this if necessary). I have double jointed
pinkies, index and ring fingers - it has been a long process but I am
learning to not press as hard when I'm playing (although I still
have a particularly hard time with my pinkies). My clarinet is
adjusted fairly tightly- that will be my next step if I decide that
the collapse of the joint is a real problem for me.
Diane R. Karius, Ph.D.
Department of Physiology
University of Health Sciences
2105 Independence Ave.
Kansas City, MO 64124
email: dikarius@-----.EDU

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