Klarinet Archive - Posting 000495.txt from 1998/07

From: <CmdrHerel@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Hand Position
Date: Sat, 18 Jul 1998 00:15:23 -0400

In a message dated 98-07-17 22:51:13 EDT, glsk622@-----.com writes:

<< I've read this with great interest - it looks like you've given a lot of
thought to hand position, and this is an area where I sometimes have
trouble teaching beginners. Many students are fairly persistent in
playing with their fingers pointing somewhat down. IOW, their back
knuckles are higher (vertically) than their fingertips. It creates two
problems right off the bat: it causes their right index finger to crowd
(and sometimes open) the trill keys, and it effectively shortens their
reach to the RH joint keys which are operated by the 5th fingers. Then,
of course, they start rotating their wrists to reach those keys, which
creates all kinds of problems...

The question is - how do you communicate this to students? I have some
who seem to understand what I'm asking for, and the problem goes away.
Others watch me demonstrate the proper position, watch my hands on my
clarinet, watch themselves in the mirror, then go right back to a bad
position every time.

Are there some better ways of demonstrating it or getting the point
across that I'm missing?
>>

I use a hands-on approach (pun intended) to do this. Meaning that I move
their hands around for them while they're holding the clarinet. A little
adjustment here, a little adjustment there, see if you can still reach the E-
key, and look how nice your first finger arcs over the G# key, and so on.

I do most of this work with them doing four-note chromatic patterns so that
only a couple of finger motions are involved at one time. The idea is to keep
their hands in the same position and get used to moving just the fingers
needed without twisting, bending an so on. This also leaves room to
concentrate on keeping that hand position where I've adjusted it to.

And each week when they come in, I work on whatever's wrong, even if it's the
same darn thing week after week. Eventually, they fix it, even if only
because they're sick and tired of listening to me... :)

I also encourage them to do this kind of work the very first thing each time
they practice, and get it over with. I say, "You have to think really hard
for ten minutes each day. Ten minutes is not a long time, but it adds up!
Then you can relax and have fun the rest of the time." This usually goes over
well and they set up a little routine to think about what their fingers are
doing. The younger students don't need to be this regimented, but they pick
up these things easier than older ones, anyway - I've found.

For my students that are resistant, I will (very lightly) prod the offending
hand/finger/wrist/elbow/whatever into the correct position while they're
playing... Just so they see how often it applies, how it effects their
playing, or how much they need to get it fixed. Sometimes, when it's really
bad, I shout "Freeze! Don't move a muscle! Now look at where your hands
are..." They're usually so embarrassed at where their hand has migrated to
that they work on it really hard after that.

As each motion is fixed, we go higher up the chromatic scale in those same
four note patterns to find the next trouble finger motion. I have no
timetable for this as every student thinks differently (can takes weeks or
months to get halfway up the challumeau register...). Once the general ideas
are in place, then I start to encourage them to look for these same things as
they play scales, and then when things are really going well, I point out
specific things in their music and etudes.

The balance, however, is to not make them crazy with this kind of work. I
will over look tons of bad habits as they play songs and etudes and work on
all those other wonderful things like rhythm, phrasing, fingering, style and
so on, as long as we've spent a little time each lesson, and they a little
time each day, working those physical habits.

I do also use a mirror in my studio, and have my students buy one for home.
Then I make them use mine during their lesson to show them what to look for at
home. (I've found that just telling them to use a mirror doesn't do a thing!
You have to show 'em how to use it. Kind of like the eye doctor making you
put in your own contacts before you leave the office...) I tell them that the
mirror becomes their teacher during the week and is whole lot cheaper than
taking me home!

Does this help at all? Everyone thinks differently, and the challenge is to
tailor the approach to each student. Some need to be harassed, some need to
be encouraged, some can just watch and pick up things, others need a ton of
explanation. I think that's what makes it the most fun.

Teri Herel

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