Klarinet Archive - Posting 001004.txt from 1998/09

From: Tony@-----.uk (Tony Pay)
Subj: Re: [kl] Thumb rests
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 1998 09:29:38 -0400

On Sat, 26 Sep 1998 20:50:04 +1200, dadlam@-----.nz said:

> I have taken over a student at a quite advanced level, who has a
> chronic problem with her thumb. She has been using a neck strap,
> which has helped a little. She has been to a specialist, who
> suggested a total design of her thumbrest (She plays on a Buffet
> Festival). I have located an old Bay adjustable thumbrest, which may
> provide more support for her thumb. I wonder if there might be some
> other thumb rest, neck strap, or even an exercise, which has proved
> effective for others on the List. I am just starting to work on her
> hand position and related tensions, which should also help.

I once had some trouble with this sort of thing, in a period when
I was working too hard, and having to practise a lot under pressure. I
experimented with a loop of elastic tape (the sort that gets sewn into
clothing) wrapped round the thumbrest and passed round the neck. If you
adjust the length, it works very well. The force exerted by the thumb
is much less, but what also seems to help is that, of this smaller
force, the component exerted by the thumb perpendicular to the body of
the clarinet is greater than the component parallel to the body of the
clarinet. (In fact, with a suitable length of elastic, you can get this
last component to vanish, though I found that too strange for comfort.)
This setup seems to put much less strain on the thumb. Anyhow, for me
it relieved the situation, even being quite a pleasure to use, since
you're much freer than with an ordinary sling, and after a time I was
able to do without it again.

It might help.

Don't pull the instrument a long way down and then let go.

Tony
--
_________ Tony Pay
|ony:-) 79 Southmoor Rd Tony@-----.uk
| |ay Oxford OX2 6RE
tel/fax 01865 553339

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