Klarinet Archive - Posting 000424.txt from 2001/04

From: test <eliazor@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Right Hand Thumb Position
Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2001 18:44:16 -0400

They now sell neck straps for clarinet. Try that.

Josh
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dee D. Hays" <deehays@-----.net>
Subject: Re: [kl] Right Hand Thumb Position

>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <RobynB1070@-----.com>
> To: <klarinet@-----.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, April 17, 2001 1:55 AM
> Subject: [kl] Right Hand Thumb Position
>
>
> > [snip] ... I have been playing for about 8
> > years now, and in the last year I have had some wrist soreness when I
play
> > for more than a few hours at a time (such as at an all-day honor band
> > rehearsal). This problem is remedied with an Ace bandage or a neck
strap.
> >
> > Here is my question. My friend was telling me that her fifth grade
> student
> > uses the same thumb position and is already having wrist problems. Does
> > anyone have experience with this? Am I doing serious damage to my hands
> by
> > continuing to play this way? I have tried to curve my thumb the other
> way,
> > but this is very uncomfortable because my arm and fingers get very tense
> and
> > locked up. Is there another solution?
>
> I really would suggest making the use of a neckstrap your standard method
of
> playing. Even normal thumbs were never designed to hold the weight of a
> clarinet. That many people are able to do so is just luck. There's
really
> not much you can do to build up the thumb. Ricardo Morales of the Met
Opera
> Orchestra uses a neck strap. Robert Lowry recommends it in one of his
books
> on clarinet.
>
> However be sure that the thumb is positioned correctly. Many people do
put
> the hand too far under the clarinet due to the weight issue but then the
> angles put a lot of stress on other parts of the hand/wrist. The middle
of
> the thumb rest should straddle the line on your thumb where the base of
the
> thumbnail meets the flesh.
>
> There are also special thumbrests designed to redistribute the weight a
bit
> better too although they are pricey.
>
> Dee Hays
> Michigan
>
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
> Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
> Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
> Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org
>
>

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Unsubscribe from Klarinet, e-mail: klarinet-unsubscribe@-----.org
Subscribe to the Digest: klarinet-digest-subscribe@-----.org
Additional commands: klarinet-help@-----.org
Other problems: klarinet-owner@-----.org