Klarinet Archive - Posting 000566.txt from 2001/06

From: "Gene Nibbelin" <gnibbelin@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Right Hand Thumb Position
Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2001 16:49:42 -0400

Bill -

As I learned when I fell and damaged some bones in the palm of my hand back
in '94, the 4th and 5th fingers are controlled by one set of nerves, while
the other fingers are controlled individually. Thus, it is only natural
that the 4th & 5th fingers are going to move somewhat in sympathy with each
other.

The injury cost me about a 5% loss of flexibility in my right hand 4th & 5th
fingers. This has resulted in my having to strengthen the sliver key spring
by hooking a short rubber band under the key and attaching it to the posts
on the opposite side of the horn. Crude, but necessary, since moving my 5th
finger in close for the D# and C# keys causes my 5th finger to move my 4th
finger up against the sliver key and sometime depressing it. This is
natural, because of the dual control. However, the injury prevents me from
being able to over-ride this tendency that most uninjured hands can do.
(This is the 5% loss.)

>From my own experience as a beginner, I imagine that most beginning
clarinetists who had studied piano before the clarinet did not experience
the feeling of their fingers being "tied together".

The nerve coupling of the 4th & 5th fingers also explains why trilling with
these fingers on the piano is difficult. I imagine that generally the
fingering is adjusted so that more amenable fingers are used.

Gene Nibbelin

-----Original Message-----
From: William Wright [mailto:Bilwright@-----.net]
Subject: Re: [kl] Right Hand Thumb Position

<><> So you can honestly say that you have the same mobility when
your thumb is held rigid as you have when your hand is able to entirely
move free?

Mike, one of my problems (which I assume every beginner has) is
that my fingers behave as if they are 'tied together'. Moving one
finger makes another finger move as well.

The goal --- imo, but I don't think that anyone on this list will
disagree --- is to separate the control of each finger such that you
_can_ hold (say) the right thumb rigid while moving every other finger
in an independent unconstrained manner.
I have watched my teacher's fingers many times. They stay poised
in one position no matter what else is happening, ready to drop or roll
or stretch when needed; and they return to their 'home' position
immediately afterwards whether they are needed for the next note or not,
without anything else (right thumb included) so much as twitching.

So if balancing a pencil restrains your other fingers, then you
aren't perfect yet (says Bill as he snaps his pencil in half and throws
it out the window when nobody is looking).

Cheers,
Bill

---------------------------------------------------------------------
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