Klarinet Archive - Posting 000405.txt from 2001/10

From: "David B. Niethamer" <dnietham@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] difficulty with the Kooiman thumb rest
Date: Sat, 13 Oct 2001 04:26:37 -0400

on 10/12/2001 5:12 AM, Anna Benassi wrote:

>Am I the only one who is underwhelmed by the Kooiman? I bought and
>installed one, and I cannot seem to adjust it to fit my hand. If one
>thinks of it as a V on its head, the right leg of that upside-down V is
>too short (for me, anyway). No matter how I adjust the thing, I cannot
>set it up so that this right leg will reach my hand without my having to
>twist my hand in a manner I find odd. I wish this weren't so, but so far
>I haven't been able to surmount this problem. The structure and
>engineering seem really first-class, but I haven't yet found a way to
>make it work for me.
>
>Anyone else had a problem of this type? I have followed postings on this
>subject fairly closely, but no one seems to have mentioned this.

I have had the metal Kooiman on my clarinets since April. I had it
installed on my backup Bb clarinet during the summer 2000, and was about
to have it removed for reasons similar to your problem when I saw a
physical therapist who had worked with me in the past. Her comment was
"Of course it isn't helping - you have it set up wrong!". She assisted me
with the setup for about 30 minutes, and I've never looked back (though
the short time it took Mark Jacobi to drill the holes to install it were
the most nerve-wracking of my life!!).

So, it can be time consuming, and (you'll pardon the pun) something of a
pain to set up, but once you get it right, it works very well. Seek out a
PT or other professional who can help you get it set right for you.

David

David Niethamer
Principal Clarinet, Richmond Symphony
dnietham@-----.edu
http://members.aol.com/dbnclar1/

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