Klarinet Archive - Posting 000059.txt from 2002/02

From: CBA <clarinet10001@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Stiff Finger joint
Date: Tue, 5 Feb 2002 16:08:05 -0500

James,

Here are a couple of thoughts from someone (me) who
has very small hands, which make it more difficult to
have that ideal curved position...

I play Eb with much greater ease than Bb/A. You could
have a first class Eb player on your hand! 10th Grade
would be a great time to start the student on Eb if
they haven't played it before. It also gives
incentive, since they will be playing a "solo" type
instrument which is unique from the other people in
band.

The other thing that has helped me a great deal is the
Kooiman thumbrest. I have gotten the "Etude" (cheaper,
less than $30 model thumbrest from Kooiman) for my Bb
and A clarinets, and my oboe. The more expensive model
is over $100, and I cannot see playing that and then
paying for the thumbrest to be installed. The Etude
can be installed with the holes that are already in
the instrument thumbrest position.

Having the pressure taken off the first joint of the
thumb, and distributed to the first and second allows
me more mobility without pain. I don't have one of
these on the Eb clarinet, because I don't need the
weight distribution on the smaller instrument (another
reason for Eb for someone with small hands.)

A few words of caution: the holes for the Etude don't
always match up to the holes of the Bb/A clarinet or
oboe, so you might need to fill the holes with wood
filler and re-drill, like you have to with the more
expensive Kooiman. Of course, the $80 or so you save
from the difference in the more expensive thumbrest
should help pay for a repairman doing that. The other
thing is that when installing the Etude thumbrest, DO
NOT use the screws that come with it. they are very
short, and the threading is different than the screws
that are already in the instrument. Use the screws
that are already holding the thumbrest that the
instrument came with, and it will save you a lot of
grief with stripped screw holes.

Hope that helps!

Kelly Abraham
Woodwinds - New York
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
--- JMarioneau@-----.com wrote:
> I recently began working with a private student who
> has incredibly short pinky fingers. Her pinkies are
> also very low on her palm. I have never come across
> this problem to this magnitude. If I position her
> hand to where her right pinky can reach the keys in
> a curved position, the rest of her fingers will have
> the tips (the part just under the nail) going
> straight into the holes. The only solutions seem to
> be to have her play with a straight (and locked)
> pinky or to somehow get some kind of key extension
> made. I don't think that an extended thumb rest
> will help either. I am not real sure what to do. In
> hindsight, maybe she should have started on another
> instrument in sixth grade, but since she is a 10th
> grader, she does not want to switch. She does
> pretty well with the stiff pinkies, but sh could do
> much better if they were curved. Any suggestions or
> advice?
> James Marioneaux

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