Klarinet Archive - Posting 001044.txt from 2003/04

From: "Thiel, Mark" <mark.thiel@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Kooiman Thumb Rest
Date: Sat, 26 Apr 2003 00:46:20 -0400

Audrey wrote:
>I play sitting and
>always rest the bell on my knees, so I don't think my thumb is supporting
any weight, but on many notes, >the RH thumb needs to grip the
>clarinet to create a counterbalance to what the other fingers are doing
with the keys and holes. I find >I can't play now more than about 10 - 15
minutes before pain due to gripping occurs. I've been trying,
>on as many notes as possible, not to grip at all with my thumb, but just
allow
>it to float, but some notes really seem to require thumb pressure.

Have you thought about how much gripping pressure you are actually using
playing
your clarinet? Is it possible that you're clamping down excessively because
your clarinet is not sealing properly or just because of bad habit? If,
on the other hand, your gripping force
really is not more than necessary, you might think about
whether gripping a larger object is less painful than gripping a small one
(observe
the "Good Grips" brand of utensils and tools). The Kooiman will move
your thumb maybe a quarter inch from the clarinet body, or you could easily
experiment with sticking on padding to move your thumb away from the
clarinet.
Position of the thumb along the horn also has a big effect on how much your
hand hurts.
My thumb rests are all much higher than factory equipment (practically on
the upper joint
on my Eb !).

Joe wrote:
> It completely unbalanced the clarinet (obvious that it would do that,
when you see the shape...) . .

If the Kooiman is adjusted properly, much of the weight of the horn is borne
by the hook sticking
from the right side, but the end of the thumb is still in about the
"normal" position (under where the stock thumbrest would be) in the dent in
the
back of the body of the Kooiman. So the clarinet should really be supported
in two
places along the thumb which I find quite stable.

Mark Thiel

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