 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2007-11-07 20:59
Ever since I got my horn back from the shop (why didn't I do it myself? - I wanted to see how pro work looks like), my RH wrist and thumb would easily get tired. I fiddled with the thumb rest, cushions etc and so forth, all to no avail. I considered buying a strap, but as I haven't experienced these symptoms before on my humble student Amati, I gave it a closer thought and a the clarinet a very close look.
Turned out that the bridge was ever so slightly out of synch, the UJ pad would close a teeny weeny bit before the LJ's. Okay, easily corrected. But the symptoms remained. I found out that I had to press down my RH fingers quite hard to make eg the middle C speak. Why was that? Oh, the rings were a bit too high. Corrected that, corrected the bridge link again, still the same or a similar symptom.
After various trials and errors, I replaced the "ring" pads (leather) on the upper and lower joints with my (softer) house variety. Lo and behold, hardly any pressure needed for making it sing. Inspecting the LJ pad, its "impression ring" was uneven, maybe it had a leak problem that went unnoticed when one "consciously" presses the keys and tone holes to find a leak. But "flying over" when playing might not have sealed everything completely. Unconsciously I must have been pressing harder, thus cramping my hands and summoning the fatigue daemon. I don't know whether leather pads are really cool for the "ring pads" or if something else went out of shape.
Why am I telling you all this? When you experience fatigue in your hands or wrists, also check the horn, even if that means to lend it to a friend who should play it for an hour or so, just to see how he/she feels after that. Some symptoms manifest themselves only after extended periods of playing.
--
Ben
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Author: C2thew
Date: 2007-11-08 01:53
not sure you would get hand fatigue when playing with leaky pads, as if i feel a problem, i address it until it's fixed.
wrist fatigue is comparable to the conditions of your daily routines albeit work (work sucks i know) and also your physical limitations as well. i have a friend who has tendonitis and can physically feel that her muscles cannot handle long durations of playing due to this.
my solution? do some daily calisthenics and build up endurance. the more overall endurance, the better you will be able to address other issues.
or......... buy a ton kooiman plastic thumb rest. shifts the weight to your second joint on your thumb. thumb callouses aren't proud battle scars (well to me) and the kooiman does its job of easing the fatigue. at $30 ish total, it's a good investment.
Our inventions are wont to be pretty toys, which distract our attention from serious things. they are but improved means to an unimproved end, an end which was already but too easy to arrive as railroads lead to Boston to New York
-Walden; Henry Thoreau
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2007-11-08 13:01
I meant to say that my muscle fatigue was caused by gorilla-gripping due to a slightly leaky pad. I removed the reason to gorilla-grip, thus I eliminated the root cause for the fatigue.
I am not blaming it on the tech - after all I wouldn't have noticed anything unusual in the first five or ten minutes.
(BTW: the horn passed the suck and blow tests without a problem)
A thumbrest might just have cured the symptoms but not the cause.
--
Ben
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2007-11-08 13:22
You should try playing a leaky soprano sax - not only have you got the weight of the beast to contend with, but you need the strength of two gorillas to close the squiffy main action pads, and even more strength in your little fingers for the low notes!
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2007-11-08 16:25
Ben, thanks for the analysis and for sharing your insights with us.
I hope that your discomfort has evaporated.
For my part, after three month of using the GB brand elastic neck strap my "carpal-tunnel-type" pain has abated.
...And the thumb callus has softened.
My Buffet has a wide arc of metal on the lower joint's part of the bridge mechanism, and I always check upon assembly to be sure that the upper pad closes easily. Now, I'll be sure that the upper pad on the lower "spectacles" also closes easily.
Bob Phillips
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Author: purple4reina
Date: 2007-11-10 07:09
I have problems with wrist fatigue as well when I play standing up especially. I have found that a neck strap really helps! I used to be really embarrassed to use it but now I've noticed that a lot of professional players use them as well and that has given me a lot of confidence in them.
Reina
<a href="http://www.clarinetcat.com">www.clarinetcat.com</a>
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