 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Joel Clifton
Date: 2003-06-02 15:56
I haven't been playing any more than usual, but for the last two or three weeks the joint of my right thumb has been sore (If I press it down with my pointing finger I feel a dull pain). It makes it hard to play the clarinet, because even if I rest the bell on my leg, I still have to use my thumb a little, and even that hurts. If I completely support the clarinet with my hands, my thumb hurts really bad.
Has anyone had this happen? What can I do to fix it? Will this cause problems later in life, I.E. arthritis, etc.?
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Author: javier garcia m
Date: 2003-06-02 16:40
Have you ever tried a neckstrap? sometimes when I play a lot I have a little pain on my rigth thumb joint also. I stop playing and the pain is out. If the pain hold without playing, you must consult your physician.
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Author: MGarrison
Date: 2003-06-02 19:44
Hi Joel
Have you tried a Kooiman thumb rest? I have just the basic plastic one (Etude) but it has done wonders for me. My thumb used to crack all the time and be quite painful. Now I don't have any problems. The thumb rest was about $30 CDN which is probably around $20 US and the music store installed it for free.
http://www.tonkooiman.com/
Marina
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Author: bobmester
Date: 2003-06-02 20:56
I went out to the Kooiman site to see the above thumb rests. Very Cool.
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2003-06-02 21:31
You may want to rest for a few bars....
I'm a long-time Ton Kooiman user, and love it.
The claricord neck strap combined with moving your thumbrest 'up' closer to the joint by 5-10mm will help, too.
The TK Etude plastic version with a little 'moleskin' padding from your druggist maybe just the ticket, for less dosh.
If you can't find it at Rite-Aid, try the CVS - which should be across the street...
******
You should avoid playing with pain unless you're in the Cup Finals.
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Author: Bob Schwab
Date: 2003-06-03 03:35
Joel
From what I understand, the problem you're having is quite common. I too had problems with my older clarinet hurting my thumb joint. To remedy the problem I had my instrument technician replace the original thumb rest with one that I could adjust. It cost me $50 for parts, labor, tax, misc. and what-not. What a difference!
He told me that many instrument manufacturers place their thumb rests way too far down on the instrument. After this modification I found it much easier to play the clarion "B" with my pinkey as well.
Bob Schwab
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Author: bob49t
Date: 2003-06-03 06:36
see previous posts on "thumb", "pain", "Kooiman" etc - some useful info.
Bob T
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2003-06-03 16:01
Bob49T says it well. We have discussed this often. I'll repeat my suggestions of removing, then inverting the present thumbrest, using a rubber TR cushion to compensate for the curvature and try it to see if you need an adjustable [or not!]. I found fingering my bottom notes to be much easier also. Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Joel Clifton
Date: 2003-06-04 19:23
My thumbrest was almost fully extended. Today I moved it up all the way, and I had much less of a problem with pain. Now the only pain I feel is the pain that's been there for a week or so. It didn't get worse.
Thanks for your advice, everyone.
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Author: BobD
Date: 2003-06-04 21:04
Such pain is probably from overuse. I hesitated to respond earlier because I wondered which thumb joint it was but now I assume it is the one closest to the tip.
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Author: abrogard
Date: 2003-06-05 00:24
I can relate to this. My thumb has a large bump on it caused by the thumbrest.
I moved my rests - it's true that all clarinets seem to have them in the wrong place - and I inverted them and I glued cork on them and I made a 'finger stall' for the thumb ( a tube of material to go around the thumb - I later changed that to a tube of leather and that worked well ) - I did all these things.
And then in the finish I found the answer.
I took the bloody thumbrest off.
Now I have a grip on the clarinet. Now my body and my hands are not frightened by the clarinet.
You try it. It's easy enough to put the rest back.
I'm editing my own post here.. weeks later...
I wanted to add this: The thumb is not designed to take the strain the way the clarinet rest imposes. The thumb is designed for grasping. With or without the rest the whole weight of the clarinet is largely taken by the thumb (unless you hook a finger in the keys or somesuch) - but without the rest the weight is taken by the thumb in the way it was designed to work, as a grasping instrument.
Post Edited (2003-06-14 05:46)
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