 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: DAVE
Date: 2003-06-06 17:01
Any time I work with weights or use my hands for strenuous work, I can hardly play my horn. I once knew a guy (an Olympic wrestler, really!!) who was a fine clarinetist who lost his ability to move his fingers acurately. If I remember correctly, he attributed this to his many hours in the gym.
(Incidently, I once saw an ad with him in it for the Barcelona Olympics that showed him in the typical wrestler stance all mean and scrappy looking with a caption that said something to the effect of his ability to rip you apart and afterward go and nicely play his clarinet!!)
Anyway, have any of you experienced this?
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2003-06-06 17:28
Yes, lifting etc has caused me to play poorly in years past, but now its "arthuritis", particularly of the knuckles, which is my excuse for not playing rapid passages well/accurately. Its slow and easy for seniors!! Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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Author: Vytas
Date: 2003-06-06 17:49
Dave wrote:
**Any time I work with weights or use my hands for strenuous work, I can hardly play my horn**
It's temporally discomfort and will go away when your brain stops treating clarinet as another weights exercise. Been there.
Vytas
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Author: sfalexi
Date: 2003-06-07 04:14
I lift and play. Just don't think to yourself that you can play just as well right after lifting. Lift in the morning, play at night, or vice-versa. Just like above. I mean, can you imagine a doctor going to a gym or running a triathlon and then being expected to perform a delicate surgery directly afterward? I'd rather wait for him to be WELL rested...
Alexi
US Army Japan Band
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Author: leonardA
Date: 2003-06-08 13:03
I had the same experience after doing yard work and holding up a hedge trimmer for a long period. It took a couple of days to go away. Lately I've been trying to work on hand and finger exercises to limber them up. I do things like squeezing a soft ball and bending my fingers back as a group and individually. If anyone knows of any specific things to do to make the fingers more limber, I'd appreciate hearing about it.
Leonard
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Author: Allie
Date: 2003-06-08 18:10
"If anyone knows of any specific things to do to make the fingers more limber, I'd appreciate hearing about it."
Like taking up the piano? ;-)
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Author: Dan Shusta
Date: 2003-06-08 21:18
To leonardA: I believe I have a better way of limbering up your fingers.
This technique is probably not new, but, I discovered it, almost purely by accident, when I needed to limber up my cold fingers and all other techniques weren't working very well.
Put your hand in front of you, palm side up, with your elbow at 90 degrees. Rotate your elbow and bring your hand close to your shoulder. Now, quickly bring your arm down to the starting position and pretend you're cracking a whip and that your fingers are at the end of the whip. Allow your fingers to "fly out" so to speak.
Do this around 10 or more times and you will notice that your fingers not only move much faster but they will feel "as if they are not even there".
Needless to say, start out slowly and increase the speed to your own personal optimum level.
I know this technique works...I have used it many, many times and consistently get the same results.
Hope this helps...
Dan
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Author: leonardA
Date: 2003-06-09 02:51
Thanks, Dan, I tried it and didn't really notice anything sensational, but I had done a similar thing when I took piano lessons. I just shook both hands as if they were wet and I was trying to dry them off. It's a little more violent that your way, so your way may be safer.
Leonard
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Author: Mark Pinner
Date: 2003-06-09 05:59
I played rugby union and was a competitive cyclist for many years. I found that playing too soon after riding or training with weights was counterproductive. With a little bit of rest I had no problem. I did develop a right shoulder problem after playing baritone sax for many years, combined with weightlifting I was advised to stop one or both of these activities. Sold the bari and became unfit! I wouldn't follow the same path if I had my life over. Sporting activities and injuries are a constant source of annoyance even at the tender age of 40.
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Author: msloss
Date: 2003-06-09 13:20
I've had a certain amount of luck wearing weight lifter's gloves (probably can get them at any atheletic/fitness shop). I still couldn't play Nielsen right after doing curls, but I'm good to go within an hour. I also go for reps rather than total weight which has made a difference.
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Author: Ralph G
Date: 2003-06-09 13:34
About four months ago I had to drive to an outlying town to play a gig. I was unfamiliar with the area and a good chunk of the route was on a highway under construction and down to two lanes, with lots of lane detours and oncoming traffic barrelling at you at Concorde speeds. I'm a bit of a nervous driver to begin with, so I was gripping the wheel pretty hard. It took about half the concert for my fingers to finally loosen up from that drive. So for all you white-knuckle drivers out there, let someone else drive you to the gig.t
________________
Artistic talent is a gift from God and whoever discovers it in himself has a certain obligation: to know that he cannot waste this talent, but must develop it.
- Pope John Paul II
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Author: AJDar
Date: 2003-06-09 14:23
This brings back memories! When I was in college, I had a summer job as a laborer in a taconite plant for an iron ore mine. I did lots of shoveling and "hosing". The hoses were the big ones with brass nozzles like firemen use. By the end of the summer, I had a tremendous grip and very little flexibility in my fingers.
My clarinet instructor had me place my fingers lightly on a surface (as if I were playing a keyboard) and try raising/lowering one finger as rapidly as I could. I would do this one finger at a time to limber them up.
Darlene
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Author: fmadison
Date: 2003-06-10 04:41
Hi,
You can experience soreness if you do high intensity wrist curl exercises and it will cause your fingers to get out of sync for a while.
I remember one of my Jazz drumming buddies who stayed away from any forearm workouts because it really disrupts the drummers ability to control bounces on rolls and everything else.
After a couple a days you should be back to normal.
I found using a Crossbow exercise machine to be effective for working out without the side effects that happen from free weights. Very smooth motion during workouts.
-Frank
It's the wood that makes it good!
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2003-06-10 10:38
Hi,
I just played golf yesterday and as usual, my hands and wrists were a little stiff. I tried Dan's exercise and then played a little. This really worked for me. However, I would rather have taken fewer golf strokes if the truth were known. Hey, maybe I'll try the Dan's Exercise before I play golf tomorrow. It certainly can't hurt. I'll report back!
HRL
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Author: nancy_groom
Date: 2003-06-10 23:20
I've been doing light weight-lifting for 4 years, primarily for general strengthening. One Sunday morning, I did weight-lifting, and Tai Chi;
then in the afternoon played Weber's Concertino. No problem. When I started strengthing wrists and forearms, the coordination on clarinet was lacking, so I do that minimally now.
I do have osteoarthritis in the first joint, first finger, left hand. An exercise I have developed is to (1) (in the beginning) gently pull the finger straight out with the other hand, then pull the finger straight down, stretching the bottom knuckle, (2) level the bent finger up so that the second knuckle is bent, then (3) level the finger further so that the third knuckle is bent. You might experience some popping of the knuckles, so go slow. Don't increase speed but do increase the strength of the pull as time goes by.
An exercise for wrists is to place palms of hands together, making sure the complete circle of palms are touching. then bring the elbows up slowly until you feel a stretch at the bottoms of the wrists. Hold position for the count of 6 (or what is comfortable). Slowly bring elbows down. Do two or three times consecutively. Be sure to include the thumbs! Then turn palms of hands, curl fingers so that they catch, and pull gently. This is for stretching rather than strength. Have fun, ya'll!
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Author: Simon
Date: 2003-06-11 02:29
This has been discussed previously and from memory I think Bob Arney had some good instructions. Type in nimble fingers in the search section and I am sure you will get a result.
Good luck
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Author: Alan
Date: 2003-06-11 21:38
Hmm, interesting topic. Although I was a performance major in college, I am currently working as a personal trainer. I lift weight 3-4 times per week, fairly heavy weight as well. Unless you are specifically targeting forearms, your fingers/grip should be as relaxed as possible when lifting. Only as much tension as needed to keep from dropping the dumbbell or losing your grip on the bar. I find people more often fatigue their grip on pulling exercises (lat pulldown, row) as apposed to pushing. Streching your finger flexors between sets is a good idea too (pulling your fingers back away from your palm).
If you still have problems but want to lift heavy, they do make gripping devices that take the stress away from the finger flexors. Most sporting good stores carry them. Good luck.
Alan
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Author: Ron Jr.
Date: 2003-06-12 15:14
I've been working out for several years and I have modified my workout in a way that it doesn't adversely affect my playing.
First, I switched to dumbells. Although I could lift alot more weight using a long bar and the satisfying thud of one 45 pound plate slamming against the other really impressed everyone in the room, dumbells work just as fine. I just upped my reps, 10-12, and slowed down the pace of the motion. The goal is to be in good overall shape, not to look like a fire hydrant.
Second, I always do abdominal work, especially the lower abs. This is important for breath control. This allows you milk the last bit of breath that is left in the stomach with control. However, NEVER, workout stomach before a gig or rehearsal.
The same goes for wrists. They can be worked on, use high reps (at least 25 per set). For biceps the reps can be lower (10-12). But for both of these muscle groups never work out before a rehearsal. If your wrists and hands are fatigued then your finger action will be slow. If your bicep is tired or sore, you'll constantly be holding up your clarinet with your knees.
So in closing, I would suggest the following:
switch to dumbells,
slow down the speed of the motion,
lower the weight,
raise the repetitions,
don't work on stomach, wrists, forearms, biceps or stomach before an important rehearsal or gig.
Good luck
Ron Jr.
Post Edited (2006-03-06 16:49)
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