 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Fermata
Date: 2004-11-28 04:43
hello all ^_^ This will be my first post on these boards.
My question is probably a common one, but I can't seem to find the exact answer I am looking for. Ever since I first started playing the clarinet (about 4 years ago), I have had trouble with my right hand positioning. I find that my thumb is extremely weak, and it hurts to try to play notes that do not require many fingers down. I have heard that the thumb should be held at the 9 o'clock position and that the weight should be on the side of the thumb, with the pad of the thumb on surface of the clarinet. I have tried this position, but for some reason it seems physically impossible for me keep my thumb pointed in that direction. I always find my thumb angling upward, and my right index finger trying to hold the clarinet up by hooking under the side keys. This ends up causing my other fingers to move too far away from the keys to allow me to play fast passages smoothly. This problem, of course, also leads to stress, not only on my thumb, but on my wrist as well. I can't seem to find a comfortable position so that I can balance the clarinet on my thumb. I have wondered if maybe it is just that the muscles in my thumb are too weak to support the clarinet. I'm not sure about that, but are there maybe some sort of thumb excercises to strengthen my thumb? I have also wondered if I'm just incapable of getting my right hand into that position. I once had a teacher who tried to forcefully put my hand in a certain position but couldn't manage to do it. I know there is always the possibility of a neck strap, but I have tried to use one, and I could not seem to get it in a comfortable position to play with. Any advice on this matter would be much appreciated. I truly enjoy playing the clarinet, but I just wish I could be a little more comfortable while doing it. Thank you! =)
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Author: LeWhite
Date: 2004-11-28 05:40
Sounds to me like you've just had some bad teachers who don't really know what they're talking about.
The position I use may help.
I have the thumbrest over my thumbnail and cuticle - this ensures that you are taking the weight of the instrument in your arm, shoulder, neck and back, and not putting pressure on your hand which may cause many many more physical problems.
This position may take time to get used to as now you are using muscles instead of bone.
Welcome to the Bboard!
__________________
Don't hate me because I play Leblanc! ![[down]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smiley23.gif) Buffet
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Author: pewd
Date: 2004-11-28 05:57
>Fermata wrote:
> I have heard that the thumb should
> be held at the 9 o'clock position and that the weight should be
> on the side of the thumb,
yup. i rest mine on the first knuckle. most folks seem to hold it just behind the nail, slightly infront of the first knuckle. where exactly do you hold it? try moving it forward - closer to the nail. unless its already on the tip of the nail, which is too far forward.
>with the pad of the thumb on surface
> of the clarinet.
lightly on the surface of the clarinet - don' use a tight grip, the pressure should be slightly upwards.
does your horn have an adjustable thumb rest?
if its adjustable, move it around, see if you can find a better position.
is there a pad on the thumb rest?
if not, you can get one at any music store.
you can also invert the thumb rest to effectively raise it up higher.
> I have tried this position, but for some
> reason it seems physically impossible for me keep my thumb
> pointed in that direction.
are you double jointed?
>I always find my thumb angling
> upward,
tip of thumb is pointing up, or the tip pointing down, e.g., which way is it angled?
i see a lot of students who are double jointed and the tip points down, and the thumb is bent, not straight. weirds me out, my old hands dont bend that way. usually the solution is to bend your wrist to get the fingers into the proper position. hard to diagnose without seeing you.
>and my right index finger trying to hold the clarinet
> up by hooking under the side keys
never. fingers on top of keys, not hooked underneath.
>I know there is always the possibility of a
> neck strap, but I have tried to use one, and I could not seem
> to get it in a comfortable position to play with.
i'd try the neck strap again, moving the thumb rest, and putting a pad on the thumb rest, and changing the position of the rest on the thumb. but change one thing at a time, not multiple things at once. it shouldn't hurt like you say it does. is there a good private teacher nearby who can work with you on this?
good luck
i'm sure others will offer advice as well, and theres probably stuff in the archives.
-paul
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
Post Edited (2004-11-28 05:58)
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Author: Daggett
Date: 2004-11-28 06:06
pewd gave some excellent advice. You can do all sorts of things with the thumb rest to change it's positioning. You can take the thumbrest off and turn it around (invert it). You can use different thumb cushions- cut up pencil grip works, or you can get some at the local music store for less than a dollar. Depending on the thickness, it may improve your positioning. There's also something called the Kooiman Thumb Rest which you can look into.
-Jimmy
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Author: Fermata
Date: 2004-11-28 06:33
ah thank you so much for the advice!
LeWhite, I will try that position to see if that feels any better to me.
I usually start off with the thumb rest between the knuckle and the beginning of the nail. But I end up angling the tip of my thumb upwards (pointing to about 11 o'clock), so the clarinet sometimes tends to slide down on my thumb when I try to play a note like open g. I'm not double jointed, but for some reason I can't seem to get my thumb to point to 9 o'clock, keep the thumb rest on the side of the thumb, and get my other fingers curved in the right position. I used to try to compensate for my thumb problem by angling the clarinet further away from me so I could push upward and hold the clarinet with the pad of my thumb, but my teacher stopped me from doing that for many reasons (tension in the shoulders and arms, tone quality, etc.) I do have an adjustable thumb rest, but my teacher had to drill new holes and move it higher up to accomodate my hands. However, something still doesn't feel right when I try to hold the clarinet with my thumb. I do use a pad on my thumb rest (I'm not exactly sure what kind it is or what it is called...but it is just a white cushion that has one sticky side that sticks to the bottom of the thumb rest). But with the way I position my thumb, the cushion tends to be pushed to one side of the thumb rest when I play.
I do have a very good private teacher who I plan on addressing this problem to...I think a lot of this is a result of a bad habit that I began with, since I really didn't have much instruction my first 3 years of playing. I began taking lessons from my teacher this year, and I haven't yet discussed my right thumb to a great extent with him. (although, he did help me quite a bit with the positiong of my left thumb to get to the register key without flailing my wrists). Over the holiday break, I have been practicing quite a bit since this is one of the few breaks I'll get when I'm not too busy before all-state auditions. My thumb hasn't really bothered me so much until I started practicing the audition pieces, which included fast passages that go from notes with very few or no fingers down to notes with all fingers down quite often.
I appreciate all of the advice! I'll definitely ask my teacher about this as soon as I resume lessons again after the break.
(wow I type too much....)
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Author: Dee
Date: 2004-11-28 13:53
The thumb rest should straddle the point where the base of the thumb nail joins the thumb so that your wrist is relatively straight. Otherwise your hand is too far under the clarinet and you end up with a bent wrist. This can later lead to other problems such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
The wood of the clarinet will then rest against the side of the thumb not the pad of the thumb. You'd have to twist your arm and wrist to have the pad of the thumb against the wood and again that will lead to all kinds of stress and strain that are bad for you.
If, after correcting the hand position, the instrument is too heavy, there's really only two choices. One is a special stand that holds the weight of the instrument while you play. They are hard to find and look very inconvenient (I've never tried one). The second is to become accustomed to a neck strap. It's slightly incovenient but one can get used to it. I use one now and then depending on how much I'm playing.
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Author: Ray
Date: 2004-11-28 15:42
"I do have an adjustable thumb rest, but my teacher had to drill new holes and move it higher up to accomodate my hands."
So, is your thumb rest now too high? Try this: Pick up a slender juice glass with your right hand. Raise your hand to eye level keeping the glass vertical. Notice that your thumb is opposite your first two fingers, more or less. Your thumb probably angles up to the left a little. This position is natural and easy and comfortable. So should your RH position on the clarinet be. Now pick up your clarinet with your RH and look at it the same way. It should look about the same. If not, adjust your thumb rest up or down until it looks right.
If you just can't support the weight and supply the upward pressure, I highly recommend the neck strap. I had a wrist injury and used the Neotech strap to get by while I healed. I found that not only did the strap relieve the thumb and wrist pain, but it stabilized my clarinet in a way that my hands alone couldn't do. I feel that I can play with my hands more relaxed now and that my playing has improved. I am sticking with the strap.
Good luck,
Ray
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2004-11-29 17:41
Use a neck strap. Don't let anyone shame you out of it, or tell you it looks "unprofessional." Mark Nuccio uses one. He's the total professional.
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