 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: vectorczar
Date: 2005-11-06 04:33
Greetings to the list,
My 12 year old daughter is in her first year of playing clarinet and absolutely loves it. We were able to get her a used Signet on-line.
Her band teacher has recommended getting an adjustable thumb rest to aid in her playing. A quick on-line search yields results from a $5.99 (US) model to $100+.
I'm looking to get her a reputable one that will be trouble-free, but I'm not looking to break the bank, either (we have four children).
So I defer to you, the members of this list, for your personal and professional opinions/suggestions to aid me in my quest.
Thank you,
Czar
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Author: joannew
Date: 2005-11-06 11:42
I think the basic adjustable thumbrests should work just fine - you shouldn't have to pay more than a few dollars unless there is a serious problem with tendonitis or something similar that needs the weight of the instrument to be very widely distributed.
The only problem is all the adjustable rests I have seen will only adjust down, so you will need to have a repair tech drill new holes to install it in a useful position. I set mine so that the lowest (extended) position was the same as the original position, and I have been moving it up a bit at a time towards what should be a more natural position. But it takes the hands some time to adjust, so I sometimes play with a neckstrap to take the weight off my hand while I am getting used to it. Maybe that won't be a problem for a beginner anyway - it's good for her to find the right thumb position early on.
Also you may need to adjust the clarinet case slightly to accommodate the new thumbrest, but that is easily done by just compressing the foam a bit in the right spot.
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2005-11-06 11:49
Dear Vector,
If you only need to adjust "up" by a small degree, you can have someone just turn the existing thumbrest upside down and put a small section of medical tubing on it for comfort.
Other than that I wholeheartedly agree with the above. Also, techs will charge anywhere from $10 to $30 to install when drilling and filling are required.
...........Paul Aviles
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-11-06 16:05
I guess I'd question just "why" her teacher is making this recommendation. If it's because her thumb position needs changing then the "upside down" suggestion above should be tried first. If it's because of too much weight on her thumb then a neckstrap might help. Or....there might be some other reason!
Bob Draznik
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2005-11-06 17:03
I'd been bumping the lower (Eb/Bb) trill key on the right side of my Buffet with my right forefinger --causing squeaks.
I bought an adjustable Buffet thumbrest on eBay. Several were offered, and they went for about $30. The seller arranged for all of his auctions to end at the same time, so it was impossible to spread my bidding around.
Anyhow, all it took to install the new thumb rest was to remove the two screws holding the old one on and replace them in the new one. (Actually, I had to file the holes in the new thumbrest to line-up with the screw holes in the body of the clarinet --but that is probably because of the age of my instrument) No technician required.
Now, I've moved the thumbrest down a little --keeping me from tangling my right forefinger in the trill keys and getting rid of one of my playing challenges.
Bob Phillips
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Author: vectorczar
Date: 2005-11-10 21:12
Joan, Paul, Bob, Bob and Paul,
Thank you so very much for your replies. I definitely appreciate it.
Paul (from Dallas)- thanks for the link. Would you recommend that model over the Kooiman?
http://www.music123.com/Ton-Kooiman-Etude-Thumb-Rest-i80646.music
Thanks again to all,
Czar
Post Edited (2005-11-11 02:51)
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Author: pewd
Date: 2005-11-11 02:30
i've never tried the kooiman. the buffet thumb rests work fine. they do tend to be a bit fragile - they tend to break, particularily if the students hook neck straps to them.
i usually put a piece of thick cork on my students thumb rests to pad them a bit. once in awhile i move the thumb rest up or down a bit - i guess i'm too old to be a big fan of the adjustible ones. i wonder why her band director wants her to change it? was this in response to a specific problem? try bob's idea - upside down wtih a piece of tubing for pading. but first, why does the director want her to change? just because all the other kids have adjustible ones? or is she having a hand position issue.
- Paul Dods
Dallas, Texas
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Author: vectorczar
Date: 2005-11-11 02:48
Paul,
It's definitely a hand position issue. Specifically, she was having finger-covering issues with certain notes.
Her teacher, recognizing this, placed her thumb under the thumb rest and then told my daughter to place her thumb under hers (the teacher's).
When my daughter did this, she was able to cover all of the holes required much easier than on her own.
I definitely appreciate yours and everyone else's response. I was a drummer, not a woodwind player. ;-)
Czar
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