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Re: Thumb Troubles!

Author: ken
Date: 2008-03-29 23:12

I am a retired U.S Air Force Bandsman (1978 - 2002); thank you for your service.

Here is the right thumb / thumbrest and hands position method I use and teach. The late (great) Porter Eidam taught me this system, originally conceived by Elsa Verdehr.

Concept:

Incorrect thumbrest position produces muscular strain that restricts agility when physically supporting the horn. In relation, too firm a hand posture slows finger dexterity and technique. Over time, tendons stretch from tension and fatigue and totally break down. As well, it impedes hand and wrist movement that emanate from fingertip to shoulder blade and cause carpal tunnel wrist disorder, forms of tendonitis, bursitis, and rotator cuff problems. The condition can be severely debilitating; I have had students playing 10 to 20 years using death grips as if they were in a wrestling match.

One solution is angling the left and right hand positions upward to a 10 and 2 o'clock position. This decreases muscular strain yet increases dexterity and technical accuracy. Next, inwardly curving the fingers targets and maximizes the "lightening zone" between the fingertips and 2nd set of knuckles … where the "real" technique lives. More good news; making these minor adjustments can advance brain versus finger coordination, and more efficiently balance thumb on thumbrest weight distribution plus lighten workload. Finally, combining angled hands, curved fingers with a “high and left” thumb position eliminates most extraneous movement and channels energy through the fingertips, away from the hands, wrist, arms and upper body.

Method Routine:

I recommend initially applying these techniques exactly as given in a daily warm-up routine, (i.e., long tones, scales, chords, chromatics, tremolos and slow etudes) then gradually incorporating into regular playing sessions. To hasten memory reflex, I urge consciously focusing on relaxing the touch while keeping the wrists and hands properly angled, fingers and fingertips pliable and right thumb hugging the bore.

1) Sit in an upright but comfortable playing position; back straight sitting on the edge of the chair and feet flat on the floor.

2) Scrunch your shoulders a few times to get the kinks out then take two or three deep breaths and fully exhale. Resume normal breathing.

3) Grasp the barrel with the “left” hand and rest the bell on top and behind the “right” kneecap.

4) Tilt the horn back approximate to the chin.

5) Lift the right arm upward bending at the elbow and keep it perpendicular to the horn or at a height natural to your playing position.

6) Maintaining the elbow at a 90-degree angle let the right hand hang limp at the wrist, down to the fingertips.

7) Give your hand two or three good shakes. (Notice the right hand forefinger and thumb takes the shape of a squashed, backwards “C”). Maintain limp wrist.

8) Open the right hand about 1 1-1/2 inches and slightly cup inward all four fingers "only" at the second knuckle. (Notice the shape of the right hand is a more pronounced backwards “C”). Maintain limp wrist.

9) Slowly raise the wrist so it is parallel to the arm and at a 45-degree angle to the horn (thumb pointed at 10 o’clock to the bore).

10) Position the right hand directly behind the thumbrest and slowly pull the horn ”into" the right hand as if slipping on a glove.

11) Position the right thumb knuckle at the “top and inside left” corner of the thumbrest and barely touching the bore (Knuckle gently resting against the bore but not applying pressure or squeezing for support).

12) Maintaining position, make minor adjustments to the right hand and thumb to correctly position fingertips and ensure they are covered and centered over tone holes. (Achieve an "in the pocket" feel comfortable but still functional).

13) Rest the right pinky on top and "between" the Ab/F nat/C nat/Eb right/top cluster keys (not on one or the other) still ensuring the fingertips are in a cupped position.

14) Bring the horn up into a normal playing position.

15) Bring up the left hand and correctly position the fingertips so they are covered and centered over upper joint tone holes.

16) Adjust the left hand into playing position slightly tilting it upward at a 10 o'clock angle. Left hand position increases technique on teardrop keys and improve thumb hole accuracy, coverage and dexterity.

17) Duplicate this look and feel each time you set your hands, fingers and right thumb on thumbrest.

Exercises:

#1: Acquire a floor-sized mirror and sit directly before it (or use a pocket mirror strategically placed). Use a metronome (set to 1/4=80). Play 1/4 notes (tongued or slurred) a 5th of F major scale from low F natural to C natural and back down. Repeat X5. Repeat using left hand playing a 5th of a C major scale, C natural to open G natural and back down. After mastering technique at the slower tempo progressively increase four metronome clicks per pass up to 1/4=144.

#2: Play chromatically tongued or slurred, (1/4=80) from right side chalumeau F# to C natural using both middle / forked fingerings (repeat method as in exercise 1).

#3: Train and strengthen pinkie with right side (only) tremolos slow to fast. Alternate combinations; chalumeau E natural to G natural to F natural to G natural to F# to G natural to Ab to G natural etc; rotate patterns, clockwise, and counter clockwise in an "X" pattern.

v/r Ken

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