 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2012-08-05 01:34
On the first clarinet that I raised the thumb rest I sort of chickened out. I tried taking the thumb rest off and then marking where the thumb naturally wants to grip the horn. The determined position was a bit more than 1/2 inch raised from stock original position. I decided this would be too extreme a difference from the manufacturer's suggested location of the thumb rest and the manufacturer must know something I don't. . I decided on a compromise position, raising the thumb rest a shade more than 1/4 inch. I played with the thumb rest in this position for half a year, always wishing I had the courage to do what my body was telling me to do from the start and raise it the full amount.
Now on my new old r-13 I once again marked the natural position of the rest and tested it by taping it on with painters blue tape for a test play. I decided to compromise by raising the rest 5/8 inch even though 3/4 inch felt better. It should be noted that I use a Ridenour slip on contoured rubber thumb rest over the stock rest. This Ridenour invention ends up effectively lowering whatever position you have as it is so thick. It also seems to open the hand as it thickens the effective diameter of the horn simultaneously. I like it and find it highly comfortable. One Ridenour can be used on all your instruments that have stock type thumb rests. It takes a moment to insert or remove the device.
The method of drilling the new holes I use is painfully cautious. Once I have the rest taped on the horn in the new position I mark the holes and check that the rest would be parallel to the original rest position and not skewed. I then drill through the rest's holes using the thinnest of drill bits with my Dremel. I tape all around the area in case the drill bit slips off the rest and should scratch the clarinet body. I then remove the thumb rest and tape all around the thinly drilled holes to protect the body once again. I drill using the next bit size up but still too small for the screws. I use tape around the bit to limit bit depth. I then open the top of the holes using a hand held file I spin around in my hand constantly widening the hole until the screws just fit. I then put bees wax on the screw threads and attach the rest in the new position. To cover the old holes, I super glue wooden toothpicks. and cut off the excess with a cutting pliers. I then tape around the holes and use a jeweler's file to file level with the clarinet body. When the tape looks a bit worn I know the toothpicks are almost flush with the surface. A touch of fine sandpaper then does the final job. I remove the tape and touch up the toothpicks with a black magic marker and rub almond oil into the surface.
With the Ridenour rest on and a calculated raise of about 1/2 inch I feel the instrument is about where it needs to be. Doing this is frightening because I need reading glasses and very good light to even attempt the process. It takes me about 1/2 hour for all the steps. As frightening as this is I don't know if I'd trust anyone else to get it where it needs to be.
Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com
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Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2012-08-05 19:29
The Wesley Rice photo for thumb rest relocation looks like it would be almost an inch higher than the stock manufacturers' position on most instruments. When will the industry catch on to body kinesthetics?
Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2012-08-05 21:52
How are y'all holding the thumb? Are you keeping the thumb parallel with the ground? Or are you letting the thumb sag under the weight of the horn? Or are you holding in the Elsa Ludwig-Verdehr style with the thumb pointing up?
Kinesthetics depend on these.
..................Paul Aviles
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Author: Garth Libre
Date: 2012-08-06 00:39
I believe my thumb is now more or less parallel.
Garth, 305-981-4705. garthlibre@yahoo.com
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Author: Campana
Date: 2012-08-06 09:33
I have large hands and the standard position of the thumbrest is too low for me. One of the things that has dogged me, as a beginner, is why my results were inconsistant, usually deteriorating towards the end of the practice session. As you would expect, for a beginner, there has been many reasons but one prevalent one has been the Rt Hand index finger slipping from full coverage of the tone hole in a downwards direction. I eventually realised that my index finger wasn't falling naturally over the tone hole and was requiring muscular effort to achieve the correct position, hence the slipping downhill with tiredness.
The contact surface of the thumb rest in the manufacturers position is in line with the mid point of tone holes 1 & 2. Add the effect of a rubber cushion to this and it was quite a strain to bring my index finger backwards from it's relaxed position.
I await the delivery of an adjustable thumb rest. I will have to drill new holes to fit this as using the existing holes will leave all the adjustment downwards, the reverse of what I want.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2012-08-06 10:37
I moved the thumb rest up as far as possible towards the centre tenon. When a Ridenour thumb rest is fitted it works out about right for me.
Tony F.
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Author: Campana
Date: 2012-08-07 11:37
The reality of a perfectly positioned thumb rest has, for me, proved to be unattainable. I have spent the last couple of hours experimenting. I can find the perfect position where my fingers fall naturally over the holes, nearly 3/4" higher than standard, with the clarinet in my lap/on a table. As soon as I take the weight of the clarinet on my thumb, it sags badly (atrophied muscle due to squeezed nerve in the tunnel in the elbow).
This leaves my thumb pointing downwards across my palm and affecting the upwards flexibility of my index finger.
The best compromise position of the thumb rest is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the standard position.
I'm keeping further deterioration at bay with exercises but only an operation to remove the pressure will allow the exercises to actually make an improvement.
I have a neck strap support but unless I have it uncomfortably taut it only helps slightly.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2012-08-07 15:34
Have you investigated the Ton Kooiman thumb support? Sounds like it may be a good option for you.
Tony F.
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Author: Campana
Date: 2012-08-07 17:59
Yes. I've often been on the verge of buying one. Rightly or wrongly, in my mind, it is designed to take the stress out of the thumb's middle joint by spreading the load across the two halves of the thumb. My weakness is in the bottom joint and even the one below that at the wrist. The web of muscle between thumb and forefinger is, in my case, not much more than a web of skin.
I can manage half hour practice sessions before fatigue sets in. I can accept this, if I have to, as I only play for my own pleasure... and other people's anguish.
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Author: Caroline Smale
Date: 2012-08-07 19:54
Have you tried resting the bell on your thigh whilst practising (sitting down of course).
I know the purists will object and it's not the ideal way but it does help a lot by removing most of the weight from the thumb (which at my age is a boon).
I have actually made a little device that clips onto my bell which raises the bell a couple of inches above the thigh to prevent acoustic damping and which also catches any drips from the bore into a small sponge, another damping problem avoided!
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2012-08-07 19:59
The big Kooiman can be adjusted out far enough that the weight of the clarinet is supported by the base of the thumb (no muscles there at all really).
...............Paul Aviles
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Author: Campana
Date: 2012-08-08 10:23
Thank you for your help. I might give the Kooiman Etude 2 a try but the Maestro 2 is a bit pricey. I'm now experimenting with supporting the clarinet. I've formed a short length of very thin twine ( hardly any thicker than strong cotton thread) into a figure of 8. The bottom loop I trap in the bell to body joint which leaves an upper loop from which I can suspend the end of the clarinet. At the moment I do this by bending a piece of wire into an "S" shape and hooking it on to the lower frame of the music stand. I have full adjustment in that the music stand is adjustable for height and I can move my chair backwards or forwards.
If I decide that this works for me I'll try to improve the design, maybe a hook in the ceiling and a fully adjustable suspension strap, perhaps even elasticated...early days yet.
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Author: Campana
Date: 2012-08-08 12:41
Message deleted. Conclusion reached was premature.
Post Edited (2012-08-08 12:50)
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