 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: acermak
Date: 2013-11-26 17:39
I have a short bass that has no floor peg. I use a double hooked strap with it. At what angle should I hold the instrument? Holding it angled in front causes tendon pain in my right forearm after 15 or so minutes. Letting it just hang and only using my right thumb for balance solves that problem but leaves my wrist hurting after making 10 minutes of chromatic notes bound by low Eb and low G due to having to have my hand turned to get the RH pinky keys hit.
So far the most comfortable is to let it dangle, and lightly grip the instrument on its side and use the sides of my pinky to hit those keys, but I don't think that's correct.
I don't have a similar pain problem with my low C or contra alto (probably because they have floor pegs) or my alto (lighter and it doesn't have a low Eb to worry about).
So what should the instrument position be? And how do I contort my anatomy to play it without discomfort?
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Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2013-11-26 20:00
Get a peg installed. Then you can use a single-hook strap and the instrument will be both comfortable and secure.
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Author: Echronome
Date: 2013-11-26 20:27
Or you could even get one of those stool things. But the peg is the best bet.
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Author: marcia
Date: 2013-11-26 20:55
I would highly reccomend a peg. I play alto clarinet, and until I used a peg, it was extremely awkward. The peg made all the difference to that.
>And how do I contort my anatomy to play it without discomfort?
NONONONO!! ![[frown]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie2.gif)
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Author: LCL
Date: 2013-11-26 21:12
http://www.votawtool.com/floor-peg-assembly.html
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Author: acermak
Date: 2013-11-26 21:54
would a after-market peg assembly (such as the one from votawtool) work for a Bundy bass? Looks like it requires soldering. I can solder chips on a pcb, but I'm not sure how to do it on an instrument. Is this the kind of thing I can ask an instrument tech to do?
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Author: tictactux ★2017
Date: 2013-11-26 22:31
I got my Bundy Bass peg assembly from Ferree's (M70S, $39, the complete assembly) and had the brass instrument shop nearby solder it to the bell.
--
Ben
Post Edited (2013-11-27 08:31)
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2013-11-27 04:18
Like others said, you can have a peg holder installed.
Peg or no peg, you should hold it the way that is most comfortable and doesn't cause pain. No one should hold any instrument in a way that causes pain just because it's "correct" (or vise versa).
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2013-11-27 04:47
I bought a bass peg assembly from Votaw's a couple of months back and soldered it myself. No real problems. I made a rough jig to ensure that the peg was parallel to the body of the instrument and buried most of the bell in a bucket of wet cat-litter to act as a heat sink. I used ordinary plumbers solder and Bakers Fluid as a flux and used a propane torch. The whole operation to 10 minutes
Tony F.
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2013-11-27 05:36
I would add that this was done without the active assistance of the cat, although he did offer.
Tony F.
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2013-11-27 12:33
Make sure the new peg is attached to the bell. If you screw it onto the body it will work it's way lose after a while.
ESP eddiesclarinet.com
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Author: acermak
Date: 2013-11-27 14:41
Thanks Ben, for including the part number! Ferree's website can be a bit hard to navigate. I've put in an order, we shall see. I'll take it to my usual tech (who no doubt groans every time I drop off yet another instrument.) for the soldering.
Tony F, I'm sure the work would have gone much faster with the cat's assistance.
Marcia, I know some upper end altos have pegs. I've never really had a problem just using the double hooked strap with mine, as it's pretty light weight.
clarnibass, yes, I agree, unnecessary strain and pain is no good for playing.
So thanks everyone for your advice,
Amy
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2013-11-27 14:45
My bass (American Selmer) came with the removable peg that inserts into a bracket below the thumb rest. When I first bought the bass, I experimented with playing with and without the peg, since I'm used to playing saxophones without a peg. But there was just enough difference in the key positions between alto or tenor sax and bass clarinet for me to start feeling wrist pain and to decide the peg is a good idea on bass clarinet. I still use the neck strap for insurance, to make sure I don't drop the clarinet in case I do something that makes the peg skid on the floor.
>Make sure the new peg is attached to the bell. If you screw it onto the body it will work it's way lose after a while.
>
Or you can wrap the peg with electrician's tape or something similar. I chose electrician's tape, because it's black and therefore inconspicuous, to fatten out the diameter of the peg at the point where I want it to stay put. The tape does have to be replaced now and then as it compresses, but I want it removable for now anyway, as I experiment with exactly the position I prefer.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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Author: acermak
Date: 2013-12-03 17:02
And my M70S floor peg bracket is soldered on beautifully. It looks like a factory job if not better. I took it to my local brasswind artisan (he actually works with my local woodwind artisan--they're partners in the business.) It is so much easier to play now. And the peg from Ferree's tools M70S is nice and sturdy too. I found a place to put the rod, in the Bundy case, along side the instrument bore where it won't interfere with any keys. Fortunately, the bracket doesn't interfere with bell placement in the case, either.
My forearm and wrist tendons are grateful to the folks on this list (and grateful to my local instrument artisans, of course).
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2013-12-03 23:05
If you need someone to solder the peg holder to the bell and have no instrument repair shop handy, any jeweler should be able to do the job or recommend someone who can.
Anyone who does Cloisonné work will know about silver soldering.
The alternative is to call local welding shops and ask if they do silver soldering on small jobs.
Lelia - Do stained glass people to silver soldering?
Ken Shaw
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2013-12-04 01:32
I was advised not to silver-solder the peg fitting, as the temperatures are high enough to melt other soft-soldered joints on the bell assembly. As stated, I used wet cat litter as a heat sink and support and soft soldered the fitting in place. It works fine.
Tony F.
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Author: clarnibass
Date: 2013-12-04 04:24
Ken, the peg holder is not silver soldered to the bell. Someone who has done only silver soldering but no soft soldering might not be the best person to do this (though they might still be able to do it, depends).
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Author: acermak
Date: 2013-12-04 14:30
My woodwind artisan stated that silver solder would not be used, it would be a soft solder. And the brasswind artisan who actually did the work removed the key mechanism on the bell and wired it just for this soldering so it wouldn't be damaged. His comment upon seeing the bell was, that's a huge hunk of brass and is going to be a heck of a heat sink. I know he had to warm the whole thing up also to do it properly. Then he had me play a few notes on it (esp those low ones) to make sure the key mechanism on the bell was still working well.
I played her last night without discomfort for the first time. I wore a strap and was very conscious of the peg (I had about a foot + a smidge more out) and afraid I would bend it if I applied too much pressure, but I'm sure with time, I'll get completely comfortable with the setup.
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