 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: locke9342
Date: 2015-07-13 10:50
When I switched to my ridenour 576bc I found my right arm getting sore/hurting on the muscles connected to the thumb and the thumb itself. At first I just believed this was due to the additional weight, however now I believe this is due to the fact that I am gripping very tightly with my right hand. I think I started doing this because one of the low pads came out of adjustment I needed to press harder to get the notes out. Any suggestions on how I can loosen my grip and reduce tension?
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2015-07-13 16:56
Obvious question, but I'll ask: Is the pad now adjusted?
Try holding the bell between your knees and taking your right thumb completely off the clarinet, out from under the thumb rest. Play a slow scale with as little pressure as needed to cover the holes with your right hand and wrist in a comfortable position. Now, carefully put the thumb back under the thumb rest and hold the clarinet in your normal way, paying close attention to what else changes in your hand position. It's possible the thumb rest is forcing your hand into a position that causes it to tighten and fatigue quickly.
Does the clarinet have an adjustable thumb rest? If it does, you can experiment with different heights to see if there's a thumb position that's more comfortable and stresses your hand and wrist less.
Beyond adjusting the thumb rest position, you might untrain the hard gripping by practicing slowly while consciously lightening your touch. But if there's a problem with the thumb and hand positions, you'll probably revert to the tighter grip when you stop concentrating on it.
If the clarinet is significantly heavier than what you've been used to, you could add a neck strap to support the weight.
Karl
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Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2015-07-13 19:40
There just is NOOOOO gripping !! If a key is out of adjustment, it needs to be put right. It would be the same if a pad just fell out. It needs to be addressed.
Now there ARE other issues with the thumb. Firstly I'd say that the placement of the thumb rest is NOT arbitrary. To prevent strain, carpal tunnel or other such issues with the soprano clarinet, you need to have your thumb out perpendicular to the floor at a minimum. That is, you support the weight of the horn with your musculature otherwise there will be (down the road at least) quite a bit of painful strain of the connective tissues.
Elsa Ludwig-Verdehr even advocates having a thumb posture that even points slightly upward (following a line starting from the base of the thumb and extending through the tip of the thumb). This way there is more support through the entire arm.
Now that you have SPECIFIC ways to hold the horn, you want the thumb rest adjusted so that your first finger of the right hand is NO HIGHER than "floating" over the last side key. In fact it can be lower than the last side key (your finger can adjust up quite nicely for the rest of those keys). BUT if it "floats" higher up those side keys then you in fact MUST strain to get DOWN to the the "Eb/Bb" key which we use ALL THE TIME.
.............Paul Aviles
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Author: nellsonic
Date: 2015-07-14 00:14
Michelle Anderson (Clarinet Mentors) just posted a video you may find useful. It outlines a finger exercise from Bonade that helps to develop a light touch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sAK1xwg3XI&feature=youtu.be
In general, the Ridenour clarinets are a bit heavier than most plastic instruments, but not as heavy as most wooden ones. Sometimes there is a period of adjustment to increased weight that may last through several weeks of regular practice. Be cautious if you are experiencing pain or discomfort. Take frequent breaks and stop often momentarily to consciously relax the hands. Some temporary discomfort is probably not an issue, but pain is a signal to back off the activity for a bit lest you cause injury. This is assuming that you are using a proper hand position, and that the instrument is in proper adjustment (including the thumb rest).
Anders
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Author: locke9342
Date: 2015-07-15 10:21
The clarinet is going to be repaired asap, but in the mean time your advise has helped a lot I'm starting to play a lot looser now
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