 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Slowoldman
Date: 2015-07-17 04:25
I have had a chronic right elbow problem, and following a medical procedure yesterday, my doctor has instructed me not to us the right hand for 4 weeks. Specifically, he doesn't want me to support the weight of the clarinet, or use the fingers.
Have any pieces been composed for the left hand only? (I can support the instrument pretty well with my knees.)
I'm dying of boredom from playing long tones and the few fingering exercises I have that only use the left hand. Can anyone suggest pieces or exercises that would allow me to keep playing (and sane) for the next month?
Thanks!
Amateur musician, retired physician
Delaware Valley Wind Symphony, clarinet 1
Bucks County Symphony Orchestra, clarinet 2 (sub)
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2015-07-17 04:52
The Langenus Method (pt. 3, I think) has 3 etudes for the left hand alone
They're not great music but they're great for increasing left hand speed and flexibility.
Jumping from register, it's possible to play a complete scale. It also trains you to carry melodies over wide intervals as if they were step-wise motion.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-07-17 05:06
Slings/straps/lanyards are of absolute no use for anyone who can't support a clarinet with their right arm. They don't take the weight off the right arm and they do absolutely nothing good for posture.
A more practical solution is a telescopic support that clips onto the thumbrest and the lower end rests on the chair seat as this takes all the weight off the right arm - so all the player needs to do is find some means of support for their right arm like a built-up armrest to keep their right arm in a good playing position and so the player doesn't have to hold their right arm up in that position unsupported.
Quodlibet Fhred was such a device - I recommended someone I know got one as they were suffering following from a fractured right shoulder and arthritis in their elbow and fingers, so this gave her several more years of playing. She has recently had to stop due to the arthritis in her hands so I bought the Fhred off her and use it for when I play cor anglais as it's a heavy instrument and the right arm is stretched out while playing it. It really has freed up my right hand from gripping and accidentally nudging keys to get comfortable as I couldn't get on using a sling (strap) with cor. But unfortunately the Quodlibet Fhred is no longer being made as the company sadly went under.
But RDG have since taken the baton (as it were) from Quodlibet and offer their own version in the form of the BHOB:
http://www.rdgwoodwinds.com/kickstand-bhob-clarinet-long-p-12593.html
And for $70, that's a small price to pay to get you back into playing again.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: donald
Date: 2015-07-17 06:27
Hi, when i had a broken wrist a friend wrote a compostition for "B flat clarinet (both hands) and Bass Clarinet (left hand only)". This was to be played by my (then) girlfriend and I, however we actually split up before we could rehearse and record it (we're still good friends, it was all very amicable, but the piece never got played)
I'm not sure if that's on the hard drive of this computer- i'd need to search after the weekend (just rushing out of town). Let me know if you're interested
dn
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Author: Late_returner
Date: 2015-07-18 01:40
Hi Chris
Re your comments on preventing right arm pain, I don't usually have any problem with clarinet, but when I double on the much heavier (straight) soprano sax I have to remember to do short bursts only, or risk a nasty pain in right elbow/arm.
Do you know of anything which is available for straight soprano support ? Of course it goes downward much less ( Never gets towards a chair) and even with the curved crook is still well out in front of me, with the neck strap just keeping it from falling to the floor. And I'm usually standing. I need a sky hook.
Thanks in advance if you do know anything.
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2015-07-18 03:10
I don't know of anything that will work with straight sopranos - especially when played standing that will take all the weight off your right arm. The only kind of sopranos that will allow the full use of a sling are curved sopranos and a decent one (such as a Yanagisawa SC990 or SC992) will set you back a few thousand.
While some may say man up and get used to it, the way a soprano sax and any other woodwind instrument is held isn't natural as all the weight is concentrated on the right thumb and transmitted up the arm to the shoulder, so the entire arm is doing more than it's designed for.
We're not physically designed to do that as our hands are designed to grip onto things (as our distant primate ancestors do when they swung from branches) or carry and throw things rather than supporting weights on the ends of our thumbs with the fingers all held open.
I don't think Quodlibet even solved the straight soprano issue - they had playing stands for alto, tenor and bari that were used while seated, but nothing that I can remember for straight soprano played whilst seated or standing.
The only possibility is adapting a microphone stand - just the basic telescopic one, so that can carry some kind of attachment that clips onto the sling ring and has a plate that supports the underside of the instrument above and below the sling ring so the weight isn't concentrated solely on the sling ring assembly which could cause damage. But that does mean while you're playing you'll be rooted to the spot, plus the danger of it being top heavy and being knocked or falling over unless you have a suitably wide base which someone will either kick or trip over when left unattended.
The Quodlibet company also offered a special block called a Sami that went onto a belt worn around the waist so the Fhred could be rested in a hollow on the top side of it so it could be used whilst playing standing - so maybe a telescopic support that clips onto the sling ring coupled with a hollowed block that fits onto your trouser belt could work on straight sopranos.
Former oboe finisher
Howarth of London
1998 - 2010
The opinions I express are my own.
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Author: Slowoldman
Date: 2015-07-18 18:53
Thanks for all the responses.
Any other suggestions for music or exercises for the left hand?
Steve
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