 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Ben Shaffer
Date: 2016-08-19 19:21
My right thumb is not happy.
here to fore I've just been playing the Clarinet on my own.
I've used a stand I made myself to support the Clarinet Bell and there are no thumb Issues whatsoever when I use that, can actually play for hours.
. I'm looking to join several church Bands here locally that practice and play inside but also play outside during the Holidays.
I've got a neck strap which helps some.
My question... are any of you using the Kooiman Etude thumbrest, or the Daniels Clarite clarinet support? (I guess you would call it a brace of sorts).
The Etude comes in at under $45, shipped from Muncy Winds and the Clarite support is about $75 plus, coming from the UK.
Any thoughts on these would be greatly appreciated!
Ben Shaffer
GSO,NC
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Author: Richie
Date: 2016-08-19 19:50
If you haven't already, you should try thumb rest cushion, those help a lot. If you have, try a Ridenour Clarinet Thumb Saddle, it's only $17 and most people said it solved their thumb and wrist pain. Good luck!
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Author: Tony F
Date: 2016-08-19 19:52
I've been using the Kooiman rest for several years now. I have moderate arthritis in my right thumb and was experiencing quite a bit of pain when playing. I tried a neck strap, but didn't get on with it. I then tried the Ridenour thumb saddle, which helped a lot but didn't entirely eliminate the problem. A few years back I was introduced to the Kooiman rest, liked it and bought two.
It is extremely effective in spreading the load on the thumb across the hand and enables me to play for hours without discomfort. They are easy to fit, convenient to use and I've found no down side to using them.
A couple of years back I had a problem when the mounting screws pulled through the baseplate. I contacted Ton about it and he immediately sent me 3 improved design baseplates and a quantity of slightly different mounting screws. There was no charge for this and it completely cured the problem. I think it is an excellent product from an excellent company.
Tony F.
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Author: Roxann
Date: 2016-08-19 22:37
I've used the Kooiman, exclusively, for about three years now...thanks to advice from Tony F:) I, too, have arthritis and a badly misshapen first thumb joint and I just could not use the regular clarinet thumb rest. I tried the Ridenour, but could never get it to stay on my clarinet and it didn't give me enough options on how "open" I could keep my thumb. The Kooiman has MANY adjustments so that you can keep your thumb quite "open" (moved a bit away from your hand) and it transfers some of the weight away from just the thumb onto the body of the hand. I had to jerry rig it a bit so that I can also use a neck strap with it. I bought some of the Command Brand Damage-Free Hanging clips in a very small size so it would fit on the top of my Kooiman. I then took a small ring that my neck strap could clip into, hooked it on the Command hook, and added one drop of super glue to the Command hook so the ring would stay permanently in place. It works like a charm. Just be sure to FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS on how to clean the surfaces before attaching the Command clip.
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Author: Paul Globus
Date: 2016-08-20 16:49
Did you trying moving the thumb rest position? Any competent repair person can do this for you.
I'm suggesting, of course, moving it higher up on the instrument from its standard position. The standard position is not ideal for every person (we all have different size hands). It obviously works well for a great many players but not for all.
I can play with the thumb rest in the standard (Buffet R13) position but find it more comfortable with the thumb rest higher up -- at least a quarter to five- eights of an inch higher up. In my case, I had the repair person replace the (fixed, non-adjustable) thumb rests on my instruments with adjustable thumb rests so that I can still, should I ever want to experiment, play with rest in a lower person (I have yet to feel the urge to do that).
One perplexing thing I have noticed on some instruments is an adjustable thumb rest that is fixed so low on the instrument that the player has no option to "go up," as it were. Your options are "standard" or "lower." That does not make much sense to me.
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Author: nbclarinet
Date: 2016-08-20 18:01
Just going to echo the above sentiments. I have the Maestro version of the Kooiman. It did wonders for the carpal tunnel problems that I used to encounter. Many of my friends use the Etude and love it.
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Author: 2cekce ★2017
Date: 2016-08-21 17:03
I too have been using the Kooiman for a few years now and must say it was a good investment for me. It spreads the weight out over more of the hand and I don't have the pain in my thumb anymore. My Bb is the full Boehm and thus was heavier so I needed to get that thumbrest for it. installed it myself with no problem and it hasn't given me any problems.
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Author: faltpihl ★2017
Date: 2016-08-23 14:56
I too have to chime in and say that the Kooiman is great. I have it on my Bb, and had carpal tunnel problems in the past. Since using it, I can feel some stress and pain if I practice too many hours, but my problems are almost gone.
I have the maestro, and it's great. I however have spent a lot of time adjusting it, and still am not happy with the way I've set it up.
Not sure if I am trying to use it in a very strange way.. But it's much more comfortable than anything else I've tried.
Regards
Peter
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Author: Ben Shaffer
Date: 2016-08-24 16:03
Ive actually found solutions to both playing the Clarinet sitting as well as standing. For sitting I've got a fairly thin piece of wood about 16 inches long by 4 inches wide. I just slide it under my left leg while sitting and it extends enough to stick out and rest the bell of my Clarinet on...... zero pain and its discreet. No cost either as my wife had the board in her shop.
When standing a neck strap has been the solution.
I also have a resin Yamaha Horn which weighs a little less than my wood horn and less weight is less right thumb pain.
Post Edited (2016-08-24 16:03)
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