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Re: Thumb position

Author: SecondTry
Date: 2021-01-01 19:17

SunnyDaze.....Jen

Hi.

Would you allow me better appreciation of limits you may have in your left hand anatomy?

What might happen if you were to grip (or pretend to grip) a pipe with your left hand, whose diameter is small enough to allow non-thumb fingers and the thumb to touch--at least for those who don't experience your issues?

What I mean to say is "can you grip such a pipe such that your left thumb would be touching one of your left hand non thumb fingers or would your left thumb naturally position itself to the sky?

If you can achieve a position where the left thumb touches a left non thumb finger while gripping such a pipe, is this what produces tinging for you? If so is that tingling instant or does it take a while to manifest?

Much as the weight of the clarinet isn't held by the left hand might wearing a neck strap help? Do you in fact wear such a strap?

Can you lift your left hand up and point all your fingers to the right? If so does it hurt or cause numbness (eventually)?

At the risk of telling you that you know or that's already been said, correct thumb position (which you may not be able to achieve) is such that he left thumb faces to the right, covering the hole and touching, but not pressing the register key, such that the thumb can rock up and down or lift away from the instrument to cover both, one or, neither of these keys.

Stephen Fox is another great contact for players with physical issues that may best be served by mechanical fixes to their instruments.

He sells a wide range of products and does customizations.

http://www.sfoxclarinets.com/Accessories.html#clar%20acc

Good luck.

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Thumb position new

SunnyDaze

2020-12-30 15:30