 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Claire Annette
Date: 2023-06-23 22:03
It looks like I am finally starting to succumb to the beginning effects of osteoarthritis in my left index finger. This type of arthritis (inherited from my mother) affects the joint closest to the fingernail. If this follows the path my mother's did, my finger joint will twist and that finger will become bent in an awkward direction.
The wonderful Miles DeCastro recently examined my clarinet for leaks, misalignment, or other factors that would cause my clarion notes to suddenly stop playing. Everything checks out fine. The conclusion I have reached is that my index finger is starting to twist at the top knuckle, thus altering the way my finger covers (or doesn't fully cover) the tone hole.
I would be interested to know if others have experienced similar problems and what suggestions you might have. Telling me to alter my hand position: yeah, that's something I'm trying to do but I've played clarinet for 50+ years and that is easier said than done. I'm wondering if there is something I can wear on my index finger to help me efficiently cover that tone hole or if there is an adaptation someone knows of that can help. My other alternative is to start thinking about an Uebel plateau clarinet.
Thanks ahead for your ideas and suggestions.
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Author: sonicbang
Date: 2023-06-23 23:16
Hi,
You should definitely ask for help from an occupational therapist. You will get a plenty of good advice and learn what kind of movements should be avoided in order to delay or completely prevent the deformation of the affected finger.
Generally, you should avoid any straining of the affected hand. Leaning on hands, lifting heavy objects are best to avoid for eg.
You may consider using a neck strap to reduce pressure on your hand. This additional aid is a clever solution that would help to further reduce the pressure on the hands. (Clarinet support brace)
http://www.sfoxclarinets.com/Accessories.html
Disclaimer: I'm not a physiotherapist, but I asked my wife (who is) about this because she has seen and treated a lot of similar cases.
Hope this helps.
Mark
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Author: SunnyDaze
Date: 2023-06-23 23:49
Hi Claire,
Would it work to just have a plateau put on that one key? I understand that people do have that done and it's quite easy.
Also if your finger twists eventually so that you can't get the pad onto the key, could you have a prosthetic extension made that would reach the key?
Our local hospital are doing amazing prosthetic additons using 3D printing technology and possibly someone could help you with something like that?
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2023-06-24 00:20
Hi All:
I was down this road a few weeks ago with a band friend.
I'm not sure that one can merely plateau simply the key that the left pointer finger covers as it is linked to the tone hole below it between where the two left fingers go. I may be wrong about that. I don't have my clarinet in front of me right now.
In either case, the good news is this is a problem money can solve, the bad news being it's not cheap, namely a plateau clarinet like that from Uebel.
https://youtu.be/HDE_iUOPF8c
For the terminally curious, one can in fact gliss on a plateau clarinet but it's done more with the embouchure than pulling the fingers away, as demonstrated in the video.
https://www.earspasm.com/clarinets/uebel-superior-plateau-bb-clarinet-mopane
I have no affiliation with Mr. Lowenstern but do recommend him as a reliable salesperson.
Post Edited (2023-06-24 00:21)
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2023-06-24 00:38
May be of no help at all, but I'm having a similar problem. I have always (since my 20s - I'm now in my later 70s) rested the bell on my knee or between my knees). I'm finding now that the bell tends to slide down the inside of my knee if I'm not paying attention. When that happens, it changes the positions (angles) of all of my fingers relative to the holes - they start to rotate downward as the clarinet slides lower and both index fingers start to leave their holes slightly open at the tops.
This is obviously irrelevant to you if you don't rest your clarinet on your knee. It doesn't happen when I play standing up (but I do all my playing outside my practice studio sitting). If you suspect this may be part of your issue, a neck strap can help keep the instrument at the right vertical level.
Karl
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2023-06-24 00:52
I'm sorry.
When I wrote prior that to merely plateau the tone hole controlled by the left pointer finger wouldn't work I was correct, but for the wrong reason.
The reason is that that key is also closed by the left thumb such that to retrofit a one key plateau solution here will involve more work on other keys.
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Author: Hurstfarm
Date: 2023-06-24 14:30
I experienced a similar problem with neuropathy (loss of feeling) in my fingers following chemotherapy, making it hard to reliably cover the holes. A plateau keyed instrument was transformative while I was struggling. The Uebel is an impressive instrument, and I was fortunate enough to get an ex-demo version, but Hanson in the UK now produces a range from beginner to professional level at different price points which are well worth a look.
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Author: Claire Annette
Date: 2023-06-24 17:17
Thank you so much for these responses. It really is disheartening to face a challenge like this in my playing after all these years. You’ve given good advice and suggestions.
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Author: Jordan Selburn
Date: 2023-06-24 18:03
Lohff and Pfeiffer can convert that particular key (or any/all that you need) to plateau for you. Google-translated from their website (the site is in English, but not this page for some reason): https://www.clarinet.dk/content/show_content.php?id=472&cont=us&lang=en&instr=cla
4. Handicapped fingers: If you lose feeling in your fingertips, have problems with tremors or stiffness in your fingers, we can change the ring keys to covered / plateau flaps. This allows you to place your finger where it falls. You don't have to hide the tonehole exactly anymore and your hand position can remain relaxed. This can be done for individual keys or entire instruments.
Their work is world-class.
Jordan
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Author: DougR
Date: 2023-06-24 21:02
Sorry for your difficulty--and I absolutely hear ya about having to face this kind of challenge after relatively trouble-free playing for so many years.
I'm having my own version of your difficulty, the end joints of both forefingers have curved laterally toward the adjacent fingers, pulling the forefingers off the holes they're supposed to cover. So far it's not THAT big an issue with the left forefinger, but playing my A clarinet has gotten progressively problematic due to the increased spacing between the 2 top right-hand holes.
The only remedy I've been able to find for MY issue is only partially successful, and it's to shift my entire right hand position by pivoting the wrist down closer to the bell, which better aligns the R forefinger to the hole it's supposed to cover.
As you suggest, though, retraining musculature after many decades is a huge undertaking, and it's not clear at this point that I'll ever be able to play the A clarinet in a professional situation again. And to the best of my knowledge, nobody makes plateau A clarinets.
There was a thread recently that might be of use to you, though--BBoard member Chris Peryagh is also a master repair person, and made a unique insert for one of the RH holes for a customer. When I get done with this I'll see if I can find it & post back. In the thread he talks about adding plateau function to certain keys--what other alterations need to be done besides just sealing the key's ring.
As to something you could wear on your finger--I've thought about that too. I thought about those gummy non-slip fingertip things people use who page through a lot of loose paper, and also possibly hitting the hardware store to look for thick but pliable gloves to snip off a fingertip to cover the hole best. I may still resort to that, if the hand repositioning doesn't work. (To help retrain my hand I'm using a sling, an adjustable thumb rest, and a strategically placed "flute gel".)
I also thought about a partial plateau key for the R forefinger, but that would involve permanently altering the instrument with a couple of additional posts perhaps, and I'm loath to do that to a fine instrument that will definitely outlive ME.
Will report back!
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Author: DougR
Date: 2023-06-24 21:07
Here's the other thread. Really good stuff, which I hope will be useful to you.
Random thought: I'm wishing The Clarinet Doctor, Omar Henderson, were still around. If there's ONE guy who have could come up with ingenious and affordable adaptive devices for the clarinet, he'd have been that guy.
http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=504151&t=504114
Post Edited (2023-06-24 21:07)
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Author: MarkS
Date: 2023-06-25 00:04
I have been dealing with hand osteoarthritis for about five years. It affects the distal joint of my left hand and the basal joints of both thumbs. The left hand issues do not impact my clarinet playing much, unless I am doing repetitive exercises focused on the left hand. However, the right thumb pain has become a major issue in the last two years. I had been using a neck strap/harness, but it did not provide effective support.
Fortunately, I became aware of Daniel Bangham's Claritie sling thanks to the postings of SunnyDaze. I have been using it for about six months and it has made a world of difference! While it looks cheap and flimsy at first glance (kind of like something made by bending a wire shirt hanger), it is really an ingenious design. It makes the clarinet feel nearly weightless. One could almost play without a thumbrest at all, and position the right hand wherever it is most convenient to reach all the keys. Unlike other devices I have seen online, it attaches using a removable ring positioned between the lower joint and the bell, and does not require drilling any holes in the lower joint. It also is lightweight, and fits in the pocket of my double case. It comes with two rings, and permits easy switching between B-flat and A-clarinets in a rehearsal or concert.
Initially I was concerned that it was not sized to my personal dimensions, but Daniel guided me through some minor bending to adjust it during a short Skype session that we arranged. While it came with a Rico strap, I have found that I greatly prefer an elastic BG strap that I already had. For a modest cost of about 60 USD, it has enabled me to continue to play essentially pain-free.
Mark
Post Edited (2023-06-25 00:05)
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Author: m1964
Date: 2023-06-25 00:26
sonicbang wrote:
"You should definitely ask for help from an occupational therapist... "
It would be even better if you found a hand therapist- that is a sub-specialty of occupational/physical therapy.
A simple finger splint worn at night may be all that you'd need to correct the problem and prevent further progression of the deformity.
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Author: DougR
Date: 2023-06-25 02:32
MarkS: thanks for the info about the sling. Definitely worth checking out. I too had lots of basal thumb pain in the R hand which made it impossible to play the RH thumb levers on my low C bass. This kind of thumb pain is evidently really common among older people, (and I do not assume you are one!), and there are several surgical options for thumb CMC arthritis (if that's what you have), one of which (in my case) solved the problem completely.
HOWEVER--there's always a catch. The recuperation is prolonged, and I had to stop playing completely for a couple of months, then slowly try to coax the surgically traumatized hand muscles to start covering holes again. All the while as you eke out microscopic progress day by day, you're wondering "is this IT? will I ever get back to playing freely again?"
While this recuperation was going on, arthritis was ravaging other parts of my hands (see my post above) so while the surgery eventually proved successful, I have other hand problems to solve.
All of which is to say, if what you have is thumb CMC arthritis, I'd humbly suggest trying slings, acupuncture, magic beads, WHATEVER, and leave surgery as a last resort.
To echo m1964's post to Claire, DEFINITELY a certified hand therapist, if you can find one. If you're lucky enough to be in the vicinity of a conservatory-level music school, you might also see if they have a hand therapist they refer students to for repetitive-motion overuse injuries. I had to educate my hand therapists about the unique demands playing places on the hands, and obviously it'd be better to see a therapist who routinely treats musicians. Fortunately, my therapists were quick to tailor my therapy to meet those demands.
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Author: SunnyDaze
Date: 2023-06-25 03:16
Hi Mark,
I'm really glad that the claritie sling helped. That's brilliant. I feel a bit evangelical about it, because it enabled me to return to music after having to give up piano/violin because of a wrist injury.
Jennifer
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Author: Claire Annette
Date: 2023-06-25 04:10
I am pleased to see the participation in this conversation and to find that I am not alone.
My son’s mother-in-law is an occupational therapist. At our mutual grandson’s birthday party today, she and I discussed this problem. Her daughter played clarinet, so she was not unfamiliar with the concept of fingers covering tone holes. She suggested a couple of exercises and suggested using a thin strip of K-tape. She showed me how it should be wrapped. It’s certainly worth a try. If I notice improvement, I’ll report on that.
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