 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: David
Date: 2001-10-27 02:55
Any suggestions on protecting the right thumb? I have a simple rubber cushion but it just doesn't do the job.
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Author: Pam
Date: 2001-10-27 03:06
Maybe you can wrap your thumb with some kind of padding (think first aid section of the drugstore or grocery) or get a neck strap for your clarinet. They do make them for the smaller clarinets.
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Author: Jim (E)
Date: 2001-10-27 03:56
Try searching the board for "thumb rest" there have been quite a few posts on this, some quite helpful.
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Author: Karel Vahala
Date: 2001-10-27 07:11
David, I had the same problem, until I decided to try the foam rubber lagging used to insulate airconditioning piping. I found "Indaflex 1/4" ID (int. diameter)" ideal. I fit mine by punching a hole to take the post of the adjustable thumbrest, and it has not budged from its spot for 6 months. And comfortable +++. And cheap.
Regards, Karel.
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Author: lala
Date: 2001-10-27 09:31
I tried several ways to protect my thumb, and finally settled on the simplest and cheapest solution, i.e. to use nothing.
The problem with foam rest is that it takes the 'edge' off the sound, and one can't forever use a neck strap. I also tried band-aid but the touch is all wrong, not to mention the sticky messy feel.
Now there is a nice patch of hard skin on my thumb. My friends find it cool.
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Author: Dee
Date: 2001-10-27 12:39
lala wrote:
>
> The problem with foam rest is that it takes the 'edge' off the
> sound, and one can't forever use a neck strap.
The foam rest can't possibly take the "edge" off your sound. You must be subconsciously doing something different when you feel the foam. Also you *can* use a neckstrap forever. There is nothing wrong with doing so.
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Author: Daniel Bouwmeester
Date: 2001-10-27 13:41
You might want to try the Kooiman thumb rest (made by glotin).
I have tried it, it was super confortable, but I had trouble getting my fingers fast enough, especially in trill passages. If you don't need to play too fast you might wan't to have a try at it.
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Author: Alyson
Date: 2001-10-28 10:58
I agree wih lala. It is annoying at first, but eventually a callous will form and you won't notice it. If you have to use something, stick with the rubber cushion. I know this may sound silly but have you turned the cushion over? Mine has a thick side and a thin side. Maybe this will help.
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Author: donald nicholls
Date: 2001-10-29 10:32
now, a very fine player in a professional symphony had some lessons with Jozeph Balogh.... he got her to remove her thumb rest and play without padding etc... and somehow her tone got clearer. RUBBISH i said to her. But she insisted that he was correct- it had somehow improved her tone. Well..... after thinking about this for a year i tried it out for myself- for a different reason (i gave my extended thumb rest, made out of VW fuel tube, to a friend who was having trouble with muscle strain and needed to be able to adjust the angle her thumb approached the instrument). I found the folowing things...
1) my tone improved
2) i had to seriously address defficiencies in my "hand curvature"- i had to improve my finger action to hold the clarinet steady etc I'm reasonably sure that i had to push up slightly harder with my right thumb (advised by some good teachers anyway).
well, i'll bet you a 'hapenny bun that the two are linked. I've spent too much of my 32 years of life NOT LISTENING when people try to make my life easier. This one is good advice, but probably not for any simple reason but a collection of related reasons.
Of course, we're talking a 2% improvement here, so unless you've done more obvious things to improve your tone (reed/mouthpiece/barrel/clarinet/ligature/good teacher/PRACTISE) you probably won't notice a thing.
donald
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Author: David
Date: 2001-10-29 19:12
The callous is part of the problem. It forms involving the cuticle, that gets frail and breaks off. Then I have an open wound in this 2 month cycle. But perhaps getting rid of the rest is the right idea... or trying some thicker. Will give both a try.
David
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