The Oboe BBoard

The Oboe BBoard The C4 standard

New Topic | Go to Top | Go to Topic | Search | Help/Rules | Smileys/Notes | Log In

small hands

Author: Vallemar2
Date: 2008-12-14 16:29

Hi, I am new to this forum and to give you a little background I am a fifty year old woman who played a lot as a teenager and then quit at college; picked it up again recently using my old student oboe (a BR Special which is the stencil. I don't know the manufacturer) It plays very well but in a flash of impulse I bought a Loree on Ebay; turned out to be a great deal at only 1700 dollars. A local woodwind expert and repair person said it was a fine instrument probably dating from the late 1970s. No cracks although well used judging from wear on the keys.
I got lucky on that one.

The problem is I am having trouble with my hands; I am a woman and they are a little small although not tiny and I have recurrent problems stretching my pinkie to hit the L hand Eflat (I didn't have the L hand F on by student instrument so adjusting to that "obstacle" seems to be part of the problem) and my third finger of both hands wants to lock so only the last joint is bent with the finger otherwise hyper extended. The pinkie pulls the third finger off the G key when I go for the Eflat. I have tried the Fhred and a neck strap and taking the weight off of my hands seems to help.
I also got the Kooiman etude (cheaper model) thumb rest and that didn't seem to help as much.

The issue for me is: is this just a matter of working on finger position to consciously try to keep the third finger curved and with time and practice I'll be able to train my fingers to maintain the correct position? Or could it be that I need to find an oboe which is better for smaller hands if there is such a thing.

My hands feel overstretched if this makes sense.

As I am still working on the basics like getting my lip back the finger issue is not such a big deal but when I start playing faster it will be

Thanks and sorry for the length.

Reply To Message | Avail. Forums | Flat View

Newer Topic | Older Topic

Topics

Author

Date

small hands new

Vallemar2

2008-12-14 16:29