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Re: EH hand position, thumb rests, pain, etc.

Author: Oboelips
Date: 2012-01-18 18:15

I too, have small hands. Mine are double-jointed (another problem) And, I too, am in front of a computer all day. After decades of hand problems, the following things have helped me:

At the Instrument: Make sure wrists are kept ergonomically straight (no kinking of the wrists!)
Play moderately every day to build hand muscle.
If you must, resting the bell on the knees is not that big of a sin. I can tell you that I cannot tell the difference in my sound in the concert hall when I've had to resort to resting the bell on my knees (I've checked my orchestra's recordings).
For EHorn, my husband made me a 'peg' with a cello peg (adjustable) to which the ehorn bell is fastened with a leather loop (he's a leather artist). I've used it for years, and it really helps. The new ones in Forrest's are somewhat similar. This gets the weight off of my right hand, leaving me with only the 'reach' problem.
I know a lady who holds the Ehorn to her right, like a sax, with a neck strap. This puts it in a better position for keeping that right wrist straighter. She's always played beautifully, and it definitely works for her. If you have water problems now, this may make them worse.

At the Computer: You're doing this for hours a day, so it counts. Avoid the laptop keyboard. These just invite hand problems. Get an ergonomic keyboard (a 'wave' style). They take about 3 days to get used to, but your hands will thank you for years! You can even plug one in to your laptop.
Keyboard Height: As low as you can go--lower than the desktop. A keyboard shelf/tray under the desk will facilitate this. This will allow your hands/arms to rest naturally, without extreme twisting/kinking.

So you can compare, my hand is 6 1/4" from base of palm to top of tall-man finger. My pinky is (from bent knuckle) 2 1/2" long. Hope this might help.

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