 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Majestas
Date: 2015-09-09 16:02
I have been playing clarinet now for seven years and I started seriously playing bass clarinet two years ago. Recently, after playing my bass clarinet for only about twenty minutes my right wrist began to hurt. Part of my problem is that I am relatively small and because of that, the right hand placement is so low that I think my wrist is a little bit at a funny angle. Any advice how to stop this from hurting? I normally practice for a solid hour, but I cannot do this if my wrist hurts after only twenty minutes.
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Author: jdbassplayer
Date: 2015-09-09 16:28
Your thumb rest might be too low. I had to move the thumb rest up on my bass to make it more comfortable. Try putting your thumb above the rest next time you play and see if that helps. If it does you can have a repair tech move the thumb rest for you.
Hope this helps.
-Jdbassplayer
Post Edited (2015-09-10 15:22)
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2015-09-09 17:06
I have the same problem when I play bass, I think (from your description) for the same reason. Since I use a floor peg, I long ago simply took the thumb rest off, relying completely on the peg to support the clarinet and allowing my thumb to be wherever it needed to be.
Unfortunately, I can't say the story has a rosy ending. Eventually, I realized that the stretch, especially to the RH B but also C to an extent, was uncomfortable in itself and, after repeatedly experiencing pain while and after playing bass, I finally decided just to stop playing it. I could, I suppose, have shopped for a more ergonomically suitable instrument or tried to have my bass altered somehow, but I never played bass enough to warrant the expense. I still get it out occasionally for an opera part with lots of rests and not so athletic fingerings (or a reading we had scheduled recently for Swan of Tuonela in an orchestra where I normally play 1st clarinet and would have otherwise had no part).
By all means, try jdbassplayer's suggestion. It may be enough to make you comfortable. But it may take a bigger change in the instrument to solve the problem.
Karl
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Author: Majestas
Date: 2015-09-09 18:34
Unfortunately, I play on an instrument my school owns so I cannot even adjust the thumb rest unless I made my own temporary attachment, which I design something that attaches to permanent thumb rest that comes up and is basically a higher up thumb rest.
Someone did suggest to me to try wearing a wrist brace while I play and see if that helps with the pain, so I thought I would try that out.
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Author: GeorgeL ★2017
Date: 2015-09-09 19:24
I've been playing bass clarinet for about 15 years with my right thumb resting on the thumb rest. On a standard clarinet, the thumb rest helps hold the clarinet. Putting your thumb on the thumb rest helps the bass clarinet support the hand. (My thumb rests.)
I usually sleep with my right arm wearing a wrist support. (Walgreens/CVS sell them.) Without the wrist support, the fingers in both hands are often stiff when I wake up. With one support, the fingers in both hands are usually not stiff. Why? I have no clue.
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Author: bill28099
Date: 2015-09-09 21:14
Years ago I had exactly the same problem with a 1994 Buffet Prestige bass to low C, the one with no vents on the bell. The problem was only solved by changing the angle of the mouthpiece and raising the horn in relation to my body. As the years progressed and the wrist problems increased the tech made extensions for the thumb keys. He did a really nice job and they can unsoldered and the horn returned to its original condition.
A great teacher gives you answers to questions
you don't even know you should ask.
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Author: kdk ★2017
Date: 2015-09-10 00:17
You should ask. If you use the same one and you're the only one who uses it, whoever makes those decisions might let you have an adjustment made or at least remove completely. It isn't permanently destructive - the thumbrest can be easily put back on and, if new holes are drilled for it to be mounted in a different spot, they won't damage anything. If the old holes are left, the thumbrest could be easily put back when you move on and someone else plays it.
Karl
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Author: JonTheReeds
Date: 2015-09-11 09:59
You may find it helpful to concentrate on tension and hand position
Your arms and hands need to be as relaxed as possible, and the line from arm through wrist to hand as straight as possible, otherwise you could be at risk from carpal tunnel damage
If you can, it might be a good idea to have a lesson specifically to address hand position and muscle tension. A good teacher should be able to adapt your technique according to your physique. But ultimately the bass may not be for you
--------------------------------------
The older I get, the better I was
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