Author: hammer_sickle01
Date: 2010-06-11 21:07
I'm not a teacher, but as a student with double jointed thumbs and relatively small hands, maybe my experience can give some insight.
People who have hypermobility tend to have weak stabilized joints. So it's not surprising that she feels fatigue in that area as her muscles are working harder to compensate for the weakness in the ligaments that support the joints. I know for my arms, they would hurt whenever they locked out (although they can over-extend without any pain, they will become sore and tender if I "pop" it out too much) so my GP recommended to do strength exercises on the muscles specifically related to the elbow that were hyperextending. Perhaps she could do thumb strengthening exercises (if there is such a thing?) and see if that helps. In the meantime, I would just go with the other's suggestions and utilize a neck strap.
I've never had any real significant issues with being double jointed on my thumbs (as far as my playing endurance), but I have noticed when I look at other clarinet players, or any of my teacher's thumb position, that there is a difference of placement. My teacher has commented that although my fingers look fine on top, the thumb appears cramped up and stiff. I don't feel sore anywhere on my thumb, but often times after a long practice session or rehearsal I feel like my wrist needs to be cracked and/or loosened out (specifically on the left side of my wrist, where I would think my control to the thumb is stemming from). I may be wrong, but I relate the problems with my wrist due to my peculiar (as my teacher described it) thumb position. Although I'm sure the horrid adjustable thumbrest on my Buffet doesn't help.
This only began after I tried to adopt a more, curved, relaxed finger position on the keys. In result, I have to push my thumb up into the thumbrest on the first joint to prevent my knuckle thumb joint from going in. In result, my knuckle joint is elevated higher than the rest of my thumb when supporting the instrument (it juts out). I never thought of it as a problem, but by now I just think I'm used to it.
Since there are so many varying degrees of flexibility and level of hypermobility, it's hard to pin one solution. I just hope she stays motivated enough to stick through the trial-and-error phase of her double-jointed problem.
**Your topic interested me in looking more on the subject so I found a thumbrest that I believe would suit someone with double-jointed fingers. I searched for it in the archives, and someone posted about the product who coincidentally is double-jointed. Hope that helps.
http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/read.html?f=1&i=218684&t=218684
Post Edited (2010-06-11 21:10)
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The Clarinet BBoard
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