 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: SunnyDaze
Date: 2021-09-13 16:01
Attachment: claritie.png (1086k)
Hi SecondTry,
I have a claritie sling. I've attached a photo so you can see. It supports the weight of the clarinet entirely so I don't need to use my right thumb at all. I play double lip standing up and it is no problem at all.
Jen
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Author: Maruja
Date: 2021-09-13 17:34
Ah - I recognize that - it is the one that Daniel Bangham from WWR designed, isn't it? I am afraid I didn't get on it. I play seated (I am getting on!) with the clarinet resting on my knee when I feel the weight of it and this does not seem to affect the tone at all. I am quite small, so maybe the DB one did not fit me properly. But each to his or her own - what suits one body does not always suit another.
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2021-09-13 18:41
SunnyDaze wrote:
> Hi SecondTry,
>
> I have a claritie sling. I've attached a photo so you can see.
> It supports the weight of the clarinet entirely so I don't need
> to use my right thumb at all. I play double lip standing up and
> it is no problem at all.
>
> Jen
Hi Jen:
Might you be able to provide a link to the product you use? I seem unable to find it on the internet. Thanks.
Also, how adept, in your opinion, would you say this setup you use is at preventing/reducing the tendency for the instrument to rock from side to side as fingerings of notes might be inclined to catalyze?
(Of course this observation brings up a wealth of opinions from the Kal Opperman school of thought about how fingering is a gentle process where, among other attributes, pinkies find themselves on top of keys not otherwise pressed down to stabilize the instrument, and how the throat key springs are made super loose, discussed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shstbi-WChM.)
Maruja wrote:
> Ah - I recognize that - it is the one that Daniel Bangham from
> WWR designed, isn't it? I am afraid I didn't get on it. I play
> seated (I am getting on!) with the clarinet resting on my knee
> when I feel the weight of it and this does not seem to affect
> the tone at all. I am quite small, so maybe the DB one did not
> fit me properly. But each to his or her own - what suits one
> body does not always suit another.
I don't know who designed the product Maruja .
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Author: SunnyDaze
Date: 2021-09-13 19:34
Hi SecondTry,
This is the claritie sling here:
https://www.wwr.co.uk/daniel-s-claritie-clarinet-support-that-takes-all-the-weight-off-the-thumb-aclarinetsupport.html
It is made by Daniel Bangham at WWR.
I really find this setup absolutely brilliant. I don't think I could play the clarinet standing up without it, either double or single lip, but I play it just fine both ways with the sling.
The wire that you can see in the photo is just a bent piece of wire, so it's extremely adjustable. I frequently bend it back and forth and all sorts of ways to get the position of the clarinet just right. You can also push the wire through the wooden block to make the distance from the hinge to the wooden block shorter.
I also asked them to custom-make me one of a different length at one point, to fit my frame, but in the end I didn't need it, because I was able to adjust my own one myself.
I have no trouble controlling the rotation of the clarinet because I also have a Kooiman thumb rest. The use of the thumb rest with me is very different from normal, because I press a little bit down on the thumb rest, rather than up. That is much easier really, because pressing down is really what the thumb is built for. The main thing is that the thumb rest kind of wraps round my thumb which prevents the instrument from rotating. That really is essential for me when doing double lip, as I can't control the rotation with my teeth.
I use a BG saxophone sling that goes over both shoulders, so that I can move my neck freely, otherwise is gets stiff. It all looks a bit like a climbing harness I know, but with a bolero jacket over it, only the wire shows. I nearly was in a concert once, so I did actually buy a bolero jacket and it looked fine.
If you would like to see the assembly in action, this is my latest video for my teacher, playing double lip, standing up:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBiQ-nuu4-4
Sorry, the playing is fantastically lack-lustre, but I'm still struggling to get over covid, and I'm dog tired. I'll delete the video in few days so it's not left on the public forum.
The thing I'm trying to do in the video is cross the break legato, while playing Georgie by Emma Johnson. Playing double lip really helps very much with that
Hope this all helps. I can hear how much you want to master double lip, and I'm on the same quest, so it's great to be able to share tips.
Good luck there.
Jen
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Author: SecondTry
Date: 2021-09-14 02:31
Thanks Jen:
Yes--double lip. I'm kinda at the point where resting the clarinet on my knee will allow me to play with this embouchure for an extended period. Some super high notes are flat, and I can't get much past double high G, but I'm making progress.
That progress includes the desire to play standing up.
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Author: SunnyDaze
Date: 2021-09-14 15:46
Hi SecondTry,
That's great that you are making fantastic progress. Nice work! I hope you figure out the standing up plan.
Jen
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Author: Barbara 1125
Date: 2022-10-14 20:58
Unfortunately this is no use if you have to swop from one clarinet to another during a piece. I'm looking for a way to support my clarinet which will allow for changing instruments quickly
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Author: SebastianB
Date: 2022-10-14 21:16
The ERGOclar is easily swapped from one to another with the push of a button, you may need an extra ring for the second clarinet is all.
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Author: SunnyDaze
Date: 2022-10-14 21:18
Attachment: small1.jpg (575k)
Attachment: small2.jpg (531k)
Attachment: small3.jpg (570k)
Attachment: small4.jpg (200k)
Hi Barbara,
I think it would be quite quick to swap because the clarinet is just hooked on to the wire. I have attached some photos so you can see how it hooks on.
The sling comes with two hooks, so one for each of a pair of clarinets.
Jen
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Author: Barbara 1125
Date: 2022-10-20 03:05
Thanks Jen, that's very helpful. I'm going to try it out. I see they give you 30 days in which to return if necessary. I have serious arthritis at the base of my right thumb and can't get on with a sling.
Barbara
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