Short Fingers. Help!!!
Fiona Williamson
crossing the break in playing B especially as she can hardly ever cover the
thumb hole and use the little finger key at the same time. She has similar
problems with C as her fingers won`t stretch apart enough. Any suggestions
as to how to get her fingers to stretch or are there key extensions
available? She`s getting very despondant.
There`s no chance of her growing as she`s 40+!
Thanks for reading. All suggestions welcome.
Paul Lindemeyer
Williamson <fiona.wi...@ntlworld.com> wrote:
> Hi, I have a pupil who has very short fingers. She has real problems when
> crossing the break in playing B especially as she can hardly ever cover the
> thumb hole and use the little finger key at the same time. She has similar
> problems with C as her fingers won`t stretch apart enough. Any suggestions
> as to how to get her fingers to stretch or are there key extensions
> available? She`s getting very despondant.
I've seen plateau thumb keys. Maybe one can be installed.
Not sure what to do about C. Hard to extend that pinkie key as it lies
below the Eb key. She might experiment with putting the thumb rest a
little lower down on the horn...sometimes this changes the ergonomics
of the hand for the better.
Last resort might be an all-plateau-key clarinet...hard to find, even
harder to fix.
-P.
Carl Baron
know of any devices for extending keys.
Carl
Steve Marshall
"Fiona Williamson" <fiona.wi...@ntlworld.com> wrote
I can't quite see why she can't cover the thumb hole. It shouldn't be a
problem. Is she starting with fingers on the front and then trying to reach
the thumbhole ? It should be the other way round.
I think a plateau model should help a great deal. A repairer should be able
to make some kind of key extensions. There aren't any 'off-the-shelf' ones -
as far as I know.
Steve M
Peter Willis
women under 5 feet tall, so it is possible, but since they've been
playing since childhood, their hands are used to it.
You may want to have her do some hand exercises and stretches to
increase flexibility (I'm sure there are books for this, but if you
use your imagination, you should be able to come up with something to
get the job done). I think it's a pretty common problem with
physically small young students when they start clarinet to not be
able to reach pinky keys without sliding off the holes, but they
eventually get the coordination down. I'd guess that it will come
eventually to your adult student too, but since she's 30 years older
than most beginners, she's probably more aware of the problem and more
frustrated as a result of not being able to do something "now."
So my vote is for exercise, stretching, practice, and patience. If
after a reasonable amount of time and effort put into trying to
increase hand flexibility and strength she still can't reach the pinky
keys, then it might be time to look into some keywork modifications or
a plateau clarinet. Until she can reach the pinky keys reliably,
she's got plenty of opportunity to develop her tone.
A good repair tech should be able to make some alterations that would
bring the left hand pinky keys up toward the the rest of the hand,
maybe lower them closer to the clarinet body, and even move them to
the side a little, but this is a last resort kind of thing that
shouldn't replace putting the time in to practice and get accustomed
to the layout of the instrument.
Good luck,
Peter
Steve Marshall
"Peter Willis" <pwill...@aol.com> wrote
> I think it's a pretty common problem with
> physically small young students when they start clarinet to not be
> able to reach pinky keys without sliding off the holes, but they
> eventually get the coordination down.
I've had a few customers suffer from sliding off. It isn't necessarily a
hand size problem. It can be more in the way the hand moves. If the fingers
move together they tend to pull the third finger off the hole.
It's also worth checking the alignment of the middle joint which can have a
big effect on the LH pinky.
Steve M
Fiona Williamson
Thanks for replies. I shall relate them to her when I se her tonight. Does
anyone know where I can get plateau keys from?
Fiona
"Fiona Williamson" <fiona.wi...@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:emVgc.221$cU3...@newsfe3-win.server.ntli.net...
davyd
not much use for it as one's only horn. But I like the Eb clarinet idea.
Every concert band needs one.
"Carl Baron" <cba...@mail.med.upenn.edu> wrote in message
news:40842436...@mail.med.upenn.edu...
Steve Marshall
"Fiona Williamson" <fiona.wi...@ntlworld.com> wrote
> Thanks for replies. I shall relate them to her when I se her tonight. Does
> anyone know where I can get plateau keys from?
You need to buy an instrument that has them. All the keys are covered like
on a saxophone. It is therefore a different design - you can't just get some
keys and fit them on.
Steve M
Peter Willis
>anyone know where I can get plateau keys from?
>
From a plateau clarinet. The plateau clarinet has different toneholes - where
the chimneys are that the rings go around on standard clarinets are cutout and
have a normal tonehole so the pad can seal.
Plateau clarinets aren't typically easy to find, either - they're special order
type items. I think I know of a shop that has a used plateau, you can email me
for their info if you want.
BUT - I still say that she should stretch and exercise her hands and fingers to
gain flexibility. If she just started running marathons and couldn't finish,
exercise and training - not taking shortcuts - would be in order. A plateau
clarinet would fix the symptom (sliding off holes and keys) but not the disease
(SHE'S A BEGINNER - SHE'S SUPPOSED TO HAVE PROBLEMS - IT'S WHAT THEY DO).
Carl Baron
http://www.music123.com/Vito-7214-Plateau-Key-Bb-Clarinet-i51056.music
http://www.music123.com/Vito-V40-Bb-Clarinet-i51054.music?affil=proclar1
http://www.wwbw.com/Vito-7214-Plateau-Key-Bb-Clarinet-i51056.music
There is also a version by Noblet but couldn't find a place for ordering.
There are none on EBAY at the moment.
Carl
Peter Willis wrote:
> >Does
> >anyone know where I can get plateau keys from?
> >
>
Douglas
"Steve Marshall" <s...@atmosBlockA.plus.com> wrote in message
news:mLAhc.35479$Y%6.46...@wards.force9.net...
Quite so. Vito make a nice Plateau Clarinet
Syd Phillips played a simple system plateau clarinet during the three times
he played at my local dance hall, when he was alive, - way back.
I have two ordinary Vito Resotone 3 clarinets which, toted as learner
instruments, which are far superior in tone and note accuracy than my old
B@H 1010 granadilla wood "Symphony" clarinet, (which, though in good
condition, I have retired.)
These two clarinets, bought in new and mint condition from girl students who
lost interest, have come to a good home. They are a pleasure to play,
sonorous in tone and smack on in pitch.
I paid 100 quid and 90 quid respectively. They are about the 500 quid area
when bought new, but Schools have an arrangement with some distributors.
Doug.
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