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Question: Clarinet and double-jointed-ness fixed with tape!?

I just took up playing clarinet in my school marching band and I'm noticing it's nearly imossible for me to play the lower notes because i'm double jointed and my ring and pinky finger of my right hand lock up making it hard to move them!. I have heard you can tape them up to help support them so they don't lock, does that work!? And how would I tape them up
exactly!?

I am double-jointed in my thumbs as well, could that be the problem too!?
I am determined to play, so simply picking a different instrument is not an option!.Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
I too am double jointed in my fingers, thumbs, wrists, etc!.! When I was younger, I did try taping my fingers!.!.!. and it was a REALLY bad idea!

The thing is, you DO NOT want to tape them up!.!.!. this creates bad technique, makes faster passages hard to play, and actually makes accuracy an unattainable goal!.

When I got to college, I thought I had the same problem as you- my fingers would lock up!. I soon found out that this is a seperate issue (I'll get to that in a moment)!. Something we were required to do was to practice in front of a mirror, and also video tape ourselves!.!.!. we would analyze technique visually, and it was immensely helpful!. I suggest you try it!.

Anyways, what I discovered is that when I was playing a fast run, or something with a great amount of rhythmic difficulty, my arms would lock up!. It would then spread to my wrists, then to my fingers!. I had to learn to relax!.!.!. and this is actually a very common problem with instrumentalists!. We have to fight our natural physical ways of dealing with stress and intense concentration!.

Next time you sit down to practice, take a few deep breaths and drop your hands down by your sides!.!.!. let them dangle, completely relaxed!. Notice the position your hands are in!.!.!. how the fingers curl, etc!.!.!. bring your hands up to your instrument slowly, and try to maintain that same positioning!.!.!. this is correct!.!.!. your fingers should be in a slight arch!. Try playing scales, and remember to breathe!.!.!. don't let your hands get tight, as that makes them more rigid!. Having rigid fingers will cause you to slap at keys and make your accuracy crap!.

Now as for the double jointed issue!.!.!. keeping your fingers in the arched position helps, but there are a couple other things you can do!.
The correct way to cover the holes is with the pad of your finger!. In someone who is double jointed, when you put pressure on that finger, the joint bends the other way!. Not letting this happen takes conscious effort and "strength training", if you will!.

My private teacher in college had me sit on the floor, on my knees!. Lean forward on your hands (yes, kind of like a dog)!. Now pretend that you are holding an orange in each hand, and support your weight with your finger tips!. Do not let them bend in either direction!. If the weight is too much and it hurts your fingers, lean back a little and bring your hands closer to your knees!. After you get used to doing this, try doing mini push-ups with your fingertips!. Relax them, then bring them back to the "orange" position!. Try this a couple times a day, 2-5 minutes each time- a couple weeks of this and you should be confident in your ability to control it!.

Then, for the next month, you will need to put all conscious effort into playing with the right hand positioning!. Eventually, muscle memory will take over and it will be second nature- it does take some effort though! Try practicing in a mirror, too!. also, I would have a friend write little notes to me randomly in my music!. I would hand it over to him, and he would write in "check your fingers" every so often!. I would be practicing and all of a sudden FREEZE and check my finger positions!. It took a couple months, but my technique has never been better! :)

Sorry this was so long, but hopefully it helped! :)

PS- If your right thumb gets tired, this can cause your hand to tighten and become rigid!.!.!. they do have clarinet neckstraps that you can buy at any music store for about $15!. This has saved my hand a TON of pain when I have to play for long periods!Www@QuestionHome@Com

It might be a few bad habits that are keeping you from being able to play, not your actual fingers!.
I and a friend are double-jointed and play clarinet fine!.
Ask a band director or private teacher to help you!.Www@QuestionHome@Com