Ah, the joys of aging (I'm not ancient, but will be 68 this summer). I have developed a trembling left hand when I play clarinet. It doesn't happen on sax. The hand doesn't tremble when I hold it out flat. But when I play the upper chalemeau I can't keep my left hand still. Has anyone else encountered this? Any suggestions?
Hand tremor on clarinet
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My hands shake, too, but that's mainly the medication I'm taking.
When you say "upper chalemeau," are you referring to
to 
(well, "Bb," but I haven't added accidentals) or 
to ? The reason I ask is to try to determine if it's your whole left hand or just the somewhat awkward placement of the F - Bb that's causing problems.
Does your hand shake in any other circumstance? My ex-grandfather-in-law had Bell's Palsy and his hands would shake a lot if he wasn't holding tight to something.
On a purely musical note, are you having any problems covering the keys with your left hand, as well? If so, there are a few plateau clarinets out there.
When you say "upper chalemeau," are you referring to
to (well, "Bb," but I haven't added accidentals) or to ? The reason I ask is to try to determine if it's your whole left hand or just the somewhat awkward placement of the F - Bb that's causing problems.Does your hand shake in any other circumstance? My ex-grandfather-in-law had Bell's Palsy and his hands would shake a lot if he wasn't holding tight to something.
On a purely musical note, are you having any problems covering the keys with your left hand, as well? If so, there are a few plateau clarinets out there.
Pete, it shows up most in the rage of D to Bb. Occasionally I do "almost" cover the holes with my left hand. I've been experimenting today, and may have found two things that help: using Tom Ridenour's thumb saddle (should affect only the right hand, but go figure), and curling my left hand fingers more. I tend keep them too flat. Curling them more seems to help, and that's what the thumb saddle is designed to do for the right hand. Resting my pinkie finger on the clarinet also helps considerably.
There's alot of ergo problems with clairnets that people may have. The keywork on various clarinets vary by a few millimeteres here and there.
I also have a proble from time of time of my fingers trembling too but only on certain instruments. I haven't tracked what for which instrument but i've just put it down to ergos. My right hand is much more sensitive to ergo issues than my left hand and i've paid more attention to that. THough i find the location of the LH thumb ring also causes isses (stretching of the hand).
the key is all the fingers, etc have to be relaxed. curling the fingers may relax your hand a bit more. It's like oboe - I found out that moving the thumbrest OUT - further away from the instrument so my hand can grasp a wider "tube" creates so much more comfort. I see the same issues on clarinet.
I also have a proble from time of time of my fingers trembling too but only on certain instruments. I haven't tracked what for which instrument but i've just put it down to ergos. My right hand is much more sensitive to ergo issues than my left hand and i've paid more attention to that. THough i find the location of the LH thumb ring also causes isses (stretching of the hand).
the key is all the fingers, etc have to be relaxed. curling the fingers may relax your hand a bit more. It's like oboe - I found out that moving the thumbrest OUT - further away from the instrument so my hand can grasp a wider "tube" creates so much more comfort. I see the same issues on clarinet.
Additionally, if you look from a muscle/motor standpoint, "finger" a D by pressing down your left first and middle fingers to your thumb and try to keep your fourth (ring) and fifth (littlest) fingers raised. Keep holding down the first & second finger on your thumb and try to raise that fourth and fifth finger as high as possible. A) It's difficult (and can easily cause muscle tremors) and B) most people will not be able to lift their fourth finger higher than their fifth.
Fun things I learned in bio class. That and that a good percentage of the population can't do a Vulcan salute. And that it's random to have an index finger longer than your ring finger or vice-versa.
Steve can talk more about plateau clarinets. IMO, there's a lot of good in those.
Fun things I learned in bio class. That and that a good percentage of the population can't do a Vulcan salute. And that it's random to have an index finger longer than your ring finger or vice-versa.
Steve can talk more about plateau clarinets. IMO, there's a lot of good in those.
I have had a positional-dependent tremor in my left hand since I was a teenager in college. It only occurs when my elbow is at my side and when my hand is approximately level with my navel and about three inches away from my body.
When I position my hand in the "sweet spot" (and it often takes me a number of tries to hit it just right), it trembles like I have Parkinson's (which killed my maternal grandmother, or so I am told). But, if the hand is a half-inch out of position in any direction, my hand is as steady as a rock.
It was evaluated by neurologists back when I was in the Army, as well as during a fitness for duty physical with the civilian government back in the 1970's. Both came up with nothing (the first suspected me of malingering, the second of wasting their time).
And, I have one index finger that is noticeably shorter than the other - this actually affects my right hand positioning on most clarinets.
When I position my hand in the "sweet spot" (and it often takes me a number of tries to hit it just right), it trembles like I have Parkinson's (which killed my maternal grandmother, or so I am told). But, if the hand is a half-inch out of position in any direction, my hand is as steady as a rock.
It was evaluated by neurologists back when I was in the Army, as well as during a fitness for duty physical with the civilian government back in the 1970's. Both came up with nothing (the first suspected me of malingering, the second of wasting their time).
And, I have one index finger that is noticeably shorter than the other - this actually affects my right hand positioning on most clarinets.