| I'm not Ed, of course, but I noticed that there had been no response to your post so thought I would jump in. But first, what exactly did you notice in the mirror about your third finger?
Is your pinky somehow locked (in the ring, or against the valves or anywhere else) in a way that restricts your 3rd finger?
Is your 3rd finger not able to rest directly on top of the valve? Sometimes it just doesn't, due to injury or body structure; and then trying to force it into position can lead to wrist tension, etc., which then slows it down even further.
My rule of thumb with new students is to have them find a comfortable position, with the pinky loose and the tip of the thumb either under the leadpipe or between the 1st and 2nd valves. Not the very tip of the thumb, but some portion of that section - so much depends on the physical structure of each student.
Of equal importance is having the left hand supporting the weight of the instrument completely. I like to have the bottom of the valve casings resting on the bottom of my palm directly below my pinky - that helps keep my left wrist straight and my hand relaxed. Most important is to keep the left hand relaxed as well.
One thing I've done to improve dexterity in my right hand, after being sure to have everything relaxed is to allow my right wrist and forearm to help out my third finger - especially on trills and such. I can't think of a good way to describe this right now - I'll keep thinking on it if it makes no sense.
Another thing is practice Clarke studies slowly using your left hand on the valves. It sounds silly, but developing a motor skill on the opposite side of the brain makes it that much easier on the usual side of the brain.
I dont' know if this helps at all, and I'm sure I'll have more ideas later - off to practice myself now.... |