KLandis

Hi, i have struggled with severe tendonitis and a screwed up nerve in my left wrist for some time - about a year and a half. when it first started bothering me, i just played through it thinking that it was just part of the business, but for the past four or five months I’ve been off of the trumpet and on euphonium, letting my hand heal (hardest decision ever - but playing later is better then not playing at all later on in life!).

I learned just recently that I also have golf and tennis elbow (all of this from incorrect trumpet playing posture btw) and nerve problems probably all of the way up to my neck. well - my question is WHEN I get back to my trumpet (my baby) i will probably need some sort of 'help' holding it for the first few months (and maybe onwards depending on stuff). I’ve thought about the Schulman system, but because of my playing opportunities like band things (and I’m a girl so it would be slightly awkward) it would be very impractical. any ideas for a support going from the horn to my shoulder that keeps the weight off of my wrist (especially) are welcome and appriciated. i've even thought about using a mic. holder on the bend in the bell tube, but have never tried it.

i would really appriciate your ideas and thoughts!

thanks,

~k

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Hardnut

Klandis, I'm really sorry to hear about all the problems that you are experiencing - it is so inspiring that you are battling through them - can I be the first to say well done!

I actually broke my arm a few months ago and was forced to use just my right hand for 6 weeks to play the trumpet. To be honest, I think that the experience helped a lot: when I got back to using two hands, I did not use nearly the same amount of pressure as I did before.

In the first two weeks of this six week period, I styled a sort of line that I hooked up to my ceiling and with a noose on one end that I could fit the bell of my trumpet through, which I found really effective. I think that the mic holder is a ggod one, and a contraption that might work would consist of maybe something like a coathanger over your shoulder, which you could tie one end to the chair sitting on when in band practice or whatever, and then another line for the trumpet's bell?

I don't know how practical this is, but it might be worth a shot.

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KLandis

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Tootsall

The Schulman device? Looks a bit like a piece of medieval torture equipment that you strap on and it holds the horn for you?

KLandis

I've heard of that and reserched it a bit, and it definatly looks like an option, but my teacher said this thing rests on my lap or a table. He also said it used some sort-of zero gravity somthin-er-other. About how much does the schullman run?

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trpt2345

In September of 2000 I broke my left wrist in a car accident, and for about three months I was billing myself as "The Amazing One-Armed Trumpet Player". During and after that time I found out it's something that has happened to a lot of trumpet players at one time or another. The funny thing was that it didn't really slow me down that much, I played fairly well. The hardest thing was putting my tuxedo on. And when the external fixator came off (it wasn't a cast, but a titanium and carbon contraption screwed right into the bone in two places) my left arm was so atrophied it took a while before I could really hold the horn normally, so I still did some one-handed playing.

Michael McLaughlin

I'm astounded by people who want to 'know' the universe when it's hard enough to find your way around Chinatown.
Woody Allen

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rowuk

In school, one of my fellow students in a similar situation, strapped a cut down broomstick to the valves. It was cut to length so it could rest on the chair between his legs. At first it slipped around a bit so he put a rubber bicycle grip on the end.
It helped him learn to sit up straight and not move around so much when playing. I think he used velcro or something similar (it was in the 70s, I don't remember the details) to fasten it to the horn.

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KLandis

sorry i keep bringing this back, but i found what my teacher had mentioned and it actully sounds similar to the broom stick idea (just more expensive!). its here: http://www.ergobone.com/index.html
anyone thoughts or experienses with it? to me it looks promising because my joints are overall so bad if i tried holding it with just my left hand, i can foresee problems like - immedietly.

please, any thoughts?

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~defy gravity.

Pedal C

That "egrobone" thing seems like it might work really well, but I've never tried it. I tried a Schulman thing at an ITG once and could never get it adjusted so the horn was in the right place. It was too frustrating for me to keep messing with it, but that's just me.

If I was in your place, I would probably try to make a homemade version of the ergobone to try out before I ordered the real thing. Maybe your version will be all you need.

I actually made drawing of a similar thing several years ago when a horn player friend hurt her shoulder. I should've patented it!

Good luck!

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