I have double jointed fingers, which means i can bend the last joint on my fingers without bending any other joints. This has proven to be very hindering because i cant properly curve my fingers on any note above D on the G string. Vibrato is also A MASSIVE ISSUE for me, my fingers either lock into being double jointed or i just have to collapse them wrong. Im wondering how i can overcome this issue.
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Go over your concerns with an experienced pro in a lesson environment.
Lots of great players collapse their joints high up on the board. There may also be a way for you to vibrate the strings, it could end up being a bit unique to your playing. Some players in a section don’t vibrate much and some such as Orin O’Brien feel there is no place for vibrato in classical pizz.
Lots of great players collapse their joints high up on the board. There may also be a way for you to vibrate the strings, it could end up being a bit unique to your playing. Some players in a section don’t vibrate much and some such as Orin O’Brien feel there is no place for vibrato in classical pizz.
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My third and fourth fingers are double jointed like this, but not my first and second. And when bodies are different from the norm, they can be really quite different, so this may or may not help.
What I've done is just spent some time working really carefully on practicing slowly with a really clear arch in my fingers, to build up the strength. I practice with a mirror, I do long slow tones, and the strength has just built up to keep my fingers in the arched position. My 4 finger will sometimes still collapse if I'm reaching for the A string in a higher position, but otherwise it is pretty good.
But your fingers look like they might have more flexibility in that joint than mine, so that might not help at all.
I've asked teachers about it, but have had no teachers who had seen it before.
I'm aware that there are physical therapists who specialise in hands. Literally google "hand physical therapist" and our city. There are even some who have kind of a side specialisation in musicians. That might be your most useful source of help and information.
Best wishes
Anthony
What I've done is just spent some time working really carefully on practicing slowly with a really clear arch in my fingers, to build up the strength. I practice with a mirror, I do long slow tones, and the strength has just built up to keep my fingers in the arched position. My 4 finger will sometimes still collapse if I'm reaching for the A string in a higher position, but otherwise it is pretty good.
But your fingers look like they might have more flexibility in that joint than mine, so that might not help at all.
I've asked teachers about it, but have had no teachers who had seen it before.
I'm aware that there are physical therapists who specialise in hands. Literally google "hand physical therapist" and our city. There are even some who have kind of a side specialisation in musicians. That might be your most useful source of help and information.
Best wishes
Anthony
I've had a number of double jointed (technical term is hypermobility) students. Some of them literally can't curve their fingers in the usual way. I don't think that's a problem, just an obstacle to work around. We looked at what they can do, and worked on refining that into a technique that they do intentionally. The thing that I found interesting about two of the best of these students (the two with the highest degree of hypermobility) is that while what their fingers were doing looked painful - and would be to a less flexible person - it caused them no pain whatsoever. To them, they were simply extending their joints until the natural mechanism stopped them from extending further.
In lessons, this meant exploring ways for them to use the joints they had to create good solid stops in the left hand and to find a striking motion in the right hand that allowed for the extra play in the system. Neither appeared to have hypermobility syndrome, which is another issue. So once they figured out what their hands could do to get a good strike and a good stop, they just worked on refining that, the same as anyone else would do with their existing "normal" technique.
One outcome of this for both of the students I mentioned is that they tended to play with collapsed fingers a lot, which meant they had to focus on technique that focused on the leverage needed to get a good solid stop with the pads. Both chose to play seated, which they said helped a lot. And both were (and still are) excellent musicians who are still out playing professionally today. Once we got past these basic concepts, we didn't give the issue too much more thought and just focused on the music like everyone else in the studio did.
In lessons, this meant exploring ways for them to use the joints they had to create good solid stops in the left hand and to find a striking motion in the right hand that allowed for the extra play in the system. Neither appeared to have hypermobility syndrome, which is another issue. So once they figured out what their hands could do to get a good strike and a good stop, they just worked on refining that, the same as anyone else would do with their existing "normal" technique.
One outcome of this for both of the students I mentioned is that they tended to play with collapsed fingers a lot, which meant they had to focus on technique that focused on the leverage needed to get a good solid stop with the pads. Both chose to play seated, which they said helped a lot. And both were (and still are) excellent musicians who are still out playing professionally today. Once we got past these basic concepts, we didn't give the issue too much more thought and just focused on the music like everyone else in the studio did.
I am drawn to the idea that you might use your arched fingers to hook the string down as against pressing down. Try curving your fingers in the shape and spacing that you want then use pushing with the thumb of your other hand to try and straighten each finger and see how much strength there is in the resistance. Changing the way your arm approaches the back of the neck by altering the way you sit may be a way to use the weight of your arm with the power of your upper back, rather than relying so much on the thumb. Keeping the thumb in contact might still be important for finding positions and measuring shifts.
At 78 I am trying to keep the strength in my hands, not that we really need much. I wrap my hand around a tennis ball sized soft foam stress ball and simultaneously squeeze my curling fingers towards my curling thumb opposite my second finger (usually about 30 times each). The ball lives beside my pillow. Beside it lies a coil spring type grip strengthener that is shaped like a Vee with plastic handles. I can close the two handles together using the muscles in my hands and forearms (50 times each). My third way comes free and can be used anywhere. I curl and straighten each finger by hooking its tip over the end of my other thumb that provides the resistance to work against.
When it comes to the pinkie collapsing this may be helped by examining the height of your left elbow. Lowering it slightly will help maintain the arch. Conversely lifting the elbow will straighten the pinkie and it collapses easily.
In thumb position I still use the hooked finger approach, using a pianist's bridging hand shape as a model and again using the arm weight and upper back muscles.
Is your thumb also hypermobile?
At 78 I am trying to keep the strength in my hands, not that we really need much. I wrap my hand around a tennis ball sized soft foam stress ball and simultaneously squeeze my curling fingers towards my curling thumb opposite my second finger (usually about 30 times each). The ball lives beside my pillow. Beside it lies a coil spring type grip strengthener that is shaped like a Vee with plastic handles. I can close the two handles together using the muscles in my hands and forearms (50 times each). My third way comes free and can be used anywhere. I curl and straighten each finger by hooking its tip over the end of my other thumb that provides the resistance to work against.
When it comes to the pinkie collapsing this may be helped by examining the height of your left elbow. Lowering it slightly will help maintain the arch. Conversely lifting the elbow will straighten the pinkie and it collapses easily.
In thumb position I still use the hooked finger approach, using a pianist's bridging hand shape as a model and again using the arm weight and upper back muscles.
Is your thumb also hypermobile?
I also use the V shaped grip squeezy/thingy (that is the technical name for it), but lately I have been working on these - very slowly - to build up finger/hand strength - nothing else to do half the time!
My fingers are relatively short and also hyperextend. It is simply impossible for me to finger certain notes with my little finger and maintain the theoretical arch. I don't experience pain from this happening.
I've been playing saxophone for 40+ years with this happening all along, and have never experienced any ill effects.
For that matter, I actually have rather strong hands (I have in the past broken off the jaws of a pair of pliers trying to use them to press a pin into a shaft).
I've been playing saxophone for 40+ years with this happening all along, and have never experienced any ill effects.
For that matter, I actually have rather strong hands (I have in the past broken off the jaws of a pair of pliers trying to use them to press a pin into a shaft).
