Avoiding hand tension

[Hyperfreak]

Greetings, all

I'm playing down a few combo charts at school; they're not too hard, but they're also sixty or seventy measures of straight eighths at 180 at some parts of the song, and after a while I start to tense up. It's not the kind of sore ache you get after practicing, it's a seemingly unavoidable, tightened, sharp feeling.

Can anyone share similar experience and how to avoid it?

Thanks, gents!
~Wes

[Gawd]

The only way is to play lighter. Your hands need to be as relaxed as possible.
Having your bass setup with low action and a straight neck helps a lot to get a good tone with a light touch.

[Hyperfreak]

Oh, it should be noted before anyone responds - it's my right hand. My left tends to be fine holding down an F for two minutes.

[Hyperfreak]

Gawd - Thanks. Unfortunately, the trussrod nut is stripped in my bass right now. My action is alright, but it's not as fine-tuned as I like it. I'll be buying a new one soon and thus it would be a waste to rush right out to fix this one right now.

[Nashrakh]

Originally Posted by Gawd

The only way is to play lighter. Your hands need to be as relaxed as possible.
Having your bass setup with low action and a straight neck helps a lot to get a good tone with a light touch.

+1

Play lighter, avoid sharp wrist angles.

[Fergie Fulton]

Now you say "tension" and only in the "right hand". so i assume that by the fact you say your "left can hold down a F" that you are right handed so it is the plucking hand that is the problem.

First and foremost you have to identify what type of tension it is.

Understand that believing you have a problem will create tension by heightening anxiety about the problem you really have. So you have to look for the cause, not look at the results.

If you have mild cramps diet and water will take care of that so start there, drink plenty of water and eat potassium rich foods, bannanas are a great source.

Warm up and warm down with gentle stretches, and massage (rubbing the forearms is good enough).

If after a week( or look at it along with what has been said) this has made no impact look at the way the arm rests on the bass. It could be the wrist angle is tight or the bass is inhibiting the forearm on the pont of contact with the instrument. A mark on the forearm where the bass contacts is a good indication of pressure there, so lighten up or change the angle of approach.

These are the basic starting points so i would look there before anywhere else.

[TOOL460002]

maybe this is stupid, but... the best way i have found to loosen up my right hand is to do that "one hand clapping" thing. sorry about this absolutely stupid youtube video, but it shows what im talking about (i dont suggest you look like a total spazz, though):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8Q1nLwYK6E

i like the elbow at about 90 degrees, or just a bit more acute. the one hand clapping business is an awesome way to keep your wrist fairly tight whilst keeping your fingers loose.

[Hyperfreak]

Fergie - thank you for your wealth of information, especially on overall bodily conditioning.

Tool - That's actually an excellent idea. As a marimbist, I can honestly say we have weirder stretches. Nobody will think a thing of that =P