Been getting pain.

SenorQueso · #1 09-11-2005, 07:39 PM

For some time now I've started to get pain when ever I play finger style. The pain is coming from my thumb on the plucking hand. To really be specific the pain is about a half inch below the first joint of the thumb, palm side and kind of goes around to the side a little bit. I'm starting to get concerned, I'm getting worried that I all ready screwed my hand up some how.

Any body have anything like this before? Or know anybody who has had this?

JimmyM · #2 09-11-2005, 08:12 PM

Got any pics of how you hold your hand?

SenorQueso · #3 09-11-2005, 08:51 PM

Let me get my camera phone and try and snap a pic.

Tash · #4 09-11-2005, 08:58 PM

I've normally encountered this when playing with a pick, do you do that?

I traced the problem to using too light a pic for the amount of attack I needed. Because the pic was too thin I had to provide extra support by squeezing very hard with my thumb, which over stressed the muscle and tendon.

I'd recomend not playing for a couple days and seeing if the pain goes away. If it doesn't see a doctor. If it does then its safe to start playing again but make sure you keep your hands relaxed when playing finger style and try switching to a heavier pick for pick style.

SenorQueso · #5 09-11-2005, 09:11 PM

That's how I'm placing my hand.

Tash · #6 09-11-2005, 09:31 PM

Your hand placement looks OK from what I can tell. You may just be overusing your index finger and or pressing inadvertently with your thumb.

Take a couple days off the bass to see though, it could be a totally non-bass related injury that needs a doctor, removing bass from the equation for a couple days will help narrow that down.

SenorQueso · #7 09-11-2005, 09:44 PM

I believe I might be pressing too hard on my thumb. Do you know of any other ways do place your thumb besides the way I do?

ArtisFallen · #8 09-11-2005, 10:02 PM

try Playing floating thumb for a while to see if it's that your pressing to hard, or whether it's something more sinister. i'd bet it's the former, but that might be a simple fix.

Tash · #9 09-11-2005, 10:22 PM

OK, I don't want to sound like a broken record, or like some ninny but please listen to the following advice (posted for the 3rd time):

TAKE A FEW DAYS OFF PLAYING THE BASS AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS!!!

For all you know you could have sprained the thumb by rolling on it in you sleep, you could have tendon damage, you could have freaking thumb cancer! You don't know and if you keep playing you could agrevate a non bass related condition to the point that you permenantly cripple yourself!

I have only 3 functioning fingers on my fretting hand because of a hand injury. In my case it was sustained through dumbness (I stabbed a wall, hit a stud and severed the tendon in my pinky) and there was no possible cure, but you could have something happening that might go away on its own, or might need to be taken care of by a doctor. I know not playing bass for a bit sucks but it will suck more if you suddently find that you can never play again because your hand is permenatly f'ed up!

Correlli · #10 09-12-2005, 04:02 AM

Take a brake for a couple of weeks.

It should disappear after a while though.

JimmyM · #11 09-12-2005, 08:25 AM

I couldn't tell by the picture if your wrist is bent or straight. Having a bent wrist can cause some problems. Your right hand looks fairly normal, so I don't think that's the problem, unless like the others said, you're bearing down too hard on your thumb.

AGCurry · #12 09-12-2005, 09:34 AM

That picture doesn't look very comfortable to me - maybe because it doesn't look like MY hand! The distance from your thumb to your fingers is very small, and it would be painful for me if I did it for long.

I play with my hand more spread out - kind of like I'm pouring out a glass of wine. If I anchor my thumb where you do, my fingers would be between the bridge and the bridge pickup.

chaosMK · #13 09-15-2005, 05:29 PM

You can play like this kid I was mentoring, with your thumb crooked on the top edge of the bass.

Daniel Baskin · #14 09-15-2005, 07:41 PM

I am taken aback a little by how much your wrist is bent forward in that picture. I don't know what your arm is doing but if you rest the middle meat of your forearm on top back of the bass, then that should straighten your wrist, relaxing it. Another way of putting it is that right now, your top of the hand, to knuckle joint to fingers, makes a 270/90 degree angle, whereas, IME/O, maintaining an angle closer to 200 to 235 would be more comfortable.