Beginner with CTS (left hand techinque)

[svenoaks]

I tried to start playing bass several years ago, got really bad pins and needles and numbness in my left hand after a little while that was pretty much constant and really bad when I woke up and had to give it up after a few months.

I recently quit playing World of Warcraft recently and needed something to occupy my obsessive nature so I wanted to try learning bass again. After two weeks I am already getting tingling in my left hand already. This time I am even trying to concentrate on staying relaxed, pulling instead of squeezing, taking breaks, stretching, not bending left wrist as much, etc. It is hard and I find myself practicing all tensed up and squeezing hard while I'm concentrating on all the other a beginner has to concentrate on.

One thing I'm noticing as I almost always play with the so called proper 'one finger per fret rule with thumb on the back of the neck' left hand that I learned in books and on the internet. This way seems logical but I'm thinking that its putting a lot of pressure on my nerve from the bend in my wrist, even though I'm trying to minimize it. Then I watch videos or see bass players live and they almost always have their hand wrapped around the neck like a baseball bat with their thumb poking up above the fret board. I'm thinking this way reduces the pressure on the nerve because the wrist is almost perfectly straight, it just looks like it involves a lot more moving around the fret board because you can't span as far.

I guess my question is : Is there a method available for left hand that will put less stress on my wrist, maybe from upright bass or something? Or should I just try to figure out the 'baseball bat' method the best I can?

Any insight would be appreciated, I really don't want to have to give it up again or not be able to practice all the time, music feels like the one thing I have really wanted to do but have been unable to become proficient at so far.

[M0ses]

Research / think about the Wishbass phenomenon.

Don't curl your thumb, it will make things harder. But also, don't stretch farther than you're able. Do one finger to a fret only as low on the neck as you can - if you practice, gradually you will be able to stretch farther and farther, but it's only healthy if you let the happen naturally. When I started about 7 years ago, no way could I reach the fourth fret with my pinky without taking my pointer finger off the first fret. Now, though, I can, but I never really did any special training in that direction. You have to take that slowly to avoid damaging your hands.

[Calaverasgrande]

You could also try going to a lighter gauge string set that would be less tension.
then it would be easier to play with less pressure.
Do you play sitting down? I find I am more comortable fingering when I am standing up.

On a side note, when I had some pretty bad CTS from working at a brewery (carrying 175lb kegs around!) I went and got accupuncture. If for no other reason than because it was the cheapest treatment I could find. 3 x $30 visits later I had no more symptoms.