Broken Hand!

Mingus Addict · #1 12-03-2008, 01:40 PM

Ok so I recently broke my left hand

I'm right handed. Anyone have any good tips on practicing with just my right hand. I was thinking about working on some tapping. I've never had an interest in it before but I figure it can't hurt to work on it for the next couple weeks while I heal. BTW, I really can't use any of the figures on my left hand at all until I'm healed. I figure I can fashion a mute for my strings though.

Any and all suggestions appreciated. Also, if someone has tips on recovering faster, that'd be cool too. I'm taking vitamin C and Lysine already and I plan to work on a calcium rich diet.

whitedk57 · #2 12-03-2008, 01:42 PM

That sucks, but at least you will have your fingers back.

A co-worker of mine has a six year old daughter who got her hand caught in a meat grinder. She lost half of three fingers. Man, I can't imagine what I would do if that happened to me.

quale213 · #3 12-03-2008, 01:56 PM

I have been in the same boat as you currently are friend. Sadly, I also love snowboarding...I perfected 3 and 4 finger playing as well as work on right hand piano stuff.

#4 12-03-2008, 01:57 PM

I am actually a percussionist and my freshman year of college I broke my hand (should have punched the guy instead of the wall). I then had to find replacements for all of my school gigs since I broke it right before Thanksgiving of that year. In my lessons I would just work on one-handed exercises.

Anyway, I can't really think of a way to help it heal faster but when you get the cast/splint removed, begin to manually move all of the joints with your other hand. I remember when mine was removed and the Dr. told me to move it and I did to no avail. It was probably about a month before I could play anything percussion but since it was my "plucking" hand it wasn't terribly bad for the string instruments. it WILL be stiff for quite a while unless you open and close the hand with you other for a while.

Good Luck

JmJ · #5 12-03-2008, 03:45 PM

The bassist for the Holmes Brothers is 'famous' for playing with his fretting hand while simultaneously drinking his beer with his right. Seems like one handed playing would be worth investigating.

JayM · #6 12-03-2008, 04:00 PM

Work on your right hand technique. Download Cliff Engel's giant rhythm study and play through it, alternating strings, crossing strings, pick-style, etc. Different speeds (use a metronome). This can improve your timing sunstantially.

Rhythm Study

Don't forget to continue to practice standing up with your bass on a strap - if you don't stay used to this it can be a big pain to come back from. You should also hold up your left hand (maybe hook a thumb over the neck?) while practicing so that your shoulder stays used to it.

Good luck.

standupright · #7 12-03-2008, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mingus Addict

Ok so I recently broke my left hand

I'm right handed. Anyone have any good tips on practicing with just my right hand. I was thinking about working on some tapping. I've never had an interest in it before but I figure it can't hurt to work on it for the next couple weeks while I heal. BTW, I really can't use any of the figures on my left hand at all until I'm healed. I figure I can fashion a mute for my strings though.

Any and all suggestions appreciated. Also, if someone has tips on recovering faster, that'd be cool too. I'm taking vitamin C and Lysine already and I plan to work on a calcium rich diet.

take MSM and Chondroitin supplements along with Panax Ginseng, calcium supplement, and vitamin e. If you smoke, now would be a good time to quit. Nicotine interferes with the body's ability to heal, especially bone.

Mingus Addict · #8 12-06-2008, 03:47 PM

Thanks for the tips and support guys! Cliff Engel's site is awesome. It's funny to think I probably wouldn't have found it if I hadn't broken my hand. I'm going to look around for some of those supplements too (never been a smoker luckily). In response to what you were saying Percussion Guy, I'm in a splint. I actually take it off sometimes to shower and when it becomes unbearably itchy. I try not to move it during these times but I can already tell how stiff it is. I'm really hoping to be done with the splint in another two weeks though. If anyone is curious the bone I broke (or actually "cracked" I think) is the pisiform. I'm pretty sure it's the smallest bone in the hand. I'm pretty determined to heel as quickly as possible and get back to playing bass. Hopefully my impatience doesn't get the best of me and cause more damage...

markkoelsch · #9 12-06-2008, 04:38 PM

That is an unfortunate thing. If you jsut cracked it, I think you will be fine. It will take a while for the swelling to go down. When you get out of the splint finally I would be tempted to use a heating pad on it for 15 or 20 minutes about 3-5 times a day. This will help increase the circulation, and get rid of some of the swelling. When you start to use it, it might swell...use ice for 15 or 20 minutes after playing, or other exercises.

Finally, be patient with it. Do your exercises, stretches, and playing, but do not be overly aggressive as you could actually slow your progress.

Mark Koelsch

PazzoBasso · #10 04-27-2011, 11:02 AM

Bit of a Zombie thread, but thought it might be a good place to post...

Any "recovery" stories out there?

I broke my plucking hand in mid Feb... one bone (on the pinky side) was cracked & out of place... Doc re-set & my cast has been off for over a month...

Hand still looks funny & I've had to change my technique slightly to keep playing... Most of my issues are with my ring finger & pinky - they're still pretty stiff, not very strong & there's definitely some occasional pain...

Anyone know how long it takes before it get's back to normal?

cataract · #11 05-01-2011, 10:37 PM

I broke the pinky on my fretting hand back in 1995, it still hurts occasionally to this day.