Cramping in left hand - headstock

[nympyipq]

I'm currently having great problems with playing around the first 4 frets. Due to the position of my hand and the stretch between by first and fourth fingers, I find that after a while I get muscle cramps, which prevents me from playing for much longer.

Given that I haven't played regularly for such a long time now, I'm guessing that I just need to let my hand get used to this stretch. Does anybody have some good exercises that I can use both when playing, and when away from the bass?

Cheers!

[heavyfunkmachin]

bass fitness and exercising handbook by josquin des pres
+
metronome
+
patience
=

[tjh]

you may want to take a look at the thread in this forum on playing with injured thumb ... it talks about playing without the thumb pressing on the back of the neck ... it can also serve to open/expand the range of the finger reach/stretch ... JMHO

[hunta]

Another option is that maybe your bass is riding too low or at a bad angle, this can also cause strain on your wrist. It's more about holding the bass properly than exercising your hand. "Practice through the pain" is a philosophy I don't personally subscribe to, if it hurts, you're probably doing something wrong.

[nympyipq]

Cheers for the inputs. For now I'll put myself through the paces with the exercises as I know that I'm a bit out of practice at the moment, and I certainly don't recall having these problems when I first played bass all those years ago!

[kayakbass]

Don't overlook breathing! Many times we hold our breath while focusing on something. Might want to try raising your bass to about where it is while sitting down. Keep your left thumb in the middle of the back of the neck and bend your left wrist slightly forward under the neck. This should allow you plenty of reach to the lower strings in the lower register.