Do any of you get weird pains when playing?

FiveStringsNme · #1 02-08-2003, 07:46 PM

I don't know where to put this, I guess in the technique forum(cuz some of our habits can lead to bad things)....but I was wondering if any of you ever feel weird pains while playing, not finger soreness, but joint pains and other things.

Wrong Robot · #2 02-08-2003, 07:49 PM

hmmm....I guess every so often the cusp of my thumb and palm hurts a little, and sometimes the cusp of my pinky and palm hurts a bit....but nothing serious.

I recently read though, that if you feel pain from stressing your muscles while practicing, stop immediatyl and take a break, if not then your muscle fibers just break apart and if you maintain a regular practice routine they will take a LONG ass time to heal.

FiveStringsNme · #3 02-08-2003, 08:00 PM

YOu just saved my hand, Wrong Robot.......lol....phew.........I just discovered a weird pain at the knuckle of my Left Ring Finger. It felt like a muscle pain, but I wasn't too sure and just played some more.
I definitely owe you one.......stupid move on my part.

Amethska · #4 02-08-2003, 08:21 PM

I used to... now that I play a lot, it doesn't happen as much though.

One thing to make sure you do is relax. don't tense up your hand trying to play fast or whatever, it cramps. Haha, that's another thing I used to do...

**john turner** · #5 02-08-2003, 08:30 PM

never underestimate the value and necessity of a good warm-up routine.

khay0s · #6 02-08-2003, 09:47 PM

Wrong Robot and JT are completely correct - you have gotta make sure you warm up properly and also make sure that don't stress your hands too much by playing for too long. However, that will only help you if you're using the correct technique in the first place. Generally, pain either comes from overuse, which isn't nessarily a bad thing (unless you grossly over do it - how else are you supposed to increase muscle/tendon/ligament strength if you don't push it a little?), or if you've only been playing for a couple of minutes, then its often from bad technique/having a tense left hand, assuming a right hand bass player.

I personally haven't ever had pains in my plucking hand except when building calluses and sometimes in my forearms from slapping/double thumping too much. Therefore, I'll make the assumption that its your left hand (seeings you did mention your 'left ring finger')...

I haven't ever had a bass lesson in my life and despite that, my technique (according to my school music teacher who plays electric and double bass at Brisbane's Conservatorium of Music) is very good. The reason why is because I always monitored very carefully. The easiest way to do this is to download/buy videos of bass players who have what is considered to be good technique. No point watching people like Fieldy - it'll only lead you astray. Watch how they move their hands and how softly they actually push down with their fretting fingers.

When playing, every so often it helps if you look in a mirror to see how your technique is going and compare it to the videos that you've seen. Chances are it will feel ackward at the start, but eventually you will be able to play longer, faster and better. A major tip to not over-stressing your left hand is to make sure your thumb and fingers are relaxed and are only pushing down as hard as required to make a note ring - you don't need to push the string through the fretboard. Make sure when fretting that your thumb is behind your middle finger or somewhere close to it and that you're using one finger per fret.

Its quite contradictory for me to say it after never having a bass technique lesson but I would advise that if the pain keeps continuing, you should stop for a few days and pay someone to look and how you're playing. Keep reading through the technique forum here to help improve your technique and see if what I've said here helps.

This all relies upon the fact that you've only played a little and it hurts. If you've been going for 5 hours straight and it starts to hurt a little, feel free to completely ignore everything I've said.

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #7 02-08-2003, 11:10 PM

I don't know if this counts, but when I play with a certain keyboard player here in town (who shall remain nameless), my @$$ hurts like crazy. As soon as he gets out of my sight, the pain goes away. Weird, huh?

XavierG · #8 02-08-2003, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Chris Fitzgerald
I don't know if this counts, but when I play with a certain keyboard player here in town (who shall remain nameless), my @$$ hurts like crazy.

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #9 02-08-2003, 11:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by XavierG

Thanks, X, but that wasn't quite the kind of pain I was talking about.

Roark Haver · #10 02-10-2003, 11:26 AM

I’m not sure if this explanation will make sense but I will give it a try.

I was having some pain at the base of my thumb and into my palm on my fretting hand a while ago. I have been playing for longer periods of time lately and the pain was more like that of a cramp. I read in one of the forums about not squeezing too hard with the fretting hand. One of suggestions that was given was to try pushing down the strings without putting the thumb on the back of the neck so as to apply the pressure with the fingers themselves. I gave this a try and found that I must have been applying most of the pressure with the thumb. I relaxed my hand a bit and the pain went away. It has also allowed me to develop better speed and accuracy with my fretting hand.

I’m not sure I’ve explained that quite correctly, but the point I’m getting at is that you may be bearing down too hard with your fretting hand.

mingustoo · #11 02-24-2003, 06:11 AM

to chris fitzgerald...did you try K-Y?

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #12 02-24-2003, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by FUNGUSSTEW
to chris fitzgerald...did you try K-Y?

Of course. I do live there after all.

Paul A · #13 02-24-2003, 07:57 AM

In my ears and head......usually

moley · #14 02-24-2003, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Chris Fitzgerald
I don't know if this counts, but when I play with a certain keyboard player here in town (who shall remain nameless), my @$$ hurts like crazy. As soon as he gets out of my sight, the pain goes away. Weird, huh?

Hmmm... is the pain alleviated when he doesn't use his left hand?

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #15 02-24-2003, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by moley

Hmmm... is the pain alleviated when he doesn't use his left hand?

Unfortunately not...but it WOULD be alleviated if he would only learn to keep the &@$%#^@% time and form constant throughout.....

moley · #16 02-24-2003, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Chris Fitzgerald
it WOULD be alleviated if he would only learn to keep the &@$%#^@% time and form constant throughout.....

But where's the fun in that?