Health & 6 string

Ron G · #1 05-19-2010, 05:48 PM

After playing my 6 string for one week both my wrists and thumbs are bothering me, I stopped playing until I start feeling better. I have been playing 4 string for just under 3 years.

Are there more health issues associated with playing 6 string? (tendonites and carpal tunnel)

perfektspace6 · #2 05-19-2010, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron G

Are there more health issues associated with playing 6 string? (tendonites and carpal tunnel)

Take a few days off. Take some anti-inflammation pills (ibuprofen).

Make sure you are warming up with scales or something that prepares your body for the strain being placed on it. I would take a good five minutes of slow, boring scales up and down the fretboard. If this wasn't happening on a 4 string then it's probably just the adjustment to a wider neck.

If a few days off and a good warm up still result in pain perhaps you need to look at technique. Probably best to have someone else observe your playing to confirm any problems.

Asher S · #3 05-20-2010, 07:33 AM

When I used to play 5+ string basses I absolutely HAD to use the floating thumb technique. My right hand pain disappeared in 2 days.

MalcolmAmos · #4 05-20-2010, 09:06 AM

You are asking muscles to do things they have not done before - it'll get better.

cnltb · #5 05-20-2010, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron G

After playing my 6 string for one week both my wrists and thumbs are bothering me, I stopped playing until I start feeling better. I have been playing 4 string for just under 3 years.

Are there more health issues associated with playing 6 string? (tendonites and carpal tunnel)

Good technique= Good health I regon

Blake Bass · #6 05-20-2010, 09:19 AM

Another issue with 6 strings is the weight. They're usually a bit heavier than 4 and 5 string basses. They can really wreak havoc on your back and left shoulder if you play standing.

Jim Carr · #7 05-20-2010, 09:38 AM

Ice where it hurts. Use anti-inflammatories like aspirin or ibuprofen (never use tylenol!).
Keep practice duration within sane limits. Get well-rested and pain free between sessions. Numerous short sessions are better than a few long ones. Get a teacher who does not have rigid ideas about technique. Adapt techniques to your physical needs. If it tingles and/or burns--you are injuring yourself. Bodies heal, but only up to a point. Take care of what you have. You know the rest.

Ron G · #8 05-20-2010, 02:49 PM

Thanks for the input, I'm going back to my 4 and maybe try my 6 in a month or two.

FunkMetalBass · #9 05-20-2010, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron G

Thanks for the input, I'm going back to my 4 and maybe try my 6 in a month or two.

Oh, now don't give up that quickly. Just take it slow and easy.

Once you go 6, you never go back.

Fetusyolk · #10 05-20-2010, 04:07 PM

you should also wear your 6'er up higher. wider neck = more drastic wrist angle for BOTH of your hands.

darryljr23 · #11 05-20-2010, 04:11 PM

I agree With funkmetalbass. Once you do get accustomed to the wider neck, string tension, etc., you'll not want your four banger.

Roy Vogt · #12 05-20-2010, 04:25 PM

Make sure your wrists are not over bent. You can get away with that on a 4, but a 5 or 6 will really mess you up with that. I used to call it "TRB syndrome" for a lot of my students who got Yamaha basses and then had issues because they carried over-bent wrists into playing the new axe.
Try this: Place your forearm of your picking hand on the body bevel (if there is one on your bass and keep your wrist straight or lightly bent). Place the thumb of the fretting hand in the center of the neck pointing to the ceiling and now curve the fingers over the board. This should help. Here's a video that you can check yourself against:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNYtQskHUtg
Note my hand positions on the left and right hands.
Good luck,
Roy

Ron G · #13 05-20-2010, 08:49 PM

Thanks Roy, I guess I had (TRB syndrome), my left hand was as you described. Maybe my bass was too low.

Roy Vogt · #14 05-21-2010, 10:58 AM

Possibly. I subscribe to Billy Sheehan's philosophy. I adjust my strap so the bass is at the same height whether sitting or standing. I also have adopted having the neck at about a 30-45 degree angle in relation to my belt buckle and it seems to help keep my fretting hand aligned a bit better.

SallyGrowler · #15 05-21-2010, 03:19 PM

Tendonitis, Carpal Tunnel, etc.. It's all down hill when you hit 40. Don't mean to scare you, but if your day job is your playing job, you have to take care of your health.

I know too many multi-course bass-players that have chronic tendenitis from the gymnastics required to play these wide boards, and usually applying a technique that is inconsistent with the dimensions of the instrument.

After fiddling with an Aria-5 I realized that these instruments require a refined technique as well as a double jointed or highly flexible thumb on the fretting hand. As noted before - adjusting your strap to accomodate the proper relaxed hand positions will aid in relief.

In classical guitar we are taught to position the instrument so the fretting hand does not take on a dual role as a support. The hand is relaxed, the thumb doesn't need to be gripping or pressing into the neck. The thum has to free because there are times where the technique requires the thumb visit the fret board.

I'd suggest stretching and slow relaxed warm-up's before playing any bass, and espescially before a gig.

HaVIC5 · #16 05-21-2010, 03:32 PM

I think you might get some mileage out of my latest lesson on left hand technique.

http://playbassnow.com/speed-techniq...and-technique/

I use a 5 string, but it has wide string spacing, so the same idea applies. When I played 7-string, I used the same principles.

Ron G · #17 05-21-2010, 03:55 PM

I'm over 40 and I have a day job, thanks for all the useful info I will put it into practice tomorrow. Just taking a full week off from 6.

Roy Vogt · #18 05-21-2010, 05:51 PM

I've been playing 5s, 6s and 7s since 1983 with no ill effects. Just use common sense, pivots in the lower positions and think in smaller note blocks of 3 to 4 strings (B-D/E-G/A-C for example) and you won't hurt yourself.
It's actually a little more demanding to play a 4 string upright than these boards, and people are able to play these into their 70s (like Francois Rabbath or Ray Brown) with sound technique.

realbadgroove · #19 05-21-2010, 06:00 PM

I dont know about health problems but it takes time to get used to. I have an 8 string and my hands dont hurt but hey who knows each to there own

perfektspace6 · #20 05-21-2010, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roy Vogt

Possibly. I subscribe to Billy Sheehan's philosophy. I adjust my strap so the bass is at the same height whether sitting or standing. I also have adopted having the neck at about a 30-45 degree angle in relation to my belt buckle and it seems to help keep my fretting hand aligned a bit better.

I remember reading Billy's philosophy on this years ago. No disrespect but I don't think the Billy Sheehan logic on strap height and angle makes any sense. Unless you are a statue the angle at which you play changes frequently on stage or at rehearsal. This is more controllable in solo practice. I understand Billy's rationale on this but I don't think it amounts to much. You might as well get used to playing in a variety of positions and angles if you are going to be performing live without looking like a corpse. Regardless, give it a shot. It can't hurt.

Don't give up on the six just because of some soreness. It's like getting back in the gym for a week and then calling it quits because your muscles ache. In a few weeks, with a gradual build up, your muscles will become accustomed to the strain and the 6 will be manageable. Give it some more time before making that decision.