Left arm kills!

[Kenbuntu]

My left arm kills when i play for some reason
I (well at least try to) play metal. I have a five string, and my right arm is positioned correctly. (Like an L, and my wrist is straight)

After about 5 minutes in, i can notice something. It's not severe, but i just don't like it there. My Shoulder usually gets it first, then my wrist. No burning sensations, just feels sore. After an hour of playing my palm muscles start to hurt, and this is the main thing that pisses me off. I mean, I'm only 17!

Is there something wrong with my technique? I've read of some people not using their left thumb, but how do you not use your left thumb while fretting?! Most of the time i find my thumb around the centre of the neck and in the bottom half.
I use a 3" peavey strap. Should i go wider? And my bass is not slung low its at about waist's height.

TIA,
Ken

[nsmar4211]

Sounds like either your circulation is being cut off or you have nerve issues. Does this happen when you play sitting down with your basses' weight on your leg (and off your shoulder)? If not, try a new strap.....if so......errr......find doctor

[Kenbuntu]

eh, sitting down, but i dont play much standing :| maybe i should get on that.

The left palm muscle is the real thing that bugs me though :@
It almost feels as if its cramping up, minus the extreme pain, but the muscle feels tense, and somewhat stiff. What stretches should be done prior to playing bass? I usually just wake up in the morning and pick it up...but if athletes stretch before playing a sport maybe i should to?

Thanks for all the help!

[Phil Smith]

Originally Posted by Kenneth Faria

eh, sitting down, but i dont play much standing :| maybe i should get on that.

The left palm muscle is the real thing that bugs me though :@
It almost feels as if its cramping up, minus the extreme pain, but the muscle feels tense, and somewhat stiff. What stretches should be done prior to playing bass? I usually just wake up in the morning and pick it up...but if athletes stretch before playing a sport maybe i should to?

Thanks for all the help!

Athletes stretch but they also weight train as well, even the runners.

[bakeronbass]

Stretch
Drink lots of water ie. piss clear
the harder you squeeze has no effect or how loud or in the pocket you are. You barely need your left thumb.
Keep in mind to relax your fret hand while you are playing and use different fingerings to utilize different muscles.
You play metal so put your angst in your pick hand.
Play alot more
ALWAYS play standing up.

Just my suggestions

[Martin Bormann]

Originally Posted by Kenneth Faria

My left arm kills when i play for some reason
I (well at least try to) play metal. I have a five string, and my right arm is positioned correctly. (Like an L, and my wrist is straight)

After about 5 minutes in, i can notice something. It's not severe, but i just don't like it there. My Shoulder usually gets it first, then my wrist. No burning sensations, just feels sore. After an hour of playing my palm muscles start to hurt, and this is the main thing that pisses me off. I mean, I'm only 17!

Is there something wrong with my technique? I've read of some people not using their left thumb, but how do you not use your left thumb while fretting?! Most of the time i find my thumb around the centre of the neck and in the bottom half.
I use a 3" peavey strap. Should i go wider? And my bass is not slung low its at about waist's height.

TIA,
Ken

There is a golden rule. If it hurts, you're doing it wrong. This forum is notorious for giving the worst advice to players experiencing pain. Fact of the matter is these guys telling you to stretch is good. But it's not going to cure your ail here.

Here is your solution, get a decent instructor and be completely re-taught how to play. This time focus on form rather than just trying to make a sound.

Basically when it hurts, it means you're doing damage to yourself. You're 17 right now, you won't really notice the damage, but when you're in your 40's and having to have surgery on your wrists or wearing those hideous braces, you'll notice it.

A lot of people when told to do that will be like "I'm poor, I can't afford a teacher" as an excuse to not do anything. If you're like that, then it's fine, but don't expect to fix the problem.

Stretching is good, I mean I normally stretch everything from fingers to wrists to elbows and shoulders before I do anything. But that will not fix anything if you're in pain.

[armywalaby]

I know a piece of advice I got from an instructional book a while back was that if your left hand is hurting, then you're probably pressing on the neck too hard with your left thumb. I play metal too, and I tend to squeeze harder when I am playing a fast riff, such as a particular section in the song 'In The Presence Of Enemies Part 1' or 'The Glass Prison'.

The cure? Pay attention to what you're playing when it starts to hurt, then go back and practice those riffs slowly without your thumb holding onto the neck. I have found this to help me a lot. It's awkward at first, but you'll get it.

[Kenbuntu]

The funny thing is that this started about a month ago when i decided to conquer Dream Theater's scenes from a memory album

I don't like putting all my effort into my right hand. I keep IT relaxed so its fast enough to move around with ease.

I've been playing for 5 years now. My first teacher wasn't that good. He was a good guitard, and thought me on one too(), but doubt that he played bass. I decided that he won't be the best in helping me further my skill. I talked to my dad about letting me get some real bass lessons, but he's always "avoided" the situation/talk ( You know the card fathers pull out when they don't want to do something, the "We'll see" one).
So because of that, I'm going to have to say i'm poor and can't afford =/

Are there any good instructional video's out there?

And thanks for all the help guys

[Kenbuntu]

Lunch bump.

So where SHOULD my thumb be? Where should my palm be?

[Phil Smith]

Well you could try forming your hand like a C with your thumb in alignment with your middle finger, sort of like holding a can of soda or beer without your palm touching it.

[Mofo-Kang]

Go see your doctor.

I had an issue about a year or so ago with tendonitis in my left elbow that was aggravated by my playing. After a few months of putting up with it, I finally worked up the nerve to talk to one of the docs where I work (I'm an x-ray tech at a hospital). The doctor had me come in after he finished his surgery schedule one day, gave me a couple of shots, and by the next day or so I was as good as new.

Not only can your doctor probably tell you what you're doing wrong, and tell you what to do to fix it, he may be able to just fix the problem up right then and there.

But that's the thing--if there's pain, you're doing some damage to your body, or aggravating some damage that's already there, keeping it from healing properly. Either way, you need a doc to check it out, not a bass teacher, and not a bunch of guys on an internet forum.

[Jensby design]

If your left arm is killing you should tie it down when you sleep,or maybe have it removed,you can't be to careful

[JimmyM]

Death grip on the neck, possibly?

[amimbari]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Death grip on the neck, possibly?

Isn't that where the term "Death Metal" came from Jimmy?

I have to play some of the most complicated/fastest stuff on the neck, and like many, it took me a while to figure out what I as doing wrong so I could get past the 10 minute mark in our sets without getting all tired. For me it was a matter of playing with too much of a grip on the neck - especially pressing down with my thumb, once I learned how to keep it all relaxed, the pain went away, the technique/accuracy got better, and I have been playing metal for 15 years with no problems, including being in a Maiden tribute band for 3 years and having to show the masses my "Steve Harris" 2 finger gallop for a hour at a time. -- I know thats the other hand, but the same result- I let the AMP do it's work, and don't beat up on the guitar anymore.

[Madcity Fats]

One thing no one has mentioned (forgive me if I missed it):

Make sure your bass is both playable and set up properly. I've seen guys wrestling with bowed necks and insanely high action because a truss rod was shot and they figured they'd just work around it. Bad idea.

If you haven't already, take your bass to a professional and invest in a basic setup (assuming they tell you it needs one). The first step should always be to make sure your instrument plays as easy as it can. Once that variable is out of the equation, you can start working on your technique.

Also, if you're playing metal and you're wearing yourself out, ask yourself if maybe you're playing harder than you need to in order to cut through the mix. In my early days I found myself exerting unnecessary amounts of energy in situations where I couldn't hear myself very well (even if the audience could). If this is happening in your case, you might just need a little more power behind you. You should be able to control dynamics with your playing alone, but your amp should be doing the work of keeping you up in the mix, not your fingers.

Good luck and stay healthy.

[Kenbuntu]

I usually do setups my self. The downside to using rounds on a fretless is that theres more tension, that maybe be another problem I'm having

Around the 24th fret there's about 5mm between the string and board. it used to be slightly lower, but i had to fix the relief on the neck. That being said i've never had a professional setup.

Regarding the death grip on the neck, should i focus pressure into the sort of pocket that is created when my hand is in the C position, rather than my thumb?

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by Kenneth Faria

I usually do setups my self. The downside to using rounds on a fretless is that theres more tension, that maybe be another problem I'm having

Around the 24th fret there's about 5mm between the string and board. it used to be slightly lower, but i had to fix the relief on the neck. That being said i've never had a professional setup.

Regarding the death grip on the neck, should i focus pressure into the sort of pocket that is created when my hand is in the C position, rather than my thumb?

Nope. That part of your hand shouldn't be touching the neck. Use your thumb, but don't mash down too hard with it. Just use as little pressure as it takes to allow your fingers to play firmly. Doesn't take a death grip. And where is your thumb? It should be behind the neck, somewhere in the middle of the back of the neck.

BTW, my metric to imperial may be off, but isn't 5 mm ridiculously high for a fretless? That sounds more like what I set my upright's strings at. Maybe you should take your bass in for a real setup. That seems very high on paper.

[Kenbuntu]

Haha damn thats about have a centimetre, which is about a fifth of an inch. And here i thought it was as low as it would go! Dang!

As for my thumb its usually in the middle, sometimes i find it in the bottom half of the neck, and sometimes is find it almost horizontal.

I'm in need of a setup, and new strings. i know this is the wrong forum but since I'm here, what strings would be good?

I'm looking at these: http://lamusic.ca/default.asp?szNav=Product&PID=10259#
-D'addario XL's 0.40 - 1.25 in case you cant access the link.

[JimmyM]

I use D'addario XL's. I like them a lot.

[Madcity Fats]

Originally Posted by Kenneth Faria

Haha damn thats about have a centimetre, which is about a fifth of an inch. And here i thought it was as low as it would go! Dang!

I typically have my action set so that the string has about a 1/8" clearance at the 21st (highest) fret. Some might even consider that a little high.

Of course, that's measured from the top of the fret, whereas you're measuring from the board on a fretless.

There's no right or wrong when it comes to action, however, if you're having aches and pains, it's certainly something to consider.