Left hand thumb hurting while playing, help?

[Awkwardturtle!]

so the thumb of my fretting hand hurts after almost 5-10 minutes of playing

I think It hurts because I'm pressing it against the neck to hard but I don't know any other way to play

is there some way to get my thumb in a better position? so that it doesn't hurt

[Muaguana]

Find some stretches or exercises to do before and during practice. I had pain in my thumb that would start up after playing like you, but I started incorporating stretches and warmups for it in my routine. Now it doesn't give me as much trouble. If you have a VariGrip or a Gripmaster, you can use it to strength train your thumb as well.

[crustychef]

yes stretch!
Try playing without your thumb on the neck at all as an exercise. Your action may be really high too causing you to squeeze more. Do you play heavy gauge strings?
I switched to medium lights and it made world of difference in my playing and fatigue.

[funkifiedsoul]

if your neck is too slim, with not enough wood in your palm, (if you'll pardon the expression) the thumb works harder.

[Awkwardturtle!]

Originally Posted by crustychef

yes stretch!
Try playing without your thumb on the neck at all as an exercise. Your action may be really high too causing you to squeeze more. Do you play heavy gauge strings?
I switched to medium lights and it made world of difference in my playing and fatigue.

I use 105 guage with jacked up as hell action because I hate fret buzz

I think I found my problem lol

[fearceol]

Originally Posted by crustychef

yes stretch!
Try playing without your thumb on the neck at all as an exercise.

+1 to this. You will find that you dont need to press the string too hard to get a clean note.

Also, take a look at this clip about using the fretting hand thumb.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRkSsapYYsA

[EatADeadGoat]

I had that problem. Stretching my hands before a jam works out best for me.

Also playing with improper technique until you grow a callus on the inside of the thumb helps, too.

[totallyfrozen]

Originally Posted by Awkwardturtle!

I use 105 guage with jacked up as hell action because I hate fret buzz

I think I found my problem lol

Bass is buzzy and clicky naturally because the strings are so large. Fret buzz only really matters if you can hear it through your amp. Take the bass in to a tech and get a proper set up. Usually, it's best to have the lowest action that you can get away with without having excessive fret buzz, dead notes, or fret buzz that you can hear through the amp...IMO.

Plucking/picking softer can reduce fret buzz too. Let your amp do the work! That's why you play an electric instrument! You really don't need to dig into the strings too hard to get a solid tone with good volume.

[nobodysfool]

+1 on getting the bass properly set up. There is no need for super high action on a bass. If it has to be that high to keep it from rattling or buzzing on the frets, and a good setup can't fix it, then seriously, the neck must be crap. Replace the neck with a good one, or if it's a neck-through, it's time for a new bass. There's no excuse to put up with a bass you have to fight with to play.