Right Hand lock up

[basscentric]

I had a gig Friday night and was plucking particularly hard during one of the songs... I felt something im my forearm then my hand locked up. I could only move one finger. I finished the song and then played the last 2 songs of our performance. My hand locked up another 3 times. I would have to sit out a whole measure or two before it would work again. This happened to me once before. Does anyone know what this is? I didn't feel much pain but I literally lost control of my hand movement. It's really scary.

[nysbob]

Pinched nerve? Try stretching well before & after you play...on the gig you just have to try and shake it out if it happens again.

[AGCurry]

1. Don't play so hard!

2. Make sure you are well nourished. Could be an electrolyte imbalance (like tetany).

3. Analyze your hand/wrist/arm position. Severely-bent wrist is bad, as are any extremes of position. Don't wear your bass way down low or way up high.

[dougjwray]

Originally Posted by AGCurry

1. Don't play so hard!

2. Make sure you are well nourished. Could be an electrolyte imbalance (like tetany).

3. Analyze your hand/wrist/arm position. Severely-bent wrist is bad, as are any extremes of position. Don't wear your bass way down low or way up high.

Perfect advice.
I would add: try to play with relaxed hands. During a lesson with Jaco (I know, lucky me ) I asked him about his phenomenal stamina and he said that when he played, his plucking hand was as relaxed as if (his exact words) "I'm holding a piece of fruit or something." He demonstrated and told me to feel his hand and it was indeed totally relaxed. He stressed his light touch, too.
Now, if you feel pain or numbness, see a doctor right away.