stretching before playing... or after?

[Byzcat]

OK, so I got into the habit of stretching my hands, fingers, and wrists thoroughly before picking up may bass and...

found that it took more effort to fret the strings, as though either the strings had more tension, or my hands were weak. Also, I seem to have more hand and wrist pain than before I started stretching.
So, I've gone to doing just a little bit of light stretching before playing, along with some "wrist circles" to warm up the muscles, and doing the real stretching after I put the bass away. I also give my hands and wrists a good stretching out when I do yoga (which I do about five days a week.) So far, I've been doing well, minimal hand pain, mostly left over from an old injury, and that's just nuisance level, I can live with it.

I also started doing the "rubber band thing" where you wrap a rubber band around the base of your fingernails and stretch hour hands. All that did was give me a sore tendon in my left pinky that seems to have become a permanent addition to my assorted aches and pains.

Am I doing the right thing here? Because I do have issues with Death Grip, which I'm really putting a lot of effort into breaking myself of, and having my hands feel weaker seems like a good way to stay into the Death Grip habit, which was a major contributing factor in thrashing the flexor tendon in my left thumb.

I figure, as long as my hands and wrists are getting a good daily stretching, it shouldn't matter if the stretching happens before or after I practice.

[fearceol]

If you have not done so already, it would be a good idea to read through the threads here and on the "General Instruction" forum regarding stretching. This one might interest you also.

Finger exercisers: anyone got results?



These are just my opinions as I'm not an expert or doctor. It is a good idea to do gentle light stretching both before and after a practice session on the bass. Maybe you are overdoing the stretching, as you should not have more pain after than before.

As for the "rubber band thing"... how long did you do it for, and how many times in twenty four hours ? The recommended time is ten minutes max in a day, with only the minimum of resistance. I started doing this exercise recently, and found great benefit from it with no pain whatsoever. A little is a lot with this exercise.

I'd definitely break the death grip habit, as it does nothing for both your playing or your hand.

Finally, if I were you, I'd seek the advice of a physiotherapist, or someone similar, as you seem to have general problems with your hands, if gentle stretching causes pain.

Hope this is of some help.

[Byzcat]

I did the "rubber band thing" with, well, the recommended rubber band. And max five to ten minutes a day. Then I quit for a couple of weeks, then tried again with a really light rubber band, and still had pain.

I also do this exercise where you rest the palm of your hand on a flat surface and alternately lift each finger. Not really sure if that's doing anything for my playing or not.

And the thumb pain lately seems to have more to do with how bad my allergies are on any given day than with what I'm doing with my hand (same with my back, actually, I've had back problems for years). Try to get a doctor to take me seriously on that, though.

If you know one who will, I want their phone number...

[fearceol]

Originally Posted by Byzcat

And the thumb pain lately seems to have more to do with how bad my allergies are on any given day than with what I'm doing with my hand (same with my back, actually, I've had back problems for years). Try to get a doctor to take me seriously on that, though.

If you know one who will, I want their phone number...

You are only guessing at a diagnosis. You can only get general advice here, as no one is qualified to do other wise. Again I'd say seek expert advice. If the first "expert" does not take you seriously, then keep looking 'till you find one that does.

[Lichtaffen]

What is the "Death Grip"? Visions of Darth Vader holding the Rebel officer up by the throat come to mind.

[fearceol]

Originally Posted by Lichtaffen

What is the "Death Grip"? Visions of Darth Vader holding the Rebel officer up by the throat

Close.... except instead of "throat" insert "neck"... as in neck of bass.

[Fergie Fulton]

Originally Posted by Byzcat

I did the "rubber band thing" with, well, the recommended rubber band. And max five to ten minutes a day. Then I quit for a couple of weeks, then tried again with a really light rubber band, and still had pain.

I also do this exercise where you rest the palm of your hand on a flat surface and alternately lift each finger. Not really sure if that's doing anything for my playing or not.

And the thumb pain lately seems to have more to do with how bad my allergies are on any given day than with what I'm doing with my hand (same with my back, actually, I've had back problems for years). Try to get a doctor to take me seriously on that, though.

Hi Byzcat, What are your allergies?

The elastic band exercise maybe highlighting a problem you have developed as they do not hurt the hand, the hand will tire before it will hurt. This action of exercise is for the forearm extentors as is the excellent flat palm on the table and finger lifting exercise.
Stretching before and after is always recommended as it prepares the muscles for what is to come and relieves them of what has been done.

Find a medical pro to take you serious as what you are describing is not normal.

Like i said what are those allergies?

[mpm32]

All my stretching is done on the bass. I just play scales, some arpeggios, and some other warm-up exercising.

Then I start playing the tunes.

When we play gigs, our first set tunes have the least hand gymnastics so by the time we get to the more complicated tunes we'll be nice and warmed up.

I imagine if there were a situation where we'd have to come out ripping, I'd do all those warm-ups prior to hitting the stage so that when I did, I'd be loose.

[Fergie Fulton]

Originally Posted by mpm32

All my stretching is done on the bass. I just play scales, some arpeggios, and some other warm-up exercising.

Then I start playing the tunes.

When we play gigs, our first set tunes have the least hand gymnastics so by the time we get to the more complicated tunes we'll be nice and warmed up.

I imagine if there were a situation where we'd have to come out ripping, I'd do all those warm-ups prior to hitting the stage so that when I did, I'd be loose.

Great way to structure a set and prepare for it on the bass. I know for one that in the past there were certain songs i had to be warmed up for and certain songs that could not be back to back because of the effort involved to early in a set.

Another warm up i used was to run vigoursly on the spot to raise my pulse and aerobic metabolism so the blood pumped in to my all my muscles, arms and hands included.