taking care of our most important instrument...

[nmancusi10]

As a 20 yr-old finger-styler, I was wondering if there anything I should be doing now to keep my hands and fingers healthy so I can keep pluckin' till I'm old and gray. Does all this bass playing wear our finger joints down or build up their strength? Also, should I break myself of the habit of cracking my knuckles? Thanks alot guys

[TrevorOfDoom]

a few tips i've picked up over the years:
never ever play through the pain. if your wrists, fingers, eyeballs, whatever! hurt, stop playing! put ice on it, wait a bit, and try again! pain while playing can be a sign of something serious.

i put heat pads on my wrists and forearms the day after long shows. (i also get a massage the day after shows, cuz the way i move, my back is killing the next day!)

stretch! stretch your fingers and wrists, and arms, and back, and whatever. i don't care if it looks like you're about to Sweat to the Oldies with Richie Simmons, you stretch, dammit!!

that's all i've got. rock!

[Baird6869]

Cracking knuckles being dangerous is a complete myth. It cannot harm you and does not cause joint damage or arthritis.

As far as exercise... use a squishy ball (stress ball) or grip strengthner.

[Bass Tees]

Originally Posted by Baird6869

Cracking knuckles being dangerous is a complete myth. It cannot harm you and does not cause joint damage or arthritis.

As far as exercise... use a squishy ball (stress ball) or grip strengthner.

I've heard it's a myth and I've heard that it isn't.

Now what they say about bass players with small hands... that's a myth.

[mntngrown]

I am getting old and gray, and just started playing again last year.
I have payed close attention to the threads on here about carpal tunnel, re: good warm up, then playing posture. Straight wrists are a common theme, i.e. don't strap the bass too low or too high. Keeping the neck more in an upright mode works for my long arms.
I bought "the bassist's guide to injury management, prevention and better health" by Randall Kertz D. C. Todd Johnson has a forum here and he recommends a book on his tapes that he would probably tell you about on the forum.

[Carver]

Originally Posted by Baird6869

Cracking knuckles being dangerous is a complete myth. It cannot harm you and does not cause joint damage or arthritis.

As far as exercise... use a squishy ball (stress ball) or grip strengthner.

True. That is a myth. The only effect could be a slightly increased range of motion in that joint. "Cracking" your own back or neck, however, can cause some issues.

Squishy balls are really good. But make sure to stretch a lot too!



P.S. My day gig is a chiropractor.

[Jjango]

I agree with what everybody else has said so far. I'll just add my 2¢.

Don't play in a manner that causes pain. If you're cramping, aching, anything like that, you're doing something wrong, or that bass is not for you. Usually, just a shift in the position of the wrist or forearm is enough to avoid painful playing. Do NOT get into the habit of playing in an uncomfortable position. You may get away with it now, but it will come back to haunt you.

I have been blessed with never having any playing-related discomfort. Last year I started playing a five string with tight string-spacing, and to get the same feeling of distance between strings that I'm used to on a four, I started angling my right wrist more, like if you were trying to touch your fingertips to your forearm. Kind of "praying mantis" style, with the top of my wrist facing the headstock.

After a few weeks, I started getting sharp pains in my plucking fingers, and numbness/tingling in my forearm. This SEVERELY bummed me out, because it made playing a pain – literally. I LOVE to play, and the thought of not being able to play anymore was terrifying. I mean, I seriously got DEPRESSED!

I thought about what had changed in my technique recently, and the only thing I could come up with was the new fiver. So I put the fiver aside for about a week, and the pain disappeared. If I ever buy another fiver, I will absolutely seek one out with FULL 19mm string spacing.

My heart goes out to my bass-player brothers and sisters who have to deal with pain. The thought of not being able to play, even though it afflicted me for such a short time, was absolutely heartbreaking.

[moomoocajoo]

Originally Posted by Carver

True. That is a myth. The only effect could be a slightly increased range of motion in that joint. "Cracking" your own back or neck, however, can cause some issues.

Squishy balls are really good. But make sure to stretch a lot too!



P.S. My day gig is a chiropractor.

The crack is small pockets of air or something bursting...or something...isn't it? thats what I was told. I do know it isn't dangerous though. And I always do it before a toodle on the bass, just feels better and looser.

[Dave Muscato]

Try searching in the Technique forum... This has been covered a LOT...

[Pickslide]

Don't do martial arts. I have in the past & now pay the price in broken fingers, hands etc.

[Carver]

Originally Posted by moomoocajoo

The crack is small pockets of air or something bursting...or something...isn't it? thats what I was told. I do know it isn't dangerous though. And I always do it before a toodle on the bass, just feels better and looser.

Correct.

[maryhyphenbeth]

My bass teacher told me the stress ball is a no-no. For fretting, it's all about isolation, not strength. You should be able to hold your hand flat, palm up and raise each finger individually perpendicular, keeping the rest of your fingers straight.
The other exercise he told me to try was a piano player's thing where you hold your palm over a flat surface, finger tips touching the table, and lift each finger tip individually, keeping a nice arch in each finger. Again, isolation.

From my massage therapist, we need to warm up and cool down just like any athelete would prepare to do repetitive muscle motions. Hold your left arm straight out infront of you, and pull your left hand up and back with your other hand across the full span of your palm, including your thumb to stretch the muscles on the bottom of your arm. Then flop your left hand down, and press again with your right hand across the knuckles to stretch the muscles on the top of your arm. Repeat with the right arm. After that, hold both arms straight out, tuck your thumb into your fist, fingers clenched around it and press your knuckles downward to stretch the muscles in your wrists. Hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds, and you're do to that before you play and after you play.

The massage therapist also suggested some hydrotherapy: each time I wash my hands I should lather up to my elbows with warm water and rinse with cold water. Then, (maybe with a sink full of warm water) stretch my palm out into the basin using the curve of it to stretch the muscles in my fingers.

Bet you didn't think you'd get those tips, would you? Ha.

I do the first three stretches, but washing up to my elbows and stretching in the basin...may have to wait until it's warm enough to not wear sweaters every day.

[dstewart]

I'm old i guess. I've found if i drink lots of water, stay relaxed and remember to breath normally there is no finger pain, stiffness or cramping.

[ggunn]

Originally Posted by moomoocajoo

The crack is small pockets of air or something bursting...or something...isn't it? thats what I was told. I do know it isn't dangerous though. And I always do it before a toodle on the bass, just feels better and looser.

How would air get into your joints? I am a diver, and any internal air that is not in your lungs, ears, or digestive tract is a real problem. I don't think there are air bubbles in your joints.

[eotpr]

I have broken all of the fingers on my left hand. I have found that playing was the most effective PT I could find to regain motion and strength. Until I started playing again I could not close my hand completely. After playing a bit I can. From that experience I think that playing is helping me maintain my flexability and use of my hands.

[0175westwood29]

i broke my thumb and had to wait like 5 months b4 i could play again! was gutted! tried to play after 2 months and basically after 2 mins had to stop as i couldnt feel thumb!

basically warm up, and never play thru pain.

oh and wait for blisters to heal as they hurt like hell to play with when they cut open! pluss took me ages to clean my fretboard when 1 broke during practice!

[Carver]

Originally Posted by ggunn

How would air get into your joints? I am a diver, and any internal air that is not in your lungs, ears, or digestive tract is a real problem. I don't think there are air bubbles in your joints.

Long story short...It isn't really air in that sense. Synovial fluid contains mostly nitrogen, and some carbon dioxide and oxygen. When gasses build up they release when the joint is sharply moved or stretched. This causes the "popping" sound. The gasses are then reabsorbed by surrounding tissues. That's why you have to wait a while before "cracking" again...The gasses need time to build back up in the synovial fluid.

[steve66]

I have been blessed with breaking my pinky knuckle(fretting hand) several times. With that, limited pinky movement and painful arthritis set in as I got older. I have been playing the bass since '05 and have been very careful of the wrist angles on both fretting and plucking hand. I play 1 finger per fret. I literally have no pain. I am cured of the arthritis and have full mobility of my pinky. So the moral of my story is that bass playing with good technique helped my situation. My advice is to make sure that you are wearing your bass correctly and avoid sharp wrist angles. If you have pain playing, it is probably due to the wrist angle and or the way you wear your bass.

[Ozonbass]

+1

For all you science types...look into "cavitation".

[MarkTAW]

Stay off of the mouse when you're at your computer for long hours and make sure the keyboard is at the appropriate height.