Are You Hurting or Sore ?

[Fergie Fulton]

Changes in practise or routine can cause some pain or discomfort.
A new instrument, or technique can do the same...so why?

Lets start with a simple premise that all movement in playing bass is muscular movement or support.
In life we develop and use muscles in particular ways unique to what we do. Muscle groups can be activated or deactivated by the smallest of margins in movement or use.
Ever laughed so much it hurt? Ever did a different sport/exercise and then find the next day you hurt?
Ever write so much your hand hurt?
Just a few examples of how slight changes can cause a problem.

The reason for this is that our muscles are toned to a specific task so if we change then the muscle use changes and we use muscles and muscle groups that we have not used in that fashion. So the result is they hurt and maybe joints or ligaments around them inflame to make it feel worse than it is.
Don't worry this is normal.

As the new muscle routine become more familiar so the problems reduce, and then goes away. New bass with a different neck profile, heavier bass, different shape, different height can all cause problems. New practise, new technique, increased playing, even playing when tired can cause problems.
I have in the past likened the hand to a battery that has a time limit on use in a day. Lets say that in 24hrs your hand has 2hrs maximum use then it stops working and needs charging. That means before practise or playing it needs to be fully charged to get 2hrs use. If you work hard with your hands at work, or need lots of keyboard skills, or like computer gaming, then you are in effect running that use down.

Think on all the things you use your hands for in a day?
Now compare that to the kind of use it would have had 10 years ago, then 20, then 30 then 40 years ago. Truth is that in today's modern age, from an early age the hand gets more use than in the past. In years gone by we never had, computer games, mobile phones, computer keyboards, remote controls. Push buttons on appliances such as microwaves, stereos, even doors are all things we never had to contend or cope with, so the hand had an easier time of it.

So with all this going on changes in you playing can give or contribute to a problem more so today than in the past.
So if we look at stretching and warm up as the way to "charge the hands" for another 2 hrs then these changes to our playing will have minimal impact. In fact these stretches and warm up can help prevent injuries and aid recovery as well as make playing easier.

The areas to look at are many so rather then list them i will just remind you to search for information on any area of the body and put the word "exercises" or "stretches" after it, you'll be surprised at the info out there.
I myself have a stretching routine i do which takes no longer than a few minutes before and after playing. It is made up of lots of different things from Yoga, to Tai Chi, from physical exercise, to target muscle training. It addresses my back, neck, shoulders, arms, hands, and fingers. If i have long periods of standing i will add an exercise to aid that as and when i need it.
Prevention is being pro active against injury, treatment is reaction to injury....which one do you want to be?

[Mayers]

I do a warm up like John Myung do... warm up the same time you will play ... Like you will play 2h you warm up for 2h. It is important to do to prevent any injuries in the long run.

If playing for a long period hurt then you do something wrong no matter wich instrument you play or what you do. You can be sore after a time but hurt, no never !!!

[Ian the bassist]

Originally Posted by Mayers

I do a warm up like John Myung do... warm up the same time you will play ... Like you will play 2h you warm up for 2h. It is important to do to prevent any injuries in the long run.

If playing for a long period hurt then you do something wrong no matter wich instrument you play or what you do. You can be sore after a time but hurt, no never !!!

My warm ups would usually only last for 5 minutes. Just to get me into it and then play. Doing a few simple stretches now and then helps as well. I do get sore sometimes but usually only after using a laptop not bass.

[fearceol]

Originally Posted by Mayers

I do a warm up like John Myung do... warm up the same time you will play ... Like you will play 2h you warm up for 2h.

While I am not saying this is wrong, I would have my doubts about this. If done properly, a warm up should take about 10 to 15 minutes.

In football, a substitute will only start warming up about 5-10 minutes before he knows he is going to play.

I'm open to correction here, but this seems the most practical way to warm up.

[Epitaph04]

Apparently John Myung also warms down after a show.

[Kirk Bryant]

really....John Myung must be feeling like ....John My-Olde haha no.. sorry but to each his own I actually need to warm up my voice way more than my bass chops unless it's a REALLY demanding gig. I subbed for a Tower of Power type band that I actually had to start practicing tunes about 3 days in advance to really cop the Rocco thing convincingly.
A wonderful exercise thou I don't think I could do it 7 days a week !! I can cut it a couple of days a week.
I think anyone who has played for a few years will need no more than a few minutes to get ready to play... if that !! for sure ..
I have had days when doing a double or even triple header. I felt like OK I AM READY TO RUMBLE !!! after the second or third gig.. but just as many times I have felt like OK I have played 8-9 hrs today not to mention moved the gear twice I am warmed - baked- and ...put a fork in me I'm overdone....

don't worry so much about warming up as playing well.

peace Kirk

[Kirk Bryant]

oh yea ...warming down.... cold beer helps...haha


capt K

[bassmanbiff]

sorry, neither hurting nor sore ...

These are either poor technique or too few hours with respect to recent hours on the instrument.

[Fergie Fulton]

Originally Posted by fearceol

While I am not saying this is wrong, I would have my doubts about this. If done properly, a warm up should take about 10 to 15 minutes.

In football, a substitute will only start warming up about 5-10 minutes before he knows he is going to play.

I'm open to correction here, but this seems the most practical way to warm up.

Correct, a warm up is a short use of the muscles to allow blood flow to increase, thus raise the body temperature, so give muscles warmth and a controlled stretch.
John Mung stops warming up after 10mins or so and is then in the action of playing, whether he believes it or not. This is a fact of muscle use not an opinion. No one can warm up their hands for longer than ten minutes or so under normal condition.
I cannot comment on why John Mung does this because there is the reality of his situation to take into consideration, rather than the hyped one. There may be a mental thinking that needs such a routine..all most like a superstition. The one thing i can say is at forty three he has had a full and varied playing life so knows what works for him. because it works for him does not mean it will work for you.

I am reminded of the story of two neighbours talking and one said to the other " our houses are identical in size and design".
"when you decorated last year how many rolls of wallpaper did you buy"? His neighbour thinks back and replies "sixteen". "Thanks" he replies thinking to himself "that will same me time and money in measuring up and trying to work it out".
A few weeks later the two neighbours were talking again and the subject of the decorating came up. " I don't understand it" he said, "i bought sixteen rolls of paper like you said but i ended up having seven left over." "wow" says his neighbour "that's amazing.... so did i."

Remember what works for one only works for another if they understand the situation.
Warming down is always a great idea and a simple routine to do. Some use ice and stretches, i just stretch and massage as that work for me.