Back aches

[drteeth]

Hey,

Most of my practice is seated, but when standing up I suffer shoulder- and backpains within 15 minutes. How can I improve this? Are there any back exercises I can do? Should I buy a wider strap?

[Earthday]

You could be wearing it too low, so that you have to arch your back to reach down.

Try playing in front of a mirror and look at your form. If your feeling pain your doing something wrong.

[mambo4]

Four things to consider:

1.)You should only practice seated if you gig seated. Practice how you would play live!

2.) Basses vary a lot in weight so the make of your bass matters a lot. My Mike Lull MV4 is that it weighs in at 7.5 pounds - I barely know its there. When I switch to my P-bass, it feels like an anvil.

3.) I use a Comfort strap, foam padded, wide, and ergonomic. I can't imagine going back to one of those skinny guitar straps again. there are probably other brands of deluxe straps out there too, I've often seen pros recommend very wide straps.

4.) Try to keep in shape physically -I'm currently a slightly pudgy hypocrite but I know from experience that regular jogging can improve your back strength significantly

[Johnny Crab]

Originally Posted by mambo4

Four things to consider:

1.)You should only practice seated if you gig seated. Practice how you would play live!

2.) Basses vary a lot in weight so the make of your bass matters a lot.

3.) I use a Comfort strap, foam padded, wide, and ergonomic.

4.) Try to keep in shape physically -I'm currently a slightly pudgy hypocrite but I know from experience that regular jogging can improve your back strength significantly

+1 to all of the above!

We sometimes have 3+ hour sets(when the audience is going) so I try to make it a point of having marathon practice sessions as well with a CD, standing up, with a wide strap. I practice at home sitting down ONLY when I'm learning something new OR it's very late and I've been on my feet all day already. I use Greco LP clone basses(maple = heavy) most of the time. I do have a Brice(alder, smaller body, a LOT lighter) that gets used rarely(if my left shoulder joint gets real bad).

Also, I was in a motorcycle accident decades ago and ended up with one leg slightly(1-1/2")shorter than the other = vertebrae 3,4,5 always get hammered. This machine beats the heck out of a chiro or pain pills. One of THE BEST things I've ever bought in my life. It may get used tonight because my neck has been killing me. It's also cheaper than most basses:


http://www.teeterhangups.com/home.html

[bassandbeyond]

+1 on the wide padded straps.

I don't necessarily agree that you shouldn't practice sitting down. As long as the position of the bass relative to your upper body and arms is consistent with your standing form, I've found that seated practice can be just as beneficial to you as standing practice (consider using a footstool).

Also, in addition to general exercise, you might want to look into yoga. It can do wonders for back problems.

[jsm81]

++1 on the wide straps

I switched to a wide Levy and love it, the guitarists in my band followed cue and love their's too. Plus, I wear mine right at belly level now. I used to hang it low and that lead to some back pain.

[capnsandwich]

One thing that I do is stretch before a long set or practice. Get blood flowing through those muscles in your back so they're more flexible and don't cramp up as quickly. I also take short breaks inbetween songs, only at rehearsal though, and that takes some of the weight off of my back.

+1 to wider strap and bass position too. There's a lot to be said about how you carry your bass. I tend to carry mine just above the navel, which might look stupid to some, but it really helps me with comfort and also helps me to reach more frets up higher with ease.

Hope this helps. Oh, and drink plenty of water. Dehydration will cause back spasms over long periods carrying a heavy bass on your shoulder.

[DudeistMonk]

I have an oak/maple bass and it weighs about as much as a small woman....my cousin left his wide padded strap in the case when I stole his old acoustic, I threw that on my bass and now it doesn't feel nearly as heavy...I also lost a lot of weight myself and started hiking which probably helped.

I get back aches if I sit, cause I wind up hunched over looking at frets, I started playing standing to get used to it for gigging and because my back would kill me after half an hour seated practice....Also easier to tap ur foot standing.

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally Posted by Earthday

You could be wearing it too low, so that you have to arch your back to reach down.

Try playing in front of a mirror and look at your form. If your feeling pain your doing something wrong.

I agree with this 100% - you must be standing up straight when playing - look in the mirror and if you are bending your back/shoulders forward to reach - then you will inevitably suffer back pain!

And it will only get worse!

[Martin Bormann]

I recommend getting a gym membership and do some squats and some rows. That might help strengthen the back muscles a bit and thus alleviate some of your back pain. If it hurts too much, go see a doctor have him look at it.

With every student I ever had, my advice always was "if it hurts, you're doing it wrong." Of course, I was referring to their wrists, hands and fingers, but it applies to everything as well. Whether you're performing on stage or practicing at home, use good posture.

Also when you're playing, try to not rely on looking at what your hands are doing. You might be hunching over trying to look at what you're doing.

[drteeth]

I stopped playing seated alltogether, because I noticed that I did indeed hunch over my bass. I also got a wider, padded strad. It makes such a huge difference in the feeling of the bass, I haven't got any pain since then. Thanks guys!

P.S. My back muscles should be developed properly, since I've been practicing judo for 5 years now

[BassBus]

Yes to everything that has been said so far. You could consider seeing an osteopath as there may be some muscle spasm in your back. I've been ther and it can be painfull. After seeing an osteopath I can now stand and play for long periods without any discomfort.

On stretching, be carefull when you start doing stretches and maybe get some advice on that too. I'm just recovering from a shoulder injury which came from doing some yoga which I hadn't done before. An osteopath should be able to help you with that too.

[DocBop]

There have been straps in the past that took the weight off your back and put it around your waist. You wore them like a belt and then put a connector on the back of the bass. Having seen one in ages. There are straps that go over both shoulders to evenly distribute the weight that people on TB have posted who is making them now.

Only simple things I can suggest is adjusting your strap so bass is same height sitting or standing so your position is changing. Maybe do some back strengthening
exercises. Start standing while practice to slowly build up how long you can stand. Move around some when standing and playing to shift weight and maybe try playing leaning on a tall stool. You might want to check out the DB forum they have to deal with physical issues more than BG players.

[lexxmexx]

I have suffered really bad shoulder aches and my left arm will be so sore that I have quite a lot of difficulties raising it. I also bought a broader Levy padded leather strap which had eased some of the pain but not entirely.

I think this problem was caused me having to bend my body forward so that I can look at my fretting positions. I have not reached the level of being able to play without looking at my fretting hand.

[Martin Bormann]

Originally Posted by lexxmexx

I have suffered really bad shoulder aches and my left arm will be so sore that I have quite a lot of difficulties raising it. I also bought a broader Levy padded leather strap which had eased some of the pain but not entirely.

I think this problem was caused me having to bend my body forward so that I can look at my fretting positions. I have not reached the level of being able to play without looking at my fretting hand.

I'm assuming you don't sightread very well too. Here is a chance to knockout two birds with one stone. Sit down edge of the seat one foot on a platform and one on the ground. Back straight. Now get some very basic sheet music. Start with a book of scales and real basic etudes. Practice playing them without looking at the bass. Every time you look at the bass you owe yourself 20 push-ups. Go very slow at first then build up speed.

When you read the etudes, only play them a few times through before going on. The exercise is to learn to sightread better (which will make you less dependent on looking at your hands).

After a while, you'll either have good posture and can sight read well, or you'll have tons of upper body strength.

[Big Red Bass]

Drteeth,
I to have suffered through back pain/problems while playing the bass. I would suggest checking out this book, which I have and have found really useful:
http://www.drkertz.com/bassistguide.html
What has worked the best for me is working with a physical therapist. You should be able to find a physical therapist that specializes in working with musicians. My physical therapist does not but he has worked wonders with getting me to feel better when playing.