Right Hand Problem - please read

[Ben Vail]

Every single time I play the double bass, within 10 minutes I get my nasty blisters, and it's a huge pain to play with these monstrocities on my fingers.

The question is... how should I go about this?

Should I drain them every time? Should I play minimally and try to build up resistance? Should I play through them and let em bleed?

HELP.

[Kam]

I wouldn't advise "letting them bleed." Besides the obvious sanitation issue of having blood all over your bass and strings, you don't want your fingers to get infected.

Get some athletic tape, it will hold you together and let your fingers heal.

Have your teacher (if you don't have one, get one) watch your right hand technique..and maybe check your setup to see if there's something that can be done to reduce the problem.

[anonymous8547j7d7b]

There could well be setup or technical issues partly responsible, but some folks (myself included) just seem prone to them. I sometimes found that changing string brand or tensions could bring one on (usually 2nd finger) regardless of how regularly I was gigging etc @ the time. It's down to about 1 a year now, thankfully. Anyway, here's my personal blister ritual :-
Pop the blister with either a pin or nail-clippers towards the outside (left side with palm down) of your finger - this means that the cut or hole should not be opened further by pizz action - and drain.
Apply surgical spirit to clean & harden the area as often as you can.
Try not to play for a couple of days.
When you have to play again use some kind of liquid bandage/new skin over the area. I use Comspeed Liquid Bandage, which has an integral painkiller as well. It's quick to use and can be re-applied between sets!
Hopefully by the time the blistered part (which may now in fact resemble a callous) gets pizzed off the skin underneath will be rugged enough to take anything spiro reds etc can throw at it & callous up nicely.
This method has got me through the last few blisters that I've had without too much discomfort, but we're all different, so...

[Freddels]

Back in college I used to have the very same problem. I ended up giving up the URB. Last year I got a new URB that was set up properly and I don't have that problem anymore.

I'm going to venture out and say that it's probably your bass and the set up. Take it to a luthier and have it checked out. You could also find someone in your area that has a properly set up bass and give their bass a try to see if you still have that problem. Now you might still get some blisters for a while (until you build up the callouses) but you shouldn't be bleeding after ten minutes of playing.

[accutone]

As others have said, set-up does matter, but technique is really important - many people ignore the right hand (ask me how I know!)

In short, rt. hand jazz technique is not like electric bass right hand technique. For heavy jazz playing, your index finder should be almost parallel with the string. Practice slowly just with the right hand and lay the fingers against the finger board when you do. Your hand should be hanging down perpendicular with the strings. You should be using more of the side of the index finger pizzicato. Same with the middle finger although it is hard to use the side of finger as much. The middle finger especially should have a callus (sp?) and you have to maintain that callus to avoid a blister. If you haven't had someone show you the proper right hand technique, you might want to do so, as it is hard to explain without seeing it. BTW, proper right hand technique will change and improve your sound.

[hdiddy]

To add to ACETONE's post, when you pluck with the RH, it's definitely not anything like electric bass at all. Thumb should be on the side of the fingerboard, and your should be "pulling" the string, not really plucking it. Aim to drive your finger through the string, finger tips should be pointing into the fingerboard. You want alot of meat on the string. If you play it like an EB, you might be just shearing your skin across the strings and thus causing blisters.

It's a while guess for us to give you advice across the internet. Best is to go find a trained teacher and take a lesson so they can show you proper technique in person. It's not exactly straightforward.


I only get blisters on my middle finger but after practicing alot and regularly, it's only an issue if I play fast and hard during a long jam session or something. If it's very chronic, I would see a teacher before I see a luthier, personally.