Playing bass and playing sports

behndy · #1 10-02-2010, 09:58 AM

not sure if this should go here or in misc.

was wondering how many of y'all engage in sports activities on a regular basis (see what i did there? bass... basis... GOLD)? i guess more specifically sports that have a chance of hurting your hands.

i love basketball. since giving up tv at my house i haven't watched any games except for live or at restaurants/pugs, but i still love the game. i used to play ball about 3 or 4 times a week, usually around 2-3 hours each day. but about a year and a half ago when i started gigging on a regular basis (there's that word again) i was in a place where i didn't have enough time to get out to the courts anymore.

now, my schedule's freed up some and i have the time. but i don't really have the inclination. i still think i would love playing, but i get afraid of banging my hands up. this last year has been the first time in maybe 10 years that i've gone more than a couple weeks without a jammed finger. i do get stuck banging around down low. and that IS a high foul area.

anybody else love sports, or any other physical activity i guess, but get afraid of doing it 'cause it might hinder your musical ability?

retardedpossum · #2 10-02-2010, 10:03 AM

I run a plenty and it's easy on the hands. 2:47 marathon

I<34080 · #3 10-02-2010, 10:14 AM

Tennis, running, ultimate frisbee...?

behndy · #4 10-02-2010, 10:15 AM

lol. yes.... running would not be what i was talking about. running = damn good. but you're probably not going to catch a basketball in your thumb at an odd angle and jam the crap out of your fingies.

Bassdirty · #5 10-02-2010, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by behndy

since giving up tv at my house...

I thought bass playing was a sport?..

Well, I consider it a sport anyway.

behndy · #6 10-02-2010, 10:23 AM

kinda ot - but yeah. stopped paying for broadcast stuff. i have an interface hooked up to the tv that lets me watch Hulu and mpeg/avi/mkv files. it's AMAZING how much more stuff you get done when you can't get locked into channel surfing through shows for 3 hours on accident.

StingrayDerek · #7 10-02-2010, 10:23 AM

Hockey and Lacrosse.

behndy · #8 10-02-2010, 12:01 PM

hur. never played Lacrosse. i've played a little football. actually tore a tendon in my pinky that has little impact on my playing. scared the boopers outa me tho.

do you mess your hands up much in Lacrosse?

sloasdaylight · #9 10-02-2010, 12:06 PM

I rock climb from time to time.

Zoa · #10 10-02-2010, 12:07 PM

i play collegiate ultimate, which i consider as good for your hands, as you strengthen them by throwing, etc. I also play hockey, as a goalie, which has caused me no little worry, along with several broken fingers.

MrLenny1 · #11 10-02-2010, 12:11 PM

Skiing(downhill )and playing bass are my two sports.
Years ago I would not ski for fear of banging up my hands and arms.
Later on as I realized my music career was not going to land me a contract
I decided to do both and try and be careful enough to continue both.
I use to gig enough to pay for my skiing but lately things are lean.
I suppose playing hoop makes you more prone to hand injuries and if you're gigging a lot
than you are pushing it.

davec · #12 10-02-2010, 12:17 PM

I use to play alot of baseball (P,C 1B) and a few years ago did a season or to of softball (1B). Now whats funny is this summer I had a road gig in Indy and while unloading gear felt a pop in my elbow and had to pass on a round of golf becausr I couldn't risk flaring up some tendonitis worst than what it already was. Thanks to aleave and ice packs I made the gig!

thombo · #13 10-02-2010, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bassdirty

I thought bass playing was a sport?..

Well, I consider it a sport anyway.

if only this were true... bill dickens, chris chew, tony markellis, juan nelson, and a whole bunch of other cats would be built like tanks.

FWIW, i play lacrosse and haven't had any problems. working out w/ weights can be a little rough on the hands, but so is too much typing w/ bad pasture, or working construction.

for the most part, i find that as long as i stretch (hands, arms, and the rest of my body) and do some warm ups, physical activity isn't a problem.

basketball is rough though... lots of finger jams. Don't take your eye off of the ball!

shrimpflea · #14 10-02-2010, 12:45 PM

I've played ice hockey for the last 18 years....hasn't hurt my hands but has seriously messed up my back, which greatly affected my bass playing at times. The last 6 months or so weight training and ab work as helped tremendously.

behndy · #15 10-02-2010, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thombo

basketball is rough though... lots of finger jams. Don't take your eye off of the ball!

lol. yeah... i'm not a huge guy. i'm only about 6' 4", but that sticks me at center most times. WAY too slow to run point. but yeah... i've never gone more than a couple weeks without jamming a finger or thumb.

i don't even come CLOSE to supporting myself with music, i guess my fear is that it's a bit irresponsible to my bandmate if we're both putting in a bunch of effort to play as well as we can, and then i have to miss a gig over a jammed or fractured something.

woof. rock climbing is ROUGH. i'm crazy afraid of heights tho. blarfgh.

**peledog** · #16 10-02-2010, 04:19 PM

The Xbox controller hurt my thumb more than my hockey stick ever did.

JimmyM · #17 10-02-2010, 10:56 PM

exercise is good. sports are good. but yes, there is always a risk of injury. and basketball i understand not wanting to do it because jammed fingers will, indeed, screw with your bass playing. basketball was one sport i was actually halfway decent at when i was a kid, but i had to give it up for the same reason.

i suggest finding a sport where your fingers aren't as at risk. maybe try field hockey. or curling. or shuffleboard.

pandaman37 · #18 10-02-2010, 11:08 PM

ive been playing rugby for my friends (un)official inter mural league now, i wouldnt advise contact sports lol, cos im in quite a bit of pain atm.. i actually seemed to have landed on the exact muscle in my hand i depend on most for slapping.. no more than a minor inconvenience atm, but it could develop into something worse later... i think youll be fine with basketball, just tape your hands or something.

and +1 to the watching less TV idea, it blows my mind how much more time i have on my hands now that i watch less tv, didnt realize how much of a waste of time it was until i stopped watching so much..

Greevus · #19 10-02-2010, 11:13 PM

I used to go to guitar lessons with my football pants on and go straight to practice! I still play disc golf and some basketball, bike riding. nothing too strenuous. does sex count?

skwee · #20 10-02-2010, 11:17 PM

Well, this is one of the reasons that soccer is compatible with bass playing--except for last week when I agreed to go into the goal for awhile and tweaked up my right wrist (which was stupid anyway because my wrists are on the weak side anyway). So, no more goalkeeping for me ever again. decided its too important for me to risk my bass and guitar playing, since it's part of my income.