Adjustments in technique to Deal with Pain.

[M-Mittlesteadt]

Now that I've added the low B back on, it's so much easier and pain free to play those lower "E" string notes on the low B instead. I wear my bass rather high to accommodate my fingerstyle picking in a comfortable position with my right elbow at a 90 degree angle and my wrist straight. My left, fretting hand, wrist and elbow are also relaxed now..

I can still reach the lower notes near the nut if need be and when there is no pain, but it's so much simpler to play them without the long reach. I have found that while my bass balances beautifully now (Ibanez SR206) from butt end of the body to the headstock end, the body of the bass still wanted to "lean or tilt outward" away from my body if my right forearm wasn't holding it against my body.

I solved that by adding a secondary strap pin on the back of the body. I installed a threaded insert into the back of the body, and attached my strap to that and the butt end. My Levy's leather strap had two holes in it anyway. So now my strap is attached at the upper horn on the neck end and in two places on the butt end of the body...the tail end and the back. Works perfect. My bass no longer tilts or leans out away from my body even with my right forearm not touching it. Feels like it's just a part of me.

Drilled and screwed in a recessed brass recessed threaded insert.

Strap is now attached to the stock strap button on the butt end, but also on the top of the back side...

Hard to see it, but the top of the bass body no longer tilts or leans out away from my body. Fits nice and tight to me. Kind of hard to tell in the photo. This is looking straight down when I wear it (hands free) and no forearm need to keep it in this position. Previously looking down at it, I'd be looking more at the top or slightly at the back of the body.

Big difference for me. I now have a lot more comfort playing as no part of my shoulders, elbows, wrist or hands are in any position other than comfortable and relaxed.

 

[tshapiro]

I bought an Ibanez 6 string, and have been playing with it tuned EADGFC to experiment with more of a fingerpicking style (like I'm used to when playing guitar) and playing a more "chordal" melodic style on bass. I pluck with my thumb, index and middle finger mostly. This keeps my right elbow and wrist more relaxed as my right hand/wrist can remain straight with my forearm and my elbow more at a relaxed right angle.

Being older, and after a couple of falls that resulted in two (slightly) separated collar bones (left in one fall, right in the other) I also have tendonitis in my right elbow. But, I also have a slightly torn left rotator cuff, making playing down anywhere near the nut on the fingerboard quite painful. Yes, I've been addressing the health aspect for a long time...doing therapy, stretches, massages, eating right, taking supplements, etc. So that's not my issue. And neither is how high/low my strap is or if I'm sitting (which is essentially the position on my body) and most comfortable.

I'm thinking of going back to a traditional tuning of BEADGC so that essentially the 5th fret can be used more like the open string on a typical 4 or 5 string. I already know the tone is a little different playing some positions. And an "E" on the low B string doesn't sound exactly like an open "E" on the E string. But with this tuning I don't have to reach down lower on the fingerboard (nearer the nut) to do the same runs. Obviously lower notes below the fifth fret are still there if needed, but I won't have to use them if I'm having difficulty reaching. Turning/twisting my shoulder back to reach is really hard to do.

While I'm still kind of adjusting to plucking differently with my right hand, I also now need to be more conscious of my fretting "pressure" using a lighter touch. I've already lowered my strings to where they are nearly sitting on the frets allowing me to play with a lighter touch in fretting. No fret buzz at all on this beautifully flat, wide fretboard (and ultra thin neck profile)

All of this is something kind of new to me as for the past 45 years I've always played with a much more aggressive technique with both hands. Anyone else forced to adjust their technique to continue to play without pain?

Just curious how everyone has adjusted to adopting a new technique after such a long time playing a certain way.

Seems your condition has got you playing like I do all the time and I’m not suffering from that pain. Amp up, soft touch, super low action, treat a low B like an E. I actually avoid open notes whenever possible because I like the control I have from fretting/muting.