building up nerve stamina - is it a thing?

[Killed_by_Death]

My mouse hand is my right, and it gets arthritic with too much use.
Strumming or plucking is fine though.
My arthritic right hand might actually be a blessing in disguise, since it pretty much forces me to do something else for a while & get off the computer.

 

[johnson79]

I've had problems with my hands for years. Ended up having carpal tunnel surgery a few years ago.
The carpal tunnel issues are gone, but my wrists feel tight and I can't hold a pick as well anymore.
Sucks, but I need to do more exercise and stretching. I was really hoping after the surgery my hands would be 100%, but of course that's not possible.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Oh, I almost forgot about the pick. I get weary from holding the pick as well, with guitar or Motörhead songs, so I just switch to plucking.
I used to hold the pick so tight that I developed a blister on my thumb, but that blister helped me to loosen up.

 

[JRA]

or should I just listen to my body & cool it when I sense that numbness setting in?

as an old guy: i'm better at listening to my body than i used to be, but i'm not there in any perfect sense: which is too bad since (as an old guy) i don't recover as fast --- or sometimes as completely --- as i once did.

yeah: better listen!

 

[Killed_by_Death]

My mouse hand is giving me a little trouble even right now, but that's ok, because I'll be back outdoors in another 1/2 hour.

 

[Oddly]

Technique, warm up stretches, hydration and relaxation.
I've had very similar issues to you and the helpful advice given above can basically be condensed down to that.

Might I suggest you could video yourself playing and perhaps show that to some of the more expert guys on here (ie the ones that are tutors) that might have some adjustment advice to offer ?

 

[Ewo]

Stretching before and an ice pack after will help what you've got going on. Sounds like some internal swelling that is pinching the nerves.
I get it too, more as I've gotten older.

And lightening up your touch, as you're talking about.
One exercise I have my students try is playing a whole song without touching the back of the neck with their thumb. You shouldn't play like that all the time, of course, but it can help you learn how little you need to grip.

Make sure your setup is on point. Good nut slot height is a big factor for me in being able to have a lighter left hand.

+1. Good advice.

I remember a related thing in Gary Willis's book. He pointed out there's no reason to put any more pressure in your fretting that what's needed to avoid buzzing when the string is plucked. So he suggested spending a little time just testing how much that is. Stop a string as you routinely do, pluck it normally. If no buzz, repeat, lightening your fretting pressure bit by bit. You're likely to find (as I did) that you can considerably lighten the force you apply with your left hand. From there it's a matter of training the lighter touch until it becomes your new normal.

 

[fishdreams]

In addition of improving technique, I found it pays to carefully look at everything else you do in daily life.

For example, I discovered that a recent issue with neck and shoulder pain, shooting into my right arm, came down to my wearing progressive lenses at work. They forced me to bend my neck in an unnatural position all day in front of my monitor in order to be able to read it. The solution was to to get a cheap pair of computer glasses.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I've even had to change how I hold the steering wheel. I don't put a death-grip on it, but I often do hold on a little too tight.

 

[eloann]

I recently went through tendonitis and couldn't play (or use my fingers in any other way) for a whole month. Very depressing.

The good news is, it was further to playing a TON of (badly set up) guitar for acoustic gigs so my bass technique wasn't the cause.
The lesson learned is: listen to your body, don't tough through it!

 

[kevteop]

I had badly swollen wrist tendons a few years back and put down the bass guitar for about 18 months until it was better. I still played double bass and that didn't inflame them at all but BG would flare them up just over the course of one gig.

As for computer use I stopped using a mouse completely. I use a Mac at work and had a Magic Mouse, the one with the multi-touch panel on top? Should've been called Danger Mouse because doing multi-touch gestures on it destroyed my wrist within a couple of weeks. I swapped it out for a touch pad which requires barely any movement at all and importantly no gripping. I haven't had wrist tendon problems at all for two years now and I've even got back into weight training which was another thing I'd completely stopped doing in order to recuperate.

I would definitely suggest ditching the mouse completely if that's feasible. I can't stress enough what a difference it's made for me.

 

[Bass212]

If you feel numbness in your pinky it is likely the ulnar nerve in your elbow getting irritated when its bent. Besides that, the absolute best thing you can do for your technique which I think isnt talked about enough is PLAYING LIGHT. I used to beat the crap out of my bass with my fingers and I was always wondering why I wasn't building stamina and breaking strings. I started playing light with my fingers to the point of exagerrating how light I played and all of a sudden my technique started coming together and I was getting all the tones I wanted out of the bass. Seriously, you will be shocked at how much you progress doing this.

 

[Doublesixes]

In my experience, cocking the right wrist will make me tired and eventually sore. If I play with the right hand extended, more or less in the same plane as the forearm, the longer I can play without any issues. The same applies to the right hand/wrist action but to a lesser degree.

I used to anchor my right thumb on the bridge pup, twisting my hand about 70 degrees in relation to the forearm. That was a very bad idea and hindered my technical improvement.

 

[GwenOnBass]

Disclaimer: neither a doctor nor a body worker I be.

Perhaps this may sound "girly" but some yoga and/or tai chi classes may be worth consideration. The reason I mention this is because so few of us have learned to really listen to our bodies. There are more than just finger and arm muscles at work playing a bass. I find it's important to me to pay attention to which muscles are tensing and when.

 

[Cosmo Dalton]

I would say always listen to your body. As far as digging in with practice I usually hit a wall around 4 hours. Diminished returns and all that jazz. Anyway, I remember reading somewhere that it's more beneficial to practice 1 hour everyday than 7 hours one day. Don't get me wrong, input equals output, but it's hard to play through pain. Also, do you play a higher action? I had a bass when I was a kid with high action and it was a bear to handle.

 

[Honch]

You're too tense. If you own a full body mirror in your hall, or house, use that. Check that you:

1. Don't raise your shoulders the slightest just before starting to play. Relax and let it all hang out. Down. As much "down" as possible. I used to do that. It hampered everything!
2. Check in the mirror picture that you don't undeliberately BEND the strings. Some I know use false grip and bend the strings out of tune. Very hard to hear on bass since it hasn't any chords in it. It's just one note at a time mostly.
3. As others have said, try to play without the thumb behind your neck. Very very good practice.
4. See how much you NEED to press down. As fast as it starts to buzz, you're too light, and if it goes out of tune (check with a tuner) you're pressing too much. It's very easy to press the fretted note out of tune. Ever seen/heard of those capos that - when put on a guitar - it goes out of tune? Way too much downward pressure. Needs to be adjusted. Same with fingers...
5. Relax, breathe, you're too anxious, and hyped up to be start playing. Even if it's in a positive vibe so to speak. You're glad that you're about to play...
6. Take time to prepare, and take LOTS of breaks.

If it still hurts, TAKE A LONG REST. A week or two doesn't do any damage. Instead It heals. As fast as you feel pain, stop. If you try to cope and stand the pain, it will get even worse and you will never be able to play again. Ask acoustic guitar legend Leo Kottke what happened to him. Yngwie Malmsteen too. Watch late videos of guitar virtuoso Steve Morse, he has now a "cast" on his picking hand. In spite of he's known for warming up excercises and precision to every lick he plays, and thorough technique. Now, he's suffering from RSI, due to that he has not ever never stopped playing. Even in his car, while driving, and when he was an airline pilot. No matter how meticulous you study, and honing your technique for not getting hurt, eventually in the end, the hurt shows up just because you've played too much, even if you play the academically and scientific proper way.

 

[Honch]

 

[YosemiteSam]

Does your arm/hand/shoulder hurt or tingle withOUT playing the bass? Have you noticed any weakness?

If the answer to these is yes you might check with a neurologist, a regular dr, or even a physical therapist. Ask them to do a hand strength test and assessment for neuropathy, specifically for spinal stenosis or other nerve impingement.

I don't say this to scare you, just something to consider. In June of '15 I started getting severe pain in my shoulder and arm, just woke up to it one morning. Tried a bunch of things (chiropractic, acupuncture, PT) and finally discovered (via MRI) I had stenosis compromising the ulnar nerve, requiring neurosurgery through the back of my neck. I played all through the ordeal, even doing gigs a week before the surgery. It hurt like hell, and I was on so much pain medication at the end it turns my stomach to think about it. Had surgery in May, and I've done three gigs since then. I still get some tingles and pain around my triceps, but it is considerably better than pre-surgery.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Once it was triggered a couple of weeks ago, it was weak all the time, even when not playing.
Right now I only feel some soreness the day after, but no longer the weakness and lack of grip I had a couple of weeks ago.

 

[Fat Freddy]

Just so we're clear. I am a joke? or the opening post is a joke?

DON'T take the bait! Just a reminder from a friend