How Do I Manage Hand Pain When Playing

[PsychedelicJohn]

I have been playing bass for about 14 years and I'm only 28. and for the past 3 years my hands have been cramping and my picking hand starts to get tired easily to the point I feel like I'm going to drop my pick. Is there any exercise or creams that can help when playing. Or dose anyone have other methods to cope with this.

 

[AFRO]

Not a Doc disclaimer!

Lots and i mean copious amounts of pre-stretch routine and some stretching during the gig/practice day(s). maybe some massage too.

I am on lunch break so this wont be a long post.. but when I get off I will dig through the forum for Fergie Fulton's posts on the subject and drop you some links.

Carol Kaye also has some good dap on the subject. Adam Neely may have some useful input too.

It sounds like you are gripping much too hard on the pick, so you may benefit from a larger plectrum, so you arent pinching as much, or possibly you may need to adjust the grip on the plectrum itself.

when I use a pick I like the big 1.0MM Dunlop kind. and I do not use the tip of my index finger to pinch, rather I rest it between the first two joints... kind of hard to describe: but I put the tip of my index finger on the top of my palm (then relax of course) and I only play with the very tip of the plec.. sort of looks like when Bill Clinton was giving a speech and lays his thumb over his folded fingers... I want to say I adopted this form from Rex (Brown) when he was playing with Pantera.

I may have to find/post a video.. again lunch time is almost over so it will be later this wknd.

but at any rate, some stretching should do wonders and maybe some massage of the area..If it does not, then your problem may be rooted deeper than I can unprofessionally diagnose over the internet on a bass forum
I type a lot for my job so I have a tendency to stretch out during the day as it is...

 

[jallenbass]

How's your diet?

 

[bassdude51]

You could try using a thumb pick. It wraps around the thumb and that kind of holds it in place so that you don't hardly have to pinch it with your index finger. Should take some pressure off.

I've seen a few bassist use this.

 

[AFRO]

You could try using a thumb pick. It wraps around the thumb and that kind of holds it in place so that you don't hardly have to pinch it with your index finger. Should take some pressure off.

I've seen a few bassist use this.

View attachment 4085663

This is how I hold my hand! (Bill Clinton speech gesture) and the approximate angle as well, only not the length, I only use a tiny bit of the tip. anyhow Ill hop on later after I scour YT for some vids..

 

[PsychedelicJohn]

How's your diet?

pretty healthy

 

[FrenchBassQC]

I found that when I eat a banana during the day of a gig, it provides me with enough phosphorus to stop the cramping.

 

[mambo4]

Do you dig in? play hard? fret aggressively?
Pain could be technique related. Watch
The holy trinity of safe bass technique videos
and consider what you could be doing better

Maybe see what Mark J Smith has to say about pick playing

Live lessons with a good teacher can also identify technique issues

Might also be something less technique and more health related.

 

[lokikallas]

Water, potassium, and stretching. Warm up exercises are a good idea too. I tend to change up my grip on the pick too, much like shifting your weight from foot to foot when standing for a long time.

 

[g-dude]

Perhaps you’re gripping things too tightly.

Pain is usually a signal that you’re doing something wrong. The older you get, the more wrong you are, apparently.

 

[rafitoprtx]

Potasium before tye Gig and CBD after!

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Either you have technique issues or medical issues. Everyone is stubborn on seeing the doc, so get a lesson or two from a competent instructor, not a guitar player that also dabbles in bass, to settle the technique question.

 

[GroovyBaby]

I wonder how much tension you are holding in your hands. As someone with some tendentious and now arthritis in one wrist, I’ve moved to low tension strings and have spent a lot of time working on a relaxed technique with a light touch. As others have suggested, lots of stretching your hands and fingers also. Things like yoga, mindfulness, and tai chi help with awareness of body mechanics. Ever do any deep relaxation with a body scan?

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I have been playing bass for about 14 years and I'm only 28. and for the past 3 years my hands have been cramping and my picking hand starts to get tired easily to the point I feel like I'm going to drop my pick. Is there any exercise or creams that can help when playing. Or dose anyone have other methods to cope with this.

Water, salt, potassium

 

[frustum]

Here is something useful for anyone, not just people who are having pain and spasms.

With your left hand fret some note, say the C on the A string. Start picking quarter notes or eight notes, and play as you normally would, pedaling on that note. Slowly release tension with your fretting hand while you keep picking. Eventually the tension is too low and you start getting fret buzz. Then add back the least tension you can to make it stop buzzing. That is now your goal. Any grip strength above that is simply wasted effort.

Do it with different fingers in different places, just playing one note for 30 seconds or whatever. Don't spend more than 5 or 10 minutes on it.

Tomorrow do it again, but after a little bit of that single note stuff, play a simple scale up and down while again using minimum tension. If you don't sometimes get fret buzz, you are proably still using too much tension. Again, you don't have to kill yourself doing it for an hour. Just 5 or 10 minutes. Make it a daily routine just to remind your muscle memory to stop using a death grip.

 

[Pings Bass]

After your callouses have developed, playing bass should not hurt. I've injured myself doing marathon recording sessions on DB, but I learned from that. Proper technique is critical; stretches and strengthening exercises may also be indicated. Whatever you do, don't try to play through it; that can lead to serious injury.

 

[Killing Floor]

Nothing comes to mind. Maybe yoga or practice mindfulness? There are some great stretches that I learned from Stu Hamm and believe me, they suck. But they work. Pain can indicate an injury or it can indicate arthritis or just that your muscles and joints are reacting to the stress which might suggest they are strengthening. If in doubt see your doctor.

Just kidding, drugs and booze.

 

[design]

+1 for water, salt, potassium, lessons from a good bass teacher, visit to the doctor.

I would add a visit to a physiotherapist or similar professional. Tension and Pain can arise from spine, shoulders, etc. if weight distribution is slightly uneven. Such as uneven stance, shoulders, neck, or head. Often not an issue in the short term, but over time can be painful, or worse.

Right handed Bass & guitar players can have a tendency to raise their left shoulder, lean it forward, and place more weight on the left foot. Best of luck to you.

 

[Carl Hillman]

I have been playing bass for about 14 years and I'm only 28. and for the past 3 years my hands have been cramping and my picking hand starts to get tired easily to the point I feel like I'm going to drop my pick. Is there any exercise or creams that can help when playing. Or dose anyone have other methods to cope with this.

Stop playing. Stretch and let the blood get back into your hands.

Rinse. Repeat.

Playing shouldn't hurt. If it does, stop, or else you're going to hurt yourself to the point of not being able to play for much longer than just a minute or two.

 

[HubbardsFate]

In Russia, hand pain manage YOU...