Managing injuries - simplifying bass lines

[Jay Corwin]

Just a bit of a rant here, but I've had a lot of health problems in the last year (I'm only 32). Been playing bass guitar since my teens and upright for almost 2 years now. I've found that due to some bad discs in my neck, a lot of tendinitis, weakness, etc I've had to really simplify my playing to keep playing.

Not that I was ever a virtuoso, but it can be difficult when your instincts are telling you do play a run that your hands no longer feel good doing. I'm kind of cautious about getting back together with my old guitarist because of this. He understands my situation - but he often commented on how much he appreciated my playing and ability to "come up with stuff" on the fly.

Now I feel more like I gotta stick to simple stock lines to get the job done. I also can't practice for hours on end anymore, so I really have to make things count when I do.

Thoughts.....?

 

[BuffaloBass]

Are you using really low action on your electrics and your signal chain to give you the headroom neccessary for a light touch? I know folks are "?" about Mark over at Kenmore, but he does use C-hairs to set up a bass. its as low os the fretwork will allow, and lower if you go all the way.

The few times I touched an upright, it seemed VERY physical to me as compared to an electric, so ??????

 

[Jay Corwin]

Its not a case of setup or headroom. I've set my own action for years and it's ridiculously low on my good axes. At this point I'm physically unable to do things I could before.

Its now about economy of notes and making them count.

 

[Mudcat35]

I understand some of what you're going through. I have arthritis in my fretting hand, and the knuckle joint on my ring finger is destroyed and doesn't move much. I've been a working musician for 20 years after this started, so it CAN be done if you want to. My technique had to change, so I changed it. Action is lower, and I don't play as hard. I also changed basses to one with a neck shape that isn't as hard on my hands. Since my ring finger doesn't work, I had to learn to use my little finger more. Really, what had to happen is that I had to learn to play with my ears and my head instead of my fingers. Try to break out of your old patterns if you're having trouble playing them. Try learning new and different kinds of music to get those patterns into your head. Use new and differing fingerings. You may also want to try finding medications that help. Aleve might help, as it's a mild NSAID. Have you seen a doctor? I see both a rheumatologist and a hand specialist. Most of all, take care of your hands. I do better when I don't play 4-hour gigs on back-to-back nights. I really only try to gig about once a week. I practice lightly during the week to keep my fingers loose, but if I have unusual pain, I stop. Good luck - find what works for you and know that it CAN be done.

 

[bolophonic]

Just a bit of a rant here, but I've had a lot of health problems in the last year (I'm only 32). Been playing bass guitar since my teens and upright for almost 2 years now. I've found that due to some bad discs in my neck, a lot of tendinitis, weakness, etc I've had to really simplify my playing to keep playing.

Not that I was ever a virtuoso, but it can be difficult when your instincts are telling you do play a run that your hands no longer feel good doing. I'm kind of cautious about getting back together with my old guitarist because of this. He understands my situation - but he often commented on how much he appreciated my playing and ability to "come up with stuff" on the fly.

Now I feel more like I gotta stick to simple stock lines to get the job done. I also can't practice for hours on end anymore, so I really have to make things count when I do.

Thoughts.....?

I work very hard to simplify my lines. The longer I play bass guitar, the less I rely on speedy runs and the more I try to incorporate the natural sounds that I generate when I play. So instead of trying to fill a space with a lot of notes, I work with bends and sliding and fret buzz and hammer-ons and use the rhythms of my strings slapping the fingerboard to propel notes forward, and so on.

 

[Samsound]

I've been playing with a fractured right thumb the last 2 weeks. It sucks, but I feel very lucky it wasn't a more critical digit. I'm not really a slapper. I wear my splint when I'm not performing or practicing, but I'm feeling soreness in a different part of my thumb joint than where the break is. I think I may be putting it on too tight. Anyway, not much help here, but you're not alone, bro.

 

[Photobassist]

I've had a torn rotator cuff for over a year now and it has started to cause nerve damage in my left (fretting) hand. This has led to some VERY uncomfortable playing situations and limits the amount of time I can keep my bass strapped across my back. I will eventually have to get surgery but in the mean time, stretching, eating healthy, and not over doing it with the playing helps me keep up with my weekly gigs. Good luck to you and know that you are not alone. I feel your pain bro.

 

[BillW87]

Two pieces of advice, which might be redundant with what you've already done, and if so just ignore them.

1) See a doctor! There's a difference between being sore and being injured, and if you're not able to play through the pain anymore chances are you're injured. Injuries need time to heal, but they also need the appropriate medical attention. Arthritis and tendinitis are a medical conditions and your doctor can advise you on proper treatments or exercises to deal with them (don't forget to ask about acupuncture, I've had friends have fantastic results with it!).
2) See a teacher! Even experienced players can benefit from having another musician take an objective look at their technique and see if you've developed habits that could be contributing to your injuries. Finding an experienced teacher who can identify the more subtle issues is important, especially for an experienced player like yourself who can already recognize the bigger issues on your own.

The bottom line: Changing WHAT you play is only going to slow the problem and will just delay the inevitable worsening of your injuries, dealing with your injuries properly and changing HOW you play to stop them from returning is the only way you'll be able to keep doing what you love: playing the music how you want to play it.