Picking hand gets cramped up a lot when playing...how to fix this

How tightly are you holding your pick? Relax.. sounds to me like you're gripping that pick for dear life and using too much muscle to pick. Can't say in all my years of guitar/bass playing that my plucking hand has ever been the one to suffer cramps.

Make sure your wrist is hanging relaxed, don't stiff wrist it, and you only need enough pressure on the pick to keep from dropping it.. no more no less.

If this is already what you're doing I'd consider the possibility that it is a medical issue, but I hope for your sake that this is not the case.

While a strong attack can make some cool noises "WHEN YOU WANT TO", you really just need to lightly roll the pick over the string. It shouldn't be overly forceful.

Not sure if I've been much help but I hope you work this out.

Might I also recommend learning a two finger technique? Make sure you're always playing through your amp as well, it will truly show you how beneficial a light touch can be.

 

Only other thing I could possibly think of is, how are you using your pick? When I use one my arm movement is as if I'm turning a doorknob (only enough to pick the strings I'm using) with a bent and highly relaxed wrist. If you're picking by trying to move you arm back and forth from the elbow I could see some forearm cramping as a result.. but.. that isn't how I'd ever try to use one.

 

firstly, .84mm is too THIN for bass, try 2mm for a start.

Also try the Stubby or Dunlop Tortex big triangle ones,easier to grip lightly imho,I have the exact same problem, but I use picks rarely.

 

go straight to 2mm, trust me. I also tried the Dunlop Graphite 2mm ones, they too are easier to grip. The big triangular tortex are easier to grip coz more of your thumb is in contact,so a lighter touch is actually more secure, tho they only go to 1.14mm
like these http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/like/140...2&ops=true&viphx=1&hlpht=true&lpid=107&chn=ps

 

+1 on the Dunlop Triangle Stubbies 2mm. They even have a rough surface to give you some extra grip.

 

every time i give my hand a pick, he hits me. i wish i had your problem

 

are you strumming one direction or up and down. I notice if I used to only down stroke my arm and hand would kill. Until I learned to actually neatly go up and down it was hell.

 

If the problem is simply that you're squeezing the pick too hard, using a thicker pick might help a little -- but that won't in itself solve the problem: You'll still have to work on loosening your grip. But using a pick that just feels different from what you're used to might help remind you to do so. With that in mind, you might also experiment with different sizes and shapes, not just different thicknesses, until you find one that you can comfortably hold onto without squeezing too hard.

I'd also look at other aspects of your technique that could be causing strain in your hand. Two things I can think of that could cause the same kind of cramping are: (1) if your right wrist is bent while you're picking -- either because of your arm position or because you are wearing the bass too low; and (2) if you are anchoring your picking hand on the body, below the strings, with your pinky and/or ring finger (as many guitar players do). Is either of these a possibility?