Pinky pain, soreness and stiffness.

[MCF]

I recommend watching a few different videos about fretting-hand technique, since different instructors are likely to give you different advice -- especially went it comes to thumb position. This is the one that was a real game-changer for me:

This is a good video. It doesn’t hurt to watch it several times as you’re learning. A lot of guitar players who pick up a bass naturally come over the top of the fretboard with the thumb. This can inhibit the free movement of the other fingers. The bass is a different instrument with longer frets and wider string spacing. What works on a guitar can quickly lead to pain after prolonged bass playing.

 

[And I]

I am not any kind of doctor, so please keep that in mind but... pinky connected nerves and tendons travel through the cubital tunnel, which goes through your elbow. On the thumb side of your hand they are inside of the carpal tunnel, which goes through your wrist.

Which hand is the pinky hurting on? On that arm, when you play is your elbow in an awkward position, bent all/most of the way?

One way to see if this may be cubital tunnel related is to put some pressure on your "funny bone" (not a lot, but a decent amount) and hold it there for a good 15 to 20 seconds. Does your pinky and hand start to get the same pain sensation as it does when you are playing?

If so, I'd say you may want to stop playing for now and talk to your doctor. Evaluating your technique for ergonomics / healthy playing, as suggested by some smart folks above, seems like great advice to me as well.

Good luck!

 

[red_rhino]

Admittedly I've been playing as much as I can and probably should back off a little

Honestly, it sounds like you already know the answer.

Playing should never hurt or cause injury. In the short-term, it's a good idea to take a few days off and let this settle down. From your description, this sounds like an overuse/under-recovery type of injury. If the pain resolves with rest, you might try to resume playing a bit more gradually.

Yes, absolutely. Great advice. It's time to back off, even as much as a day or two. Let yourself recover, and don't keep testing it. (If you keep checking to see if it hurts, it will.) You don't want this to become "a thing".

This is a common issue for many new (and even experienced) players. The difference is that the experienced players know to take time to recover. Don't push it.

Welcome to the dark side.

 

[Fender_Bender]

I’ll add that I feel it’s mandatory to have a progressive warmup of at least 10 minutes before you get really start to practice. This can be as simple as going up and down the neck one fret at a time (may as well use a metronome for this). If I don’t do this, the muscle below the pinky on the outer edge of the hand cramps up. If it’s summertime or you’re in a warm climate the warmup generally goes quicker.

 

[aprod]

That sounds like trigger finger. Go see a doctor.

 

[Funky Phantom]

Remember to use the tips of your fingers on your fretting hand. Think of a piano string
being hammered. Come down on the string. Don’t pull with the ‘pad’ of your finger.

 

[Lobster11]

... it hurts the most when I do a 5 fret stretch on the lower frets.

Even a short-scale bass, doing 5-finger stretches on the lower frets is a bad idea. As I mentioned in a previous post, a lot of us don't even do 4-fret stretches on the lower frets. It is important to keep in mind that there are important differences between playing bass and playing guitar, and you need to change some aspects of your technique when playing bass or you risk seriously injuring yourself.

 

[iTzPrime]

Great advice. My hand and thumb pressure are definitely something I need to watch. You're right about the lower frets and stretching. I was just playing (I have a bass addiction!) and it hurts the most when I do a 5 fret stretch on the lower frets. The bass I have has a very short neck compared to most others but I don't think the frets are closer. (It's a Fender Bg29 with a 29.9" scale length). I'm considering getting a short scale Fender Jag when I go electric.

5 Fret stretch? I cannot properly do a 4 fret stretch until the 7th fret. no wonder your hands hurt. Abandon 1 finger per fret.

 

[SteveCS]

...
and it hurts the most when I do a 5 fret stretch on the lower frets...

TLDR: Get a 5-string bass

As others have already mentioned, the necessity for 5-fret stretches is quite unusual - normally playing such intervals that can only be made over that kind of physical distance involve shifting, which generally implies monophonic playing. However, and notwithstanding good taste, there are no rules on what can/can't or should/shouldn't be played/attempted on the bass guitar. With that in mind...

The worst-case 5-fret scenario, with a 4-string in standard 4ths tuning, is a compound m6 from low F on the 4th string and Db on 1st string as a double-stop. All other stretches are physically smaller or can be made with different fingerings. The m7 from Bb on 4th to Ab on 1st is irrelevant since the same Bb is also available on the second string, both on the first fret. Likewise the compound m3 from Bb to Db, which can be made on the 6th fret, 4th and 1st string respectively.

However, if you need these compound interval double-stops in the music you play it might be worth considering a 5-string bass. That long stretch from F to Db then becomes a non-stretch, since the F is available at the 6th fret on the 5th string - the same fret as the Db on the 1st string.

YMMV.

 

[PleromicPastry]

Thanks for all the replies guys. I 'misspoke' and meant the 4th fret. My hands aren't that big! Yes SteveCS, there's no reason I would need to stretch to the 5th fret since I could always just play the next open string.

Today will be my second full day not playing and the issue has improved. The worst part of it is when I wake up, my pinky is curled up and I have to slowly extend it. After that there's no pain per se but it does feel more stiff than usual.

Even a short-scale bass, doing 5-finger stretches on the lower frets is a bad idea. As I mentioned in a previous post, a lot of us don't even do 4-fret stretches on the lower frets. It is important to keep in mind that there are important differences between playing bass and playing guitar, and you need to change some aspects of your technique when playing bass or you risk seriously injuring yourself.

Thank you for your replies and concern. When I start playing again I'm going to try to avoid using my pinky as much as possible and take your advice about not using one finger per fret, and employing my pinky only when necessary.

Remember to use the tips of your fingers on your fretting hand. Think of a piano string
being hammered. Come down on the string. Don’t pull with the ‘pad’ of your finger.

Yes, I was definitely not doing that, especially when playing while laying back in bed or on the couch. Also have to keep my nails trimmed way back. It's going to be important for me to sit up straight and play for proper ergonomics. Thanks.

I’ll add that I feel it’s mandatory to have a progressive warmup of at least 10 minutes before you get really start to practice. This can be as simple as going up and down the neck one fret at a time (may as well use a metronome for this). If I don’t do this, the muscle below the pinky on the outer edge of the hand cramps up. If it’s summertime or you’re in a warm climate the warmup generally goes quicker.

Good advice here I think overdoing 'warmups' is part of my problem. I wanted to get my left hand strong as quickly as possible and was doing the 'one finger per fret, per string' exercise up and down the neck, trying to get the notes as perfectly articulated and in time. I was making MAJOR progress but again, I was practicing like a maniac. Oh and I'm in FL so heat and humidity are abundant.

I adjusted the truss rod on Monday night before leaving the bass at my friend's place. The action is lower which should help a bit.

 

[PleromicPastry]

In addition to good technique, I would have a look at the setup of your bass. The difference between highly playable and highly dangerous can be measured in fractions of a mm, IME. Badly cut nuts are probably the number 1 cause of poor setups that lead to injurious playing, since this affects the first few frets which is where most beginners spend a good proportion of their time. You should be able to stop a string with not much more force than you would use to crush a pitted olive. YMMV.

When I get my bass back I'll try to snap some photos of the nut and the space between the strings and first fret.

 

[bearfoot]

I'd noticed that the D-string in particular is just ridiculously tight in Phosphour Bronze sets. Had to look twice, but what D'Addario publishes shows their Acoustic Bass Phosphour Bronze have higher tension than their flatwound (Chrome) strings!

You want tension and pull to create acoustic volume, but for reasons I don't have any info on, the D-strings in phosphour bronze sets are usually a lot more tension. Probably technical reasons in manufacturing, because I doubt they're just throwing more bronze on there than is necessary.

D'addario bass bronze are (E) 45.4 (A) 47.4 (D) 55.7! (G) 47.5 , and this is for 45-65-80-100.

GHS now has a pressurewound bronze set that appears much more balanced. They used to have a roundwound set at well that was more sensibly wound.

ABG bronze strings, I do love them, but yes. They will beat up your hands worse than many flatwounds, and being such a niche string, its a bit harder to find alternative gauges like GHS is offering.

 

[PleromicPastry]

I'd noticed that the D-string in particular is just ridiculously tight in Phosphour Bronze sets. Had to look twice, but what D'Addario publishes shows their Acoustic Bass Phosphour Bronze have higher tension than their flatwound (Chrome) strings!

I ended up getting those nylon tapewounds (d'addario) and I LOVE THEM! They are medium gauge and so easy on the fingers. Besides, I'm wanting to master walking bass and chord tones and the deep, mellow sound is BEAUTIFUL for this purpose.

I started playing without using my pinky. The tapewounds are working for me in this regard as well since it makes it easier for me to slide up and down the fret board quickly. My pinky still isn't back to normal but it's getting better. I'm going to wait until the stiffness/discomfort is gone before resuming again (slowly).

Thanks everyone. This site is great!! Wish you all lived in my town.