Another factor is what kind of shape you are in. If you are a desk jockey, don't work with your hands and don't get any kind of exercise you forearm muscles may be taking a hit because of it. Your condition has a bunch to do with how gigging goes.
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Sore forearms after a show
- Thread starter DJWhitJr
- Start date
Load in/out is minimal. Everything runs through the PA and I have plenty of help for that.
Practice averages 2 to 2 1/2 hour sessions. Gigs are 4 hours with 3 sets and two 20 minute breaks.
Its mainly muscle soreness, no numbness and nothing in my neck. I also don’t notice it during after practice, mainly shows. Sometimes I do get sore knuckles in the morning which I attribute to probably arthritis. Getting old sucks.
Total desk jockey. I need to start exercising again.
Even your own avatar shows that the instrument could not possibly be played in the same position seated, as standing.
Uh, nope, but nice try. That's precisely how I set that bass strap up. Sit down, set it, stand up.
You do you.
Well I don't know how your right thigh doesn't bump the whole instrument up in front of your face, and cause you to over extend your left arm.
Maybe your hips are down where regular folks knees are? In that case, you should definitely keep doing you.
I am of fairly standard proportions but I appreciate your concern. Have a nice day fishing.
Grip gadgets may be OK for redeveloping strength in an injured hand, but for everyday bass playing, avoid them like the plague.
I've found the paradox of maintaining muscle strength playing bass (and guitar) is it's not for gripping the neck tighter. It's for maintaining more relaxed control, benefits of which include greater stamina, more fine-tuned touch & agility for dynamics and avoiding muscle soreness.
And I restate and elaborate from my original post: Don't overdo it or you'll risk muscle strain and other repetitive motion problems. It's not bulking up, rather the forearm equivalent of maintaining core strength.
I'm going to throw another possibility out there: what's your stage volume situation live?
I find that when I'm having a hard time hearing myself, I dig in harder, like I'm trying to muscle more volume out of the instrument. I try to keep my volume settings low and reasonable but then the band gets going, I'm not too high in the mix, and next thing I know I'm clenching up. If you do the same, that could explain why you can practice without issues but overwork your forearms during a gig. I'm not advocating cranking your volume and making the band too loud at gigs, but see what happens if you nudge the amp up a notch and play lighter with your hands.
I find that when I'm having a hard time hearing myself, I dig in harder, like I'm trying to muscle more volume out of the instrument. I try to keep my volume settings low and reasonable but then the band gets going, I'm not too high in the mix, and next thing I know I'm clenching up. If you do the same, that could explain why you can practice without issues but overwork your forearms during a gig. I'm not advocating cranking your volume and making the band too loud at gigs, but see what happens if you nudge the amp up a notch and play lighter with your hands.
I think it is generally accepted that gripping has no part in bass playing. So in my opinion it is pointless to develop the muscles used for gripping. "More relaxed control" comes from simply being aware of (and correcting if necessary) how relaxed or otherwise your hands are when playing.
"Fine tuned touch and agility" are best developed by (as I mentioned earlier) working on the tendons that OPEN the hand. An exercise for this is putting an elastic band around your fingers (at the finger nails) and then slowly expanding the hand and fingers against the resistance of the band. Bands of various resistances can be used, and like you said about gripping, don't over do it. For stamina and agility, the benefits of this exercise FAR outweigh grip exercises.
"Muscle soreness" is best avoided by staying hydrated, and by warming up...and down. Do some gentle hand/finger stretches that are designed for bass before you even touch the instrument. Then warm up slowly on the bass itself for a few minutes. Another couple of minutes spent doing gentle stretches AFTER playing will go a long way (far more than gripping exercises) towards avoiding muscle soreness.
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Magnesium Chloride spray is cheap and effective. Give it a try post-show along with other things mentioned in this thread.
I can only speak for what works for me, hence I framed it IME.
I think you raise an excellent point though re: gripping the neck too tight being counterintuitive to bass playing (and guitar playing BTW).
If the OP's having regular forearm muscle soreness, he might want to adjust his technique to a more relaxed grip, perhaps make sure he's fretting just below the frets, use supporting fingers to fret lower string notes when possible, practice taking regular, adapt a meditative approach to playing, take regular, full breaths, etc. And believe it or not, standing (or sitting) in a centered and balanced position.
Again, IME: part of playing my best is about maintaining a calm, alert and centered state. If I'm able to pull it off, the reward is more stamina and less fatigue, both super-important at my age.
That's fair enough.
It's all the same to me, what gadgets people use. I am not trying to convert anyone one way or the other.I just wanted to draw other people's attention to the futility of using grip devices to help with their bass playing. I am sure they will make up their own minds, or at least do some research. There has been a lot of debate on the subject here on TB, if they care to search.
Gadgets for Technique Practice?
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That's fair enough.
I just wanted to draw other people's attention to the futility of using grip devices to help with their bass playing. I am sure they will make up their own minds, or at least do some research. There has been a lot of debate on the subject here on TB, if they care to search.
Gadgets for Technique Practice?
The idea of core strength for agility came to me years ago after snagging a low line-drive baseball that hit the webbing before smacking the dead center of the palm of my fielding glove. It inflamed a nerve causing trigger-finger, a locking of my left/fretting hand forefinger.
I saw a hand injury specialist who injected cortisone and gave instructions to get a sub for two weeks, and to stay off the field as long.
He also recommended a grip device with mild resistance once the injury was healed, not so much for PT, but to help with core strength as a way of sharpening my hand-closing response when fielding - you want the ball to stay safely in the webbing once caught.
He emphasized a couple sets with low reps of 12, and to use only light resistance. At the time, I tried multiple devices before finding an adjustable one with a dial for low-resistance training. It worked, I was able to close quicker, and I've carried that experience into playing music.
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Glad the gripping device helped you with your injury.
As I mentioned earlier, gripping devices do indeed have their uses in cases of building up strength in an injured hand. However, once the hand has recovered and back to normal, the advice generally is to ditch the "aid". In my opinion, it is like holding on to a crutch, once a broken leg has repaired itself and you are walking normally. It is surplus to requirements.
