leroydiamond Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 (edited) hi folks recently I have developed significant pain in the the index and middle fingers of my plucking hand. i have been playing bass for many years and guess this may be a case of wear and tear. Any sugestions regarding treatment? I am a semi pro, so taking a break from playing is not a real option right now and I would be reluctant to switch to a pick. Anyy suggestioins would be welcome, Edited October 17, 2010 by leroydiamond Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 Do you rest your forearm on the bass? That could be causing a problem.Without seeing you play it's hard to say. There's no reason to be reluctant to use a pick,especially if it helps to relieve some of the strain on your fingers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velvetkevorkian Posted October 17, 2010 Share Posted October 17, 2010 I find pain in my fingers can often be traced back to tension in the upper arm and shoulder- maybe worth getting a massage or checking with a physio if there's more strain than needed there. This can be worse if you use a computer a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leroydiamond Posted October 19, 2010 Author Share Posted October 19, 2010 [quote name='Doddy' post='991649' date='Oct 17 2010, 09:22 PM']Do you rest your forearm on the bass? That could be causing a problem.Without seeing you play it's hard to say. There's no reason to be reluctant to use a pick,especially if it helps to relieve some of the strain on your fingers.[/quote] yes i do rest my forearm on the bass. What is your opinion on this. thanks for your reply Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doddy Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 [quote name='leroydiamond' post='993267' date='Oct 19 2010, 10:45 AM']yes i do rest my forearm on the bass. What is your opinion on this. thanks for your reply[/quote] Basically,by resting your forearm on the bass you are constricting the blood flow to your hand.I'm also guessing that you have a relatively sharp wrist angle. It's possible to eventually develop CTS by doing both of these. Try to raise your arm a little so that you are not resting it on the bass and try to keep your wrists pretty straight. Everyone does these things at times,but if you can get out of the habit,it's worth it in the long run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leroydiamond Posted October 19, 2010 Author Share Posted October 19, 2010 [quote name='Doddy' post='993364' date='Oct 19 2010, 12:01 PM']Basically,by resting your forearm on the bass you are constricting the blood flow to your hand.I'm also guessing that you have a relatively sharp wrist angle. It's possible to eventually develop CTS by doing both of these. Try to raise your arm a little so that you are not resting it on the bass and try to keep your wrists pretty straight. Everyone does these things at times,but if you can get out of the habit,it's worth it in the long run.[/quote] Thanks for the feedback. I will work on adjusting my right hand position. It will be achalllenge as that hand has been resting on the body of a bass guitar for over 30 years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted October 19, 2010 Share Posted October 19, 2010 Simple thought, can you pluck less hard? Also spend some practice time working on relaxing your right hand as you play, decent warm up routine too maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leroydiamond Posted October 19, 2010 Author Share Posted October 19, 2010 Thanks for your sugestiions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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