Plucking hand pain

[AdamWoodBass]

Hey all

So I had a few days off and I've been doing some pretty extensive playing, 6+ hours a day. Now before I get questions about whether I warm up/stretch the answer is yes I do try to make sure I do some stretches before I play and maybe the solution is that I'm not doing enough.

Anyway, after some heavy duty practice sessions working on some pretty challenging stuff I've noticed a dull ache in the back of my right hand (plucking hand). It seems to be localised to the tendon of my index finger and runs the length of my hand from wrist to knuckle. It's not enough to be causing me a problem but is enough to ring alarm bells. The last thing I want is to cause myself a serious injury and have to take time out from playing especially as I've started a new band. I've been looking into symptoms of the dreaded Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and I don't think it's that as I'm not experiencing any loss of sensation or tingling etc just a dull ache.

I tend to wear my bass fairly high just below my chest which means that when playing my wrist is almost at a 90 degree angle. This is the most comfortable playing position for me in terms of my left hand (fretting hand) but I get it's a fairly extreme angle for my right hand.

Has anyone experienced similar pain? How did you overcome it? Do you have any specific stretches/warm up exercises to help reduce the risk of injury?

Cheers

Adam

[ambient]

Lower your strap. It might be ok for your left hand, but doesn't sound right for your right hand. You need to find a compromise position that suits both.

[Steve Woodcock]

[quote name='AdamWoodBass' timestamp='1494856261' post='3299035']
[...] when playing my wrist is almost at a 90 degree angle. This is the most comfortable playing position for me in terms of my left hand (fretting hand) but I get it's a fairly extreme angle for my right hand.
[/quote]

This will be the cause of the problem - you should try to keep both of your hands and forearms in as straight a line as possible, as Ambient says this will require a compromise in strap height until this can be achieved. Have a look at this Gary Willis clip where he demonstrates this issue in detail:

http://youtu.be/oRrmxH1wVlE?t=2m12s

[Norris]

I'd also suggest that doing 6+ hours of practice a day may be a little excessive especially if you're not used to it. Just like running a marathon you need to build up to it.

Perhaps lowering your strap and playing with the bass angled upwards might be a compromise to reduce stress in both hands

[ambient]

Wheh I was at uni I used to do upwards of 12 or sometimes 14 hours a day. It's fine to do that, but take regular breaks, make sure to keep properly hydrated. I'd maybe question why use a strap for practice at home. Really the strap should keep the bass at an ideal height whilst standing, the height really should be about the same as that whilst sat with the bass on your lap,

[AdamWoodBass]

All good points guys thank you. Just to clarify I tend to play for a couple of hours every day and have a pretty structured practice routine, and like ambient said I too used to play for 12 hours a day at uni and probably 15+ afterwards when I was doing it for a living. Nowadays I try to get a "shed session" in maybe once a month where I'll spend a whole weekend working on tunes but I probably have overdone it a little recently. I think I will take a look at my strap height though, as I'm probably not doing myself any favors there.

[SpondonBassed]

[quote name='AdamWoodBass' timestamp='1494862312' post='3299105']
All good points guys thank you. Just to clarify I tend to play for a couple of hours every day and have a pretty structured practice routine, and like ambient said I too used to play for 12 hours a day at uni and probably 15+ afterwards when I was doing it for a living. Nowadays I try to get a "shed session" in maybe once a month where I'll spend a whole weekend working on tunes but I probably have overdone it a little recently. I think I will take a look at my strap height though, as I'm probably not doing myself any favors there.
[/quote]

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/305744-pick-vs-fingers-strap-length/page__view__findpost__p__3299160"]http://basschat.co.u...ost__p__3299160[/url]

[Coilte]

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1494857661' post='3299054']
Lower your strap. It might be ok for your left hand, but doesn't sound right for your right hand. You need to find a compromise position that suits both.
[/quote]

+1.

OP...this clip is worth watching.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIYuqTsUlyM

[AdamWoodBass]

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1494868460' post='3299193']
+1.

OP...this clip is worth watching.

[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIYuqTsUlyM"]https://www.youtube....h?v=uIYuqTsUlyM[/url]
[/quote]

I had a look at that and I can see how this is helpful. I may have to try and adapt this technique slighty though as I have an old injury on my right shoulder, I could imagine trying to do a whole gig like this will cause me problems. I messed around with my strap a little last night and I've managed to find an angle that seems to work, my right wrist is not bent at an extreme angle and my fretting hand is still comfortable. I'll try playing like this for a while and see if I continue to get pain in the hand.

[Coilte]

[quote name='AdamWoodBass' timestamp='1494924476' post='3299554']
I had a look at that and I can see how this is helpful. I may have to try and adapt this technique slighty though as I have an old injury on my right shoulder, I could imagine trying to do a whole gig like this will cause me problems. I messed around with my strap a little last night and I've managed to find an angle that seems to work, my right wrist is not bent at an extreme angle and my fretting hand is still comfortable. I'll try playing like this for a while and see if I continue to get pain in the hand.
[/quote]

Yes, keep experimenting until you come up with a safe technique that works for you. In the previous clip the guy talks briefly about the "Floating Thumb" technique.

Below, it is explained in more detail. If you decide to opt for it, remember that it can take a while to be comfortable with it. Granted, your shoulder injury will be a factor in this, but using this technique can help to reduce various hand and wrist problems caused by playing with a bent wrist.


[url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPVMBPmrblU"]https://www.youtube....h?v=PPVMBPmrblU[/url]

Edited May 16, 2017 by Coilte

[bonzodog]

Might sound daft but do you use a mobile regularly and do you use same hand to operate it. I play bass with a pick but also admit to using my smartphone a lot and texting and scrolling with my right thumb. I started getting a lot of pain in my thumb and hands. I still use pick the same but operate my phone with my index finger and pain has gone.

[AdamWoodBass]

[quote name='Coilte' timestamp='1494942451' post='3299795']
In the previous clip the guy talks briefly about the "Floating Thumb" technique.
[/quote]

This is something I'm trying to consciously work on at the moment which requires a relaxed hand/wrist to properly achieve it. Technique is one of those things that if you've been doing it a certain way for so long (20 years in my case) it becomes very difficult to change it! I've been trying to properly evaluate these aspects of my playing due to the fact that my new band plays pretty challenging jazz fusion stuff, bad habits are going to cause injuries here so I need to get this down!

[quote name='bonzodog' timestamp='1494944476' post='3299831']
Might sound daft but do you use a mobile regularly and do you use same hand to operate it. I play bass with a pick but also admit to using my smartphone a lot and texting and scrolling with my right thumb. I started getting a lot of pain in my thumb and hands. I still use pick the same but operate my phone with my index finger and pain has gone.
[/quote]

This is a really good point actually and to be honest something I'd not really thought of!

[Coilte]

[quote name='bonzodog' timestamp='1494944476' post='3299831']
Might sound daft but do you use a mobile regularly and do you use same hand to operate it. I play bass with a pick but also admit to using my smartphone a lot and texting and scrolling with my right thumb. I started getting a lot of pain in my thumb and hands. I still use pick the same but operate my phone with my index finger and pain has gone.
[/quote]

Agreed. Sometimes injury problems are not bass related...they are just aggravated by playing. Having said that, there is a good chance that the OP's problem IS bass related, considering he is playing for six hours a day with bent wrists.

OP...here is Todd (the guy in the FT clip) playing some jazz utilising the FT.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnbUWWW1Abg&list=PLAC4BC62239367495