Does anyone know any good hand stretching routines?

[Basska]

Lately I've been playing a whole lot of shows and been suffering cramps mid show causing me to struggle when playing mid set/song.
I try and stretch my hands with a daily routine of movements but it seems to be to no avail. I've figured that it's probably my routine that's not good enough and I was just looking for some suggestions or examples? My general routine is just bend, hold and rotate but so far it's just given me cramp haha

Any takers?

Chris

[yorks5stringer]

Some people warm up before a gig with scales and arpeggios, played unplugged

[The Funk]

It sounds like a combination of a poor warm-up routine and possibly problems with your right- / left- hand techniques.

[Basska]

Cheers Yorks'. I think poor right hand technique may be the problem now that you mention it Funk. It's mainly my right thumb that cramps when I'm picking which causes me to change to using fingers until the cramp has subsided. I think I may be squeezing my pick too hard?


Chris

Edited February 15, 2010 by Basska

[ThomBassmonkey]

How high is your bass, what angle is it at and what's the biggest stretch you do regularly in your set (especially around when you start getting cramps)?

[Stuart Clayton]

[quote name='Basska' post='746040' date='Feb 15 2010, 04:13 PM']Lately I've been playing a whole lot of shows and been suffering cramps mid show causing me to struggle when playing mid set/song.
I try and stretch my hands with a daily routine of movements but it seems to be to no avail. I've figured that it's probably my routine that's not good enough and I was just looking for some suggestions or examples? My general routine is just bend, hold and rotate but so far it's just given me cramp haha

Any takers?

Chris[/quote]


Hi Basska,

Try these:

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRF4EICO2G0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRF4EICO2G0[/url]
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVLJs6ttPUc&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVLJs6ttPUc...feature=related[/url]
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60frM4Pw9hk&feature=related"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60frM4Pw9hk...feature=related[/url]

If you search under this guy's name - Greg Irwin - you'll find loads more.

Hope that helps!
Stuart

[Basska]

My bass is about midriff usually and pretty level most of the time. I have big hands and tend to use the full of my neck rather than making ridiculous stretches which I adapted to save my left problems and needed to. but thankfully I don't anymore unless I overplay which causes the odd strain. It's mainly my right carpel giving me hassle . Low is uncomfortable for my left unless I play the bass tilted up and high isn't comfortable for my right because my arm folds too much for me to get the speed I need . I'm 6'5 so high makes me look like a goon aswell haha. I really think I just squeeze my pick too hard. I say that because I only ever get the cramps during gigs.
I'm knackered so I apologise if some of that didn't make sense haha


Thanks Stuart! sweet videos. the dude has mad hand skills!
Chris

Edited February 15, 2010 by Basska