FAO NEWBIES

Ah so youre a roadie!

This is the exact advice my tutor gave me. The only alternative he recommended to me aside from practising my bass was to play with my balls. However, to caveat that advice, I’m still rehabbing from a not insignificant nerve trauma, which kept me out of the gym, no driving and bass playing for five months. Playing with my balls is to stretch my hand and improve dexterity. It’s so effective that I bought two more pairs; I keep a pair in my office, a pair in the house in the lounge and a pair in my office at home.

Luckily, I have my own office so I can practice my bass during my lunch break as well as play with my balls.

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I used to be. I’ve not actually ridden outside in like 5 years because it’s just easier to do at home and the roads around where I live aren’t very inviting.

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My dad was a roadie, you’re all sadists :smiley:

I’m MTBer but actually thinking about making the move to a road/gravel bike.

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These seem counterproductive to me. The issue isn’t usually strength, it’s control. It’s having the coordination to be able to apply the minimum amount of force to the strings to not tire your hands out.

I rock climb and work a job where I lift heavy things. I’d guarantee my grip strength far outmatches this guy, but he’s going to last playing live a LOT longer than me.

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Lots of people have paid good money for copper, magnetic bracelets.

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People buy them because they think they need them. They use them for a while, leave a positive review then they get forgotten and left in a drawer somewhere. I have one, used it for a few weeks during rehab but once I was able to play my bass again, it was forgotten about.

As you say, they’re only £15 and people will take a punt on one for that sort of money. Aside from the most unfortunate in society, £15 isn’t going to change anyone’s life.

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Road riding with cars and trucks texting in their phones. Yeah no.

MTB is way safer.

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If anyone’s interested, here’s one of my pairs of my balls. I love playing with them. Readily available on the likes of Amazon or Fleabay.

One of my pairs I bought in Bangkok 25 years ago at the sleazy market in Phat Phong when I was drunk. Fortunately, my now wife was with so I didn’t get into any, ahem, trouble.

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Maybe im some kind of weird anomaly then because I’ve been using it for about a week and noticed almost within a day or so the difference in the dexterity in my fingers.

Its similar to exercises I did when I was younger to play the piano.

Where i am in the uk is a mecha for road bikes so most road users are aware of proper etiquette.

Nice balls!

I grew up the UK.

Small country big population lots of cars.

Statistically safer riding off road (gravel / mtb) re serious injury or fatalities.

Ee and me have had this conversation before, but it’s why I gave up motorcycles last year and bought a ragtop.

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Why doesnt this suprise me :roll_eyes:

Don’t understand the statement sorry.

I’m saying it doesnt suprise me that you had a contradictory answer for my response seen as though all you have done this thread is try and contradict me…

You just seem to be one of those types.

No just trying to help beginners not fall into the trap of over exercising / straining their hands when they first start playing bass.

Many of us (myself included) have injured ourselves as beginners overworking our hands and we are keen for other beginners to benefit from our mistakes. That’s it. No malice intended.

Apologies if you’ve gone through life without being provided an alternative opinion. :smiley:

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Finger strength gadget is awesome but you can’t really over do it, especially one that’s not design for fretting bass or plugging for that matter. I have similar one with springs that I’m using to increase my thumb endurance.

It’s perfect for beginners because they have helplessly weak finger strength simply because they’ve never used it in that matter. Once you got them up to the required strength I’d advise to use it occasionally, as they encourage you to apply not only too much strength but too long in duration as well, both things are bad for playing. You only want to fret a not just enough to produce sustained note and only for the duration needed no more so in a 6 minute song your total note duration should be less than 45 seconds. That’s how much energy you should be spending. I prefer to see it this way.

First, thanks for sharing your experience with the hand device. It might help someone, and that’s what this forum is actually all about.

Second, others’ experiences are offered as “for what it’s worth,” meaning “use it if it helps.”

Lastly, disagreement doesn’t need to be disagreeable, but it often comes across that way, especially online. The wisest approach to unsolicited, free opinions is to take what you need, and leave the rest.

That said, here’s some more: Speaking for myself, I’ve found that the very best hand strengthening/dexterity building method around is to practice playing bass, because nothing begets bass playing proficiency more, and quicker, than that. You got this. :+1:

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