Right at the base of my left index finger, and the thumb-wrist joint. It hurts, so I’ll need to take a break, but I just wanted to ask you all if there’s some (plucking) excercice I can do with my spare hand, while the other recovers.
Oh, and just a word of advice for every beginner here: if you notice your hand is getting tense and you start fretting hard, SLOW DOWN. Your thumb shouldn’t press against the neck, and the other fingers MUST play effortlessly. You’ll speed it up with time and exercise. Don’t be arrogant with your playing like yours truly was.
Cheers.
I agree with eveything you said. There’s a reason what you describe is called “The Deathgrip”.
I can’t help you with plucking exercises as when I take a break because of one part of my body I take a break for all parts and that is my personal recommendation to you: Relax. It’s not a race.
I remember other forum members mentioning plucking on a lot of things in their free time once they started the course (e.g. seatbelt) but apart from training the muscles I doubt the efficiency of such methods and usually it’s my left hand that’s the problem anyway. Might be wrong about the efficiency though.
i had a pain deep in my fretting hand, between the 2nd and 3rd fingers for months when i first started. would ache and occasionally spasm. now i haven’t thought about it in a long time, it will get better over time. just if it really actively hurts, rest it - trying to do exercises will not help and will probably make it worse. if you can take them, NSAID’s (like ibuprofen/motrin) help.
Yes, there are lots of alternate plucking exercises and rake - alternate - rake alternate style finger exercises that I have done from Low End University.
I would have to go watch them again and see if there is a way I can explain it easily.
Or you can go to the Technique section in Low End University and watch LOTS of great exercises for both hands. But it cost $19.99 for per month for an all access pass. You can start and stop the subscription at will, keeping the same account and all.
But I will look up a couple for you and try to post. I think I can download the exercise pdf, so I may be able to post it here.
Yeah, when I played for about 8 hours a day for about 3 days in a row about 2 months ago, my hand and thumb were dead. I couldn’t stop playing tho, I did play thru some pain, but mostly, in order for the pain to subside, I started playing WITHOUT my thumb. It is amazing how much you CAN do with out using your thumb on the back of your neck.
All in all, my time playing like this, has changed the way I use my fretting hand entirely. So much so that I don’t use it sometimes in my normal playing. I no longer have an iron grip and now have a very light, loose grip and fret much lighter, and my Tone is all the better for it.
Here are 3 plucking exercises you can do. You don’t need to play the notes, but look between the tab and sheet, it says what finger to use. These are raking patterns, the ones that show up most often.
There is a video that goes with this, but I can’t show it because it is paid for content., I can only download the lesson files, and they are PDF, so I have to take a screen shot and save it a Jpeg to insert here.
I will look for others.
the exercises, for both hands in this website are outstanding, I will see if I can find some that you can figure out with only the lesson pdf, and get by without the video.
Or I can try to explain them.
I think it’s my time to train my pick skills… I’ve small blister at the edge of my index, making playing with it bad for my finger… It’s not hurting, more “sleeping”. I’ll gave 1 or 2 days off to him I don’t know if ot comes from to much bass or fixing arrows (I do archery) a few hours… Maybe both. It’s a lesson, always take care of your fingers!
