Help with the hand pain while playing

Arm massages should help, I would also add in some wrist rolls in both directions and some extension and flexion exercises. Get your hands warm and ready to play before you even pick up the bass.

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I like Aikido wrist stretches, yeah. The first several Aikido forms make excellent stretches. Probably the best use of the art :slight_smile:

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Iā€™m glad you mentioned this! I didnā€™t want to be ā€˜that guyā€™ bringing up martial arts so I stayed quiet. Before playing, I also use stretching forms acquired from years of martial practices and several different arts: the results are extremely helpful!

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can we get some pics with a demo?

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Iā€™m way too self conscious for a personal demo, will see what I can find though.

@Old_WannaBe just search YouTube for ā€œAikido wrist stretchesā€. Plenty of choices there!

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Thanks a lot Antonio for your reply!

Yes the grip that you are defining is exactly what I am using. I also saw that it has many inconvenients, but it seems that alternating through different grips and positions works best for me. The last days I was able to play with no pain at tall, which is a relief :grinning:

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Thanks for the tips! The video is indeed very useful and clear, I will use the thumb neutral position and see if my position feels more confortable. :slightly_smiling_face:

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Thanks for your welcome! maybe I will also ask for prices to get my bass for a set up, I am pretty sure that the bass is in good conditions but I am no expert. I is certainly worth a try. :grinning:

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Thanks for your comment!

You are absolutely right; I should invest some money in a quality strap and position it properly. The last couple of days I have been practicing without it (because it is a cheap one and it feels uncomfortable), so it most probably one of the sources of my pain. Thanks for the tip! :slightly_smiling_face:

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Thank you! glad to be part of this active and delightful community! :yum:

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Glad to hear that it could be useful for others too! :smile:

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I donā€™t stand when I play bass due to back and bone issues. However, because I sit, I believe it greatly reduces a variety of strain for meā€”including in my wrists and hands. I have no hand issues. I always use a strapā€”I love my Ernie Ball Polylock Guitar Strap from Sweetwater. It comes in 2ā€ wide, which I have because Iā€™m a smaller person and my bass is a super short scale. However, the strap also comes in 3ā€ wide, if desired. Itā€™s very comfortable and the lock has been great for meā€”hasnā€™t come off my bass yet even moving/walking around with it. It might help.
Also, I know people attack the strings harder or softer. I use a very light touch and just adjust my controls to get punch on the more thumping bass lines. Admittedly, I quilt, draw, paint, weave and such, so that fine motor sensitivity has been quite honed for me, but I believe it has helped me to play bass a great deal. Someone suggestedā€”Mike, I believeā€” that you try experimenting with touching the strings in varying degrees of pressure to really become aware of how responsive they are with little pressure. I totally agree. It would certainly help any kind of hand strain to train yourself to play with a lighter touch.

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