Re: help with hand fatigue while playing
inter said:
A 35yr old using the term 'gay' in that context makes me chuckle.
Wattage said:
Well I think you have worse problems than looking 'gay' judgung by your avatar you might want to see someone about those ears :burnout:
:laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:
After going through a few years of trying to improve and develop my technique with this chord grip approach (I finally decided to really start stretching my hands cuz I wanted to be able to play "The House Is Rockin" by SRV) here's some suggestions i can offer.
Neck thickness: I've been able to do it on thinner necks but flatter c shapes an Ibanez types seem to be the most troublesome (not that boatnecks are any more comfy though... i have small hands) because they do not allow your hand to grip with a comfortable amount of space between the thumb joint/butt of your hand and your palm. Strat-like necks and slightly shallower Paul necks seem to work best for hand comfort.
Grip strength: Press only as hard down as you have to to get a good steady tone. Too hard results in early hand fatigue and too little results in wimpy tone and bad intonation.
Finger useage: Do some exercises to strengthen your pinky... a lot of people underuse that finger so when it comes time to play a Blues shuffle they're in trouble. As far as actually exercising the shuffle pattern, I'd practice variations of it on the 6th, 5th, and 4th strings and move from the upper registers on down to the lower frets... this will give your hand time to warm itself up and get used to a little more of a stretch each step down.
practice regimen: Like I said it took me a year or so before I could do it really well, in any position i wanted and within any meter without pain. Its just a matter of pumping iron and getting your hands stretched out and used to it and getting the muscles in there conditioned. Like i said i have small hands so this makes things a tad more difficult for me but i have no problem getting around on the fretboard. After almost 7 years of playing guitar, my left hand has adapted to be able to strectch about 2 cm longer than my other hand in an open-palm spread measuring pinky tip to thumb tip. anyway just build up your strength... but if you feel pain stop and let it go away or try some special hand massages. Do NOT work through the pain. Minor discomfort is normal but sharp or burning pain is not. If that happens your hands are telling you to stop.
Guitar height: If your knees are banging the tremolo plate of your Strat or the back of your Paul when you stand up you might have it a tad too low. Likewise if the top strap button is shoved up your right nostril you might have it too high.
When adjusting guitar height comfort should always be the first thing. Sure you can sling it Jimmy-Page low but I've never seen a standing pic of him where the guitar's neck wasn't at a 45-degree angle or higher. Having it Petrucci or Dave Matthews-high might not be for you either but the idea is to find the best guitar height for your style. It's affect the neck angle and the neck angle will affect your hand posture an your hand posture is directly linked to the health and the condition of that wonderful little bundle of bones, muscles, blood vessels and nerves you rely upon so heavily. If you're concerned about lookin ghey then thats your problem but would you rather wear your guitar higher and have an easier time playing, or would you rather look un-ghey but struggle with voicings and develop hand problems? I play strat-types mostly and have the bottom curve of the guitar about even with my belt line. Any higher and it feels weird and any loer and it just gets harder and harder to play as it goes down.
Hope that helps. :smoker:
