Preventing wrist injury

[savalegion]

im curious about the ways to prevent any harm to a picking hand. ive been told that the way i play guitar can cause carpel tunnel syndrome and i was juts wonding if its true, the way i have my picking hand is i always put my pinky finer on the bottom bridge pickup ring, ive been playing for 3 years and experience no problems in fact thats the only way i could play accurately. any info would be great thanks.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Preventing wrist injury

Far be it for me to criticize someone else's playing style, but yours is definitely a source of concern. I used to do that too when I was starting out for the same reason as you did.

Eventually someone drilled it into my stubborn teenage head that good picking technique is the key to good guitar playing. This includes rhythm, speed, phrasing, tone (surprise! It's not just about gear!), and yes, hand health and injury prevention.

So, my advice to you is to practice picking without the pinkie "crutch" until you build up your accuracy. This will not only prevent future injuries, it will also make you a better player on the whole.

The other thing that has worked for me is STRETCHING. I stretch my fingers, hands, and forearms before every rehearsal and gig. This has helped my playing and prevented soreness and injury afterward. Guitar playing is like any physical activity: if you do it for too long without stretching, you risk hurting yourself.

 

[daemon barbeque]

Re: Preventing wrist injury

Besides the obvious, the most important thing is the way you hold the guitar! The Picking hand always try to fit the guitar position. The angle, the height...all play a big role!

 

[everdrone]

Re: Preventing wrist injury

think of your fingers like hammers too. if the force is like a piece of cardboard, cardboard can support alot of weight perpendicular, but horizontal not much! finger acrobatics is like stunt car driving - you can make a living doing it but watch out!!!

 

[savalegion]

Re: Preventing wrist injury

i knew in the back of mind that it actually was a porblem but i didnt thinkit was that bad. thanks for the advice, i gotta start workin on my playing now.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Preventing wrist injury

ANSWER #1 (Inspired by Frank Zappa and Terry Bozzio) - Let go of your pickle.

ANSWER #2 - Wear your instrument at the correct height. IMO, Johnny Ramone is too low and Mark King (of Level 42) is too high.