Thumb pressure

[caotainciarlo]

Sometimes after I play for a while, I get a pain in my thumb and in my wrist on that side, and I think the problem is from using too much thumb pressure. Is that likely? Do you guys have any tips for what I can do to get in the habit of using less pressure, or am I just going to have to stop myself from doing it when I notice that I am? Thanks for any help.

[Zero]

I don't know if this will help, but i am a rank amateur guitar player, so i will do my best to answer. I am wondering if it is the left hand or the right hand that you are getting the pains in.

If it is the right hand:

hold the pick with less force! you would be amazed at how easily you can plauck a note with almost no force, as long as you don't let the pick drop too low below the string. You have to let go of the deathgrip on the pick, or else you will get used to it, and play that way for ever. Check out the proper picking positions on the cyberfret website under the first fret section. It tells how to hold the pick properly.


If it is the left hand:

It is probably the left hand, so there is more on this one. Agagin, when you are a rank amateur, you have not built up calluses on your finger tips, so you have to press harder on the strings to get a good solid note, so your thumb grips tighter in reaction. If you keep it up, your hand will get sore. Try just making a fist and squeezing as hard as you can for about 20 seconds. It is fairly hard to do. that is what you are doing, to a lesser degree, when you grip the guitar hard, but instead of a lot at once, there is a little less strain, but over a period of a long time. Also, techniques like hammer-ons and bends and such, are hard to do, you have to train the muscles in your hand to do them properly, or else you will hurt your hand in general, and it does put pressure on the thumb, because your thumb is what is pushing against everything else you do. Try not to play the guitar for too long a time at once, that can also cause pains in your hand. Also, if you are not using proper positions, then it could be causing problems. Check out the proper left hand positions in the first fret section of the cyberfret home page.



As for advice on learning how to use less pressure, i advise looking at the page by Jamey Andreas, which you can link to from the cyberfret site, or from here. He tells all about exercises which you can do to help you use less pressure when you are playing.

Jamey Andreas' Site:
www.guitarprinciples.com


P.S. How did i do Shawn? If i can think of anything else to say, I will add it later.

~Z~

[cyberfret]

Good job Zero

Here is that article by Jamey Andreas
http://www.cyberfret.com/power-practicing/secret-of-speed.htm


That is a tough one. I have had the same problem before, which was partially to blame for an injury. I got in the habit of pressing too hard because someone said to me in my young days...."press real hard while you practice, and it will help you build your technique faster". Now I want to find that person can smack them up side the head with a baseball bat. That is the WORST advice someone could give you. And the bad thing is that I see this all the time....in other forums...etc....this bad bid of advice is living on in the world of guitar folklore.

One thing I did was put up a sign in front of where I practiced that said "DON"T PRESS HARD". That was a constant reminder to lighten up the touch. You will have to keep reminding yourself until it becomes habit to press lightly.

good luck
--Shawn

[Zero]

here are the two places for hand positions:

http://www.cyberfret.com/first-fret/using-a-pick/index.htm

http://www.cyberfret.com/first-fret/left-hand-position/index.htm

[bobcat]

Be very careful when pain is involved! Take frequent breaks from your practice and stretch the hand, wrist and forearm. While stretching, open the hand as wide as you can and close it again. Hold your arm out in front of you (palm side up) and with your other hand, GENTLY take hold of your fingers on the out stretched arm and pull the hand downward and back toward you (from the wrist joint). Next, keeping the arm in the same position (palm side up) stretch the hand upward and toward you. Do this until you feel a stretch, NOT until it hurts. Then turn the arm over (palm facing downward) and repeat these stretches. For the thumb, work on opening the hand wide and closing it. If you want a bit of resistance, place a rubberband around your thumb and index finger and stretch it. Again, do not do ANY of this if there is ANY pain involved. If you continue to have pain after you are finished with a practice session, ice massage the hand and rest it. To ice massage, get a foam cup, fill part way full with water and freeze it. Once frozen, peel away the top portion of the cup and rub over the hand/wrist area. This is usually done for about 10 minutes. If pain continues, please consult with your physician! You may also want to check with a pharmacist as to which over the counter pain medications would be right for you. Some over the counter medications will interact poorly with other medications or health conditions that you may have.:p