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guitar playing injuries ???


triggs

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the last couple of weeks i've been getting pains in my fretting hand (mainly wrist) after playing. I dont sling my guitar low for the above reason and i'm pretty sure i dont have a bad posture when sitting, the last few months i have been playing 4 hours + a day, so im hoping a few days off may sort it. Just wondered if anyone else has had similar problems or advice

cheers all

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I go through the occasional spell of that. Well had it for short spells about 3 times over the last 6 years or so.

The last time i got it, it stayed for a few weeks. I really need to get it checked out. I don't know if you have a guitar teacher, but it is worth going to one to have your technique looked at. Just to check your positioning on your fretting hand.

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i get a sore wrist on me fretting arm quite often, i put it down poor playing posture but at least i look "down with the kids" :dunce:

actually find bad posture at the computer hurst my wrist more that play guitar. doing excercises like rolling you hand round helps me like, but if its not getting any better i'd get it checked out. just giving it a rest does wonders as well.

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The correct posture is important and if you're playing for long periods, you should be taking regular breaks.

Dropping your thumb down the neck opens the fretting hand, which helps immensely. Relax your hand as much as possible - same with your right (if you're not left handed that is!), don't grip the pick too tightly.

Also, try and resist the urgue to squeeze too hard with your thumb on the back of the neck - easy to do if your concentrating or in unfamiliar territory with a new phrase or chord.

Have a go at playing in a standing position as well - I returned to playing a few years ago after a long hiatus (through injury), practiced like a mad practice-y thing (up to 10 hours a day, sitting)....then a mate asked me to help him with a gig.

Mucho agony - neck, back, shoulders, arms hands :down:

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If you are playing intensively for 4+ hours a day i.e practicing technique, stretching or playing at high speeds.

You should stretch your muscles (as you would do before exercise) and massage them before playing. There is a demonstration of how to do this on the John Petrucci Rock Disciple DVD (or possibly found by searching youtube).

Stretching your muscles should be done to prevent injury and is done in a similar way as you would do before exercise. Massaging your muscles will stimulate blood flow so you don't get any cramps and your muscles will function better.

The single most important thing about posture is not to create any harsh angles at joints that will restrict blood flow and create damage to yourself.

Also, don't waste your practice time playing out of time. Use a metranome as much as possible. If you find it difficult, that is the best possible evidence you need to show you should be doing it.

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Also, try and resist the urgue to squeeze too hard with your thumb on the back of the neck - easy to do if your concentrating or in unfamiliar territory with a new phrase or chord.

I had a slight problem with this a couple of years a go, particularly when strumming.

Your thumb should be low most of the time, but it also shouldn't be gripping onto the guitar for comfort, as it is quite easy to do. It should be free to move in accordance to the rest of your hand so you can gt from one part of the fretboard to another quickly.

When I was a beginner, I gripped onto the guitar, expecting it would fall over if I didn't hold it hard enough. You should be able to move either hand away from the guitar without it falling.

Also, with most of my guitar pupils. They tend to over compensate when I tell them to lower their wrist. They move their wrist forward (infront of the guitar) instead of lower. When trying to counter this I ask them to move their wrist backwards, the wrist goes up in the air, above the guitar.

Don't know what makes people think up is backwards. I usually sort this by asking them to move their elbow backwards as the rest of their arm and hand follows with it.

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cheers for the replys, i'll give it a couple of days before i start playing again and spend more time warming up and take breaks more often (a good excuse to look at pornhub and youporn). I think these are my biggest problems as i dont grip the neck tight as for posture i'll have to check

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If you are playing intensively for 4+ hours a day i.e practicing technique, stretching or playing at high speeds.

You should stretch your muscles (as you would do before exercise) and massage them before playing. There is a demonstration of how to do this on the John Petrucci Rock Disciple DVD (or possibly found by searching youtube).

Stretching your muscles should be done to prevent injury and is done in a similar way as you would do before exercise. Massaging your muscles will stimulate blood flow so you don't get any cramps and your muscles will function better.

The single most important thing about posture is not to create any harsh angles at joints that will restrict blood flow and create damage to yourself.

Also, don't waste your practice time playing out of time. Use a metranome as much as possible. If you find it difficult, that is the best possible evidence you need to show you should be doing it.

I agree with the streches. I tend to strech the muscles in my arms, fingers and hands before i play live too. Also like to strech my shoulders, that way i can move on stage without think "ah fuck ive just done my back in...."

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If you are playing intensively for 4+ hours a day i.e practicing technique, stretching or playing at high speeds.

You should stretch your muscles (as you would do before exercise) and massage them before playing. There is a demonstration of how to do this on the John Petrucci Rock Disciple DVD (or possibly found by searching youtube).

Stretching your muscles should be done to prevent injury and is done in a similar way as you would do before exercise. Massaging your muscles will stimulate blood flow so you don't get any cramps and your muscles will function better.

The single most important thing about posture is not to create any harsh angles at joints that will restrict blood flow and create damage to yourself.

Also, don't waste your practice time playing out of time. Use a metranome as much as possible. If you find it difficult, that is the best possible evidence you need to show you should be doing it.

I don't think I've ever practised guitar for 4 hours... People really do this?!

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I don't think I've ever practised guitar for 4 hours... People really do this?!

I haven't done that sort of practicing (4 + hours intensively each day) for a few years but now college is over, I plan to do that from when I get back from holiday onwards.

It might become a chore but if playing guitar means enough to you, you should do everything necessary to become as good as you possibly can. It is going to be difficult to keep up motivation but it is necessary to practice technique to remove physical obstacles and suchlike.

Make sure you practice a variety of things reguardless. If you only practice technique you are not really do anything very musical and it sometimes turns into a sport more than a musical instrument. If you only practice songs you probably wont improve as fast as you can and some songs require you to have a level of technical competanceto be able to play them fluetly.

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Arf!

I could never spend more than, say 10 minutes, practising technique. It makes the guitar a chore, not pleasure. The best ideas I get are when I'm watching Neighbours and dicking about with my guitar.

Me too. Used to do all that stuff when I was bothered about playing other peoples songs but I never do that now. Get all the practice I need playing my own stuff and just trying to come up with new ideas.

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Make sure you practice a variety of things reguardless. If you only practice technique you are not really do anything very musical and it sometimes turns into a sport more than a musical instrument. If you only practice songs you probably wont improve as fast as you can and some songs require you to have a level of technical competanceto be able to play them fluetly.

This assumes that everyone wants to play cover songs that require technical competence. The last time I sat down and played someone else's song was about 2 years ago, and that was only because I really liked the melody line (Bonnie Prince Billy - Blood Embrace). The days of sitting down and learning Megadeth songs are well behind me.

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This assumes that everyone wants to play cover songs that require technical competence. The last time I sat down and played someone else's song was about 2 years ago, and that was only because I really liked the melody line (Bonnie Prince Billy - Blood Embrace). The days of sitting down and learning Megadeth songs are well behind me.

No it doesn't. I assumed that people generally want to become as good as they possibly can on their instrument. And by the fact the original poster said his muscles were in pain I assumed he was doing something that was physically demanding and therefore should add variety to his practice.

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just to clear a couple of things up people seem to be debating, most of my practise is broken up learning jazz standards (i say learn because im shite at them) as i find these good for discovering new chords, working on something i find technically difficult, learning songs either for my covers band or for myself, and just jamming along with songs or backing tracks. Im not a creative person so i tend not to work on anything original, but then again maybe if i put some time and thought into it i 'd suprise myself.

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No it doesn't. I assumed that people generally want to become as good as they possibly can on their instrument. And by the fact the original poster said his muscles were in pain I assumed he was doing something that was physically demanding and therefore should add variety to his practice.

I'm not interested in the slightest in practising technique in order to be a better guitarist. I'd rather spend the time coming up with good song ideas or recording ideas than playing scales or practising sweep picking...

To answer the original question, no I've never had a guitar playing injury. I've just more minerals than most folk.

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