Hand & Wrist Positioning, Ouch.
Shenanigans
Feb 5 2010, 07:28 PM
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From: BFE KY
I'm learning a song, "Polaris" by The Human Abstract, that involves a lot of stretched-out chords and runs etc. After just ten minutes or so my wrist get's very sore, and it makes playing even harder. I was wondering if there is anything I can do about, hold the gu itar differently or get a guitar with smaller frets or something.
Maybe my wrist will just get used to the positions it's getting in after a while?

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Staffy
Feb 5 2010, 07:51 PM
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QUOTE (Shenanigans @ Feb 5 2010, 07:28 PM) *
I'm learning a song, "Polaris" by The Human Abstract, that involves a lot of stretched-out chords and runs etc. After just ten minutes or so my wrist get's very sore, and it makes playing even harder. I was wondering if there is anything I can do about, hold the gu itar differently or get a guitar with smaller frets or something.
Maybe my wrist will just get used to the positions it's getting in after a while?


I think Your hand will get used to it by the time, but remember -You shall ALWAYS stop practicing such things when it hurts..... (and of course continue the next day or so.... smile.gif )

//Staffay

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Damir Puh
Feb 5 2010, 08:18 PM
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Warm up first - start slowly by playing simple chord forms and then move on to the more challenging stuff. Spend some time doing finger exercises because you can do serious damage to your hands by forcing them to do difficult movements unprepared. Also, make short pauses between sessions - 10 mins. of playing and 2 mins. of rest can do wonders! wink.gif

If you play standing up, make your strap shorter, or just sit down - wide stretches are far easier if your guitar is a bit higher.

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Shenanigans
Feb 5 2010, 08:24 PM
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From: BFE KY
QUOTE (Damir Puh @ Feb 5 2010, 07:18 PM) *
Warm up first - start slowly by playing simple chord forms and then move on to the more challenging stuff. Spend some time doing finger exercises because you can do serious damage to your hands by forcing them to do difficult movements unprepared. Also, make short pauses between sessions - 10 mins. of playing and 2 mins. of rest can do wonders! wink.gif

If you play standing up, make your strap shorter, or just sit down - wide stretches are far easier if your guitar is a bit higher.


Thanks for the tip. I switched to my Damien V guitar, and playing with my leg between to V makes the neck go up at a 45 degree angle, much easier. Haha.

Any particular finger exercises you can recommend? I need to strengthen my pinky finger too, for a lot of reasons.

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Ivan Milenkovic
Feb 5 2010, 09:43 PM
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QUOTE (Shenanigans @ Feb 5 2010, 08:24 PM) *
Thanks for the tip. I switched to my Damien V guitar, and playing with my leg between to V makes the neck go up at a 45 degree angle, much easier. Haha.

Any particular finger exercises you can recommend? I need to strengthen my pinky finger too, for a lot of reasons.


Any exercise that has pinky finger involved will create good pinky technique. It's not about strength it's about technique. Like this for example:

---3--5--6---

or

--3--4--6--

play all over the neck slowly only that on all strings and the pinky will be more secure, but don't force it too much. It will come by itself.

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Damir Puh
Feb 6 2010, 03:31 AM
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QUOTE (Ivan Milenkovic @ Feb 5 2010, 09:43 PM) *
Any exercise that has pinky finger involved will create good pinky technique.


Exactly! I also recommend practicing trills between pair of fingers for improving dexterity (and warming up).

About the guitar change - I think that's temporary solution and it doesn't eliminate the problem at it's source. What you should ultimately try to do is extend your stretching range (by doing more exercises laugh.gif ). Those exercises usually consist of taking a chord and moving certain notes lower/higher (thus creating a stretch) while the others remain the same. For example: turn a bar major chord into add9 or add9#11 etc...

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Daniel Realpe
Feb 18 2010, 03:16 PM
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I guess that's something you have to get used to...I remember seeing Paul Gilbert live and he wore his guitar really low, and played perfectly very difficult stuff and at one point he even did a joke saying "oh , my guitar is too high, I'll lower it"

from that point I was like, ok, it's possible

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