Pain(ache) in left shoulder while playing (bass with strap)

R

russosborne

Mar 27, 2013
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319
4,551
Glendale, Arizona 85302
#1
Just started noticing this. Probably since I have only the last few weeks been trying to play about every night.
Playing a Yamaha, so the weight isn't huge.

The pain is exactly where the strap goes across. I play seated, on a stool I bought at GC.
It's bad enough (been getting worse) that I am having to stop playing after about 20 minutes. The pain does not go away immediately after stopping.

I will try playing without the strap for now, although I need it to support the bass so my hands are free. Another option is Tylenol, but I don't want to just mask a real problem.

I am going to ask my instructor about it this week, but was just looking for any advice. I'm just getting to where I can tell I am improving, and I don't want to have to stop playing.

Thanks,
Russ
 
#2
I took pain killers & anti-inflammatory meds when I've had these problems & it just makes it worse for later :eek:

time to get a Comfort Strapp

Comfort Strapp™ – Comfort Strapp™ Guitar Straps

you don't even need strap locks with those:

Bass_Long_Patented_2.jpg
 
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#7
Man... been playing since 1977. Never gave a strap much thought until I was turned on to a Moody strap. The thing is like an overstuffed EZ chair.... I am sure there are a myriad of makers out there. But shoulder pain when young translates to big problems later. My wife has had four shoulder surgeries of late. Started with a small pain 20 years ago playing softball.... Anyway, seriously if you plan to continue playing bass and it sounds like you want to, make an upgraded strap a necessity rather than a luxury. I guarantee it may be your best bass purchase.
 
#8
Google shoulders parts ... there are several bursa sacks and stuff right were our straps cross over ...

i have always tried to use Wide Padded straps ( since 1973 ish ) ...

and proper posture ... and some neck/shoulder stretching and exercises always help ...

anti-inflammatories help if it's irritated .... Aleve , Ibuprofen ... ( Tylenol is not the best for inflammation )

moist heat helps ... i live on those microwave heaters ..!!
 
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#9
Thanks.
It will be on the list of things to get. Right now food and rent are a tad more important. I just need to know for sure that spending that money on a strap would help. If my instructor thinks it will I'll see what I can do. I have a very little credit I can use if needed. Also really trying to get a job, which would cure most ills we are having.

As far as the age thing goes, I am 57. So it could be something like arthritis. I am playing with the bass in a little different position as well, per my instructor, so as to not have to have a death grip on it with my left hand. It may also be overall posture, I think I am unconsciously bent over and trying to be small as I am playing in a rather small corner and feel a tad claustrophobic.

Thanks.
Russ

Or I just suck and my body is telling me that. :laugh:
 
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#10
Killed_by_Death said:
time to get a Comfort Strapp

Comfort Strapp™ – Comfort Strapp™ Guitar Straps
Click to expand...
Yeah another vote for a Comfort Strapp.
Thin nylon straps exert an incredible amount of pressure on a very small area; Comfort Strapps disperse the weight across a larger area, and the thick neoprene (dense foam rubber) is more pliable and forgiving of shifts and bouncing.

I personally went from muscle fatigue and pain after one hour, to comfort for an entire 4 hour gig.

If this doesn't cure the issue, there are more elaborate harness type systems that relocate the support to the torso, waist, and back.
 
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#11
russosborne said:
...so as to not have to have a death grip on it with my left hand. It may also be overall posture...
Click to expand...
This very well could be contributing. Make a conscious effort to minimize exertion when you play. Start with lower action to take left hand exertion out of the picture, then examine what is happening in your forearm, upper arm, and shoulder area. If those are tense, force yourself to relax while playing. I often tell my students that the only tension should be pinching between the fretting finger and fretting thumb (like a little clamp--like a letter C). Even there, there is no need for strong exertion if your action is low, and strings aren't too stiff.
 
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#12
russosborne said:
Just started noticing this. Probably since I have only the last few weeks been trying to play about every night.
Playing a Yamaha, so the weight isn't huge.

The pain is exactly where the strap goes across. I play seated, on a stool I bought at GC.
It's bad enough (been getting worse) that I am having to stop playing after about 20 minutes. The pain does not go away immediately after stopping.

I will try playing without the strap for now, although I need it to support the bass so my hands are free. Another option is Tylenol, but I don't want to just mask a real problem.

I am going to ask my instructor about it this week, but was just looking for any advice. I'm just getting to where I can tell I am improving, and I don't want to have to stop playing.

Thanks,
Russ
Click to expand...

How wide is your current strap? Do you still have pain with no strap?
 
#15
I use 4" suede Italia straps, very flexible to the point they spread the load out over the entire 4" .. also, play with your bass height and neck inclination, all have an affect on the angle of your arm and how it sits in the socket .. sometimes it is not the pressure of the bass, but a bit of an impingement occuring from an alignment issue ..

... if my discomfort gets bad, it is amazing how good my sub 7# Squier Jazz begins to sound to me, and I just grab that ... whatever you have to do to keep going until the fun stops ;)
 
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#16
One thing that hasn't been mentioned or asked: when some play seated with the strap, they tend to anchor their right forearm more (left for lefties) on the bass to solidify tension on the strap and stabilize the bass. This adds a lot of strain on the left shoulder. The strap should have very little weight into it when you're seated, so it surprises me that you're having shoulder pain and you aren't standing. Just a thought. The stool and left hand "death grip" may also be contributing. Try to relax as much as possible; audit your tension levels while practicing (set an alarm for every 15 minutes to remind yourself if it helps), and if you find yourself squinching up, inhale a deep breath, flex everything, and exhale while relaxing everything. Continue playing in as relaxed a way as you can.

The Comfort Strapp has been mentioned, and I can second that recommendation. There are several great neoprene straps that can reduce strain on your shoulder (if the strap is, in fact, the culprit), but the Comfort Strapp is really the softest/most elastic I've found. Best of health.
 
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#17
George Himmel said:
One thing that hasn't been mentioned or asked: when some play seated with the strap, they tend to anchor their right forearm more (left for lefties) on the bass to solidify tension on the strap and stabilize the bass. This adds a lot of strain on the left shoulder. The strap should have very little weight into it when you're seated, so it surprises me that you're having shoulder pain and you aren't standing. Just a thought. The stool and left hand "death grip" may also be contributing. Try to relax as much as possible; audit your tension levels while practicing (set an alarm for every 15 minutes to remind yourself if it helps), and if you find yourself squinching up, inhale a deep breath, flex everything, and exhale while relaxing everything. Continue playing in as relaxed a way as you can.

The Comfort Strapp has been mentioned, and I can second that recommendation. There are several great neoprene straps that can reduce strain on your shoulder (if the strap is, in fact, the culprit), but the Comfort Strapp is really the softest/most elastic I've found. Best of health.
Click to expand...
I noticed that too and that it didn't make much sense. I used to do all my playing sitting down but have done a 180 and now do all my playing standing up. Other than my knees bothering me after an hour or so, it's been a far more beneficial change. I think playing sitting down also had me all hunched over as the op mentioned.
 
#18
You guys who can use the Comfort Strapp are lucky. The outer strap that holds it together digs into my shoulder so much that the foam part might as well not even exist.

I use a Levy' s MSS2-4, which is 4 1/2 inches wide and doesn't dig into my shoulder at all. That said, it helps a little with heavy basses, but it's no sub for a lighter bass. That's the only thing that really works for me.
 
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#19
Thanks, everyone.

I was just out, and stopped by GC. They didn't have that strap, and it isn't listed on their website, although they are supposed to be a place that carries it. I wasn't going to buy one right now, just wanted to see what it was like.

My current strap is about 2.5 inches wide at the shoulder area, and is leather. (cheap leather). Then it has a much narrower adjustable strap just past the shoulder area. The wider section has slots that the narrow section fits in depending on how long you want the total to be. Thinking about throwing a hand towel under it and see if that helps with padding.

I am not doing the death grip now, thanks to the new positioning. Before the neck was -----, now it is more / (well, not that bad, about 35 or 40 degrees maybe, so maybe halfway between --- and /). Honestly I hadn't been playing for very long this go around before he changed that, so I don't know if my shoulder would have been hurting before this or not. Hadn't really touched the bass in over a year until about 2 months ago.

I am literally stuck with the stool at this time. Standing up for any length of time I tend to have my legs go out from under me. Not so much while walking, although there are times one of my knees will just buckle, but very quickly just standing in one spot. I am weird, I know.

It very well could be my posture, which isn't great at anytime, but really bad while playing. Something I need to work on. My upper body strength is very poor. Having had open heart triple bypass surgery in December hasn't helped, but I should find out tomorrow if I am allowed to really start working my upper body again. Having your chest cracked open makes you a tad leary about doing some things.

Russ
 
#20
russosborne said:
Thanks, everyone.

I was just out, and stopped by GC. They didn't have that strap, and it isn't listed on their website, although they are supposed to be a place that carries it. I wasn't going to buy one right now, just wanted to see what it was like.

...Standing up for any length of time I tend to have my legs go out from under me. Not so much while walking, although there are times one of my knees will just buckle, but very quickly just standing in one spot. I am weird, I know.

...Having had open heart triple bypass surgery in December hasn't helped, but I should find out tomorrow if I am allowed to really start working my upper body again.
Russ
Click to expand...

  1. It's a wide, stretchy cushion of neoprene (like a wetsuit or a mousepad) with a band of elastic webbing over the back and two strips of nylon at either end beyond the pad, terminated by leather ends. Someone here may even have a used one to send you on the cheap.
  2. Didn't know about the pre-existing condition! All bets are off when you need the rest of your body to heal too. And the left shoulder is a hot zone for anyone suffering/having suffered cardiac issues. Take the utmost care, and maybe skip the strap until you're totally firing on all cylinders again. I'd tell you to elevate your left foot on something and plass the instrument on your left thigh like a classical guitar player to get the bass angle right. Then play without a strap until you're further recovered. Better to be safe when it comes to the bigger picture of health!

Take care,
George
 
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