Guys I need help! Recently I ran into the problem with my thumb where it would hurt alot and I just thought to myself "meh it's juust sore. It'll fix on it's own". But almost a month passed and I still experience it! To be clear while I'm playing it's not a problem. The problem occurs when I do the 1-2-3-4 exercise on the lowest frets or when I play it backwards like 4-3-2-1. Maybe it's a strech issue or something but I thought I might ask you. And Not like I have small hands. Thank you!
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Stop doing the exerices that hurt you.
Exercises are to help you....any exercise that hurts and damages you is no longer an exercise it is a problem.
So where in the thumb is the pain?
You have the two joints at the thumb and the pad at the base of it?
Is the pain in either of those joints?
Is the pain to the back or the front of the thumbs flexion, (the direction in which joint bends to the palm is flexion)
Is the pain at the front or the back when in extension (the direction of extension is it straightening out)
is it a dull or sharp pain?
Is there any sign of swelling?
If you answer yes to one of these questions see a medical profesional., and review what you are doing when you play.
F.
Exercises are to help you....any exercise that hurts and damages you is no longer an exercise it is a problem.
So where in the thumb is the pain?
You have the two joints at the thumb and the pad at the base of it?
Is the pain in either of those joints?
Is the pain to the back or the front of the thumbs flexion, (the direction in which joint bends to the palm is flexion)
Is the pain at the front or the back when in extension (the direction of extension is it straightening out)
is it a dull or sharp pain?
Is there any sign of swelling?
If you answer yes to one of these questions see a medical profesional., and review what you are doing when you play.
F.
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Yes if there is pain don't do it. Discomfort, well, that is something else. Right at first we ask our body to do things it never has done before so there may be some discomfort, but pain is not a part of music.
Fergie usually gives good medical advice. I do not believe there is a medical doctor on this forum, so....... if it keeps up talk to your family doctor.
Good luck.
Fergie usually gives good medical advice. I do not believe there is a medical doctor on this forum, so....... if it keeps up talk to your family doctor.
Good luck.
Where are you positioning your thumb? You should consciously be keeping the thumb behind where your middle finger falls onto the neck. So, take your left hand off the Bass, touch thumb to middle finger, it should be the same on the neck. My thumb likes to wander off toward the headstock, like it's hitchhiking, I gotta keep after it, make it do the right thing.
The position you describe is tense/painful for me; seems to compress something in my palm and give me a cramp after 30-60 minutes.
I get more comfortable results if I make sure my palm is wide and relaxed, like I am opening my catcher's mitt to catch a baseball. This puts my thumb behind my index finger, or even a little bit past my index finger toward the headstock.
One of my teachers helped me visualize this, to imagine I am gently cradling an egg in the palm of my left hand. This helps give the fretting hand a strong natural arch.
Only quoting you, as it is a long held belief...nothing more, not saying right or wrong, but why do you believe your thumb behind the middle finger...out of interest.
Cool stuff thanks for the reply, when you say higher do you mean up over the 12th fret or down towards the 1st fret?
Guys thank you for all your replies! My thumb is always behind my first finger or in the middle of the first and second fingers. The problem is even more apparent now because now even basic scale exercises hurt my thumb. I personally think it's a streching problem. Maybe I should go see a doctor after all.
Ok, tension seems to build as I try and keep my thumb "behind the middle finger" as I go towards the 12th fret, so going in that direction, I'll let the thumb move towards index or even past. I will stand with thumb in said position at first five frets though
Interesting, its normally the other way for most players, the thumb moves toward the headstock, which is a natural movement, then comes in behind the fore-middle finger as the elbow comes closer to the side as the hand approaches past the 7th fret, again a natural movement.
Cool talking and I hope you work it out to your satisfaction, maybe have an overall look at your bass, your setup, your basses setup may help you get to the bottom of this issue.
Again thanks for the info.
Yes see a doctor for any pain really.
Word of note, you should never seek to put your finger behind your thumb regardless.
Yes your thumb will find itself behind fingers, but that is more to do with angles, than technique.
In holding the thumb, or any part of your body for that matter, in an un-natural position will cause un-wanted tension.
Muscles use tension to work, they work in pair to always pull your body in positions, so un-wanted tension is a problem.
A definition of repetitive stain injury, is repeated motions under stress or tension.
So if you repeat the same motions in the same positions you are being repetitive, so vary the motion and how you use it.
One variation is to let the thumb go where it wants, let the finger position dictate the thumb position, not put the thumb in a position to dictate finger positions.
The same applies to elbows and wrists, we cannot always hold postures.
The longer any posture is held the more tension will develop...something to think about.
Good luck with it all.
When I was first playing I had a similar problem. My bass teacher at the time told me to try not putting my thumb on the back of the neck for a few minutes and use my elbow for fretting strength. He then explained to me that fretting strength should come from the elbow. After lightening my grip on the neck the problem sorted itself out. Well almost. Due to what was for me a bad set up with too high action I started to get tendinitis in my elbow. I caught that issue quickly and switched to lighter strings and lowered my action.
C/S,
Rev J
C/S,
Rev J
Man your reply helped me so much! I discovered the problem! I tried doing it that way without my thumb on the neck and I realizes something!
MY THUMB WAS STILL HURTIG
Then I realized that even though I'm not using my thumb i still pressure it into an awkward angle and thats what's been the issue.
Kinda dumb I know
welp..
okcrum
in your chest
No, not dumb. It's the prime reason all teachers say the goal is to "relax while playing". I was getting a touch of bursitis in my left shoulder recently. I thought it was from shedding DB, or my playing angle, but the underlying cause was that my shoulder was tense. Learning to relax it solved the problem.
I follow:
GUITAR PRINCIPLES | Jamie Andreas | Creator of the Principles of Correct Practice for Guitar
(for 6 string guitar)
She says to bring the left hand close to the neck, somewhere around the 9th fret, gently touch your thumb to middle finger, separate them. Keep them in line with each other. Fingers hover over the strings, thumb behind the neck..."somewhere between the first and second fingers". Do not let it go too far to the left, it will not be able to give opposing support if it moves too far to the left.
I think the last sentence about support is what this whole exercise is about
I recommend to take some private lessons with a bass specialist. An in person teacher can look at your hands and give you specific feedback.
Basing your entire bass technique on one sentence from a classical guitar website might have gotten you this far, but I wouldn't go around repeating that suggestion to other players. Are you holding your bass in the classical guitar position (seated, your left foot elevated by a stool, bass between your legs with the neck at a 45 degree angle) or did you cherry pick the thumb advice out of context?
When I watch my bass heroes play, legendary players who have decades-long careers, their posture, hand positions, and finger/thumb techniques are very different from what I see classical guitarists doing. Being good at one doesn't make you an expert at the other. Or at least that is my theory/opinion (I am a humble person).
Basing your entire bass technique on one sentence from a classical guitar website might have gotten you this far, but I wouldn't go around repeating that suggestion to other players. Are you holding your bass in the classical guitar position (seated, your left foot elevated by a stool, bass between your legs with the neck at a 45 degree angle) or did you cherry pick the thumb advice out of context?
When I watch my bass heroes play, legendary players who have decades-long careers, their posture, hand positions, and finger/thumb techniques are very different from what I see classical guitarists doing. Being good at one doesn't make you an expert at the other. Or at least that is my theory/opinion (I am a humble person).
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For players having issues in such matters check out the info in the link
The Ergonomics Of The Plucking Hand Techiques
The Ergonomics Of The Plucking Hand Techiques