Hand cramps...

jaspa · Unread post by **jaspa** » Sun Dec 29, 2002 3:15 pm

I don't know if this is a right of passage, but it seems after I play for a while my hand starts to cramp up extremely bad, especially if I'm just holding chords. Playing something like Dancing Nancies is murder on my hand, but I figure just to play through it. Anyone else experience this?

Xoosh · Unread post by **Xoosh** » Sun Dec 29, 2002 4:52 pm

I get this regularly, i get it in the big muscle where my thumb is attached to my hand etc... what i do is play till i cant, stretch it for a minute or so, then keep playing

/x

Chris_Newman · Unread post by **Chris_Newman** » Mon Dec 30, 2002 10:30 am

Stretch!!!

Playing guitar is like learning a sport, you should stretch before, during and after you play and when you're not anywhere near your guitar. I always found that shaking my hands helped too.

Cramping is something that you'll always be dealing with, but will get a lot better after playing a while.

Good luck.
Chris

HiFiKing · Unread post by **HiFiKing** » Mon Dec 30, 2002 11:32 am

Something that I've noticed time and time again at shows is that before Dave begins a song with difficult streches (a'la #41, OSW...) or where he's going to grip the same chord for awhile (a'la Crash, Nancies...) he does hand calastenics (sp?)... bending the hand back and streching out the muscles. The best thing that I've found is to just strech out your fingers one at a time (DON'T FORGET YOUT THUMB!! IT HAS FEELINGS TOO!! :wink:

) and then the whole hand. Don't just pick up your guitar and expect to be able to play the opening chords of #41 without streching, your bound to cramp up your hand...

Oh, and all that crap about cracking your knucles that your mom used to tell you... it's right on... I thought she was full of crap ad now I'm a 28 year old with slight arthritis in my hands...

Just a note for those of you just starting out...

madtadder · Unread post by **madtadder** » Mon Dec 30, 2002 10:16 pm

i don't have any hand cramping problems on nancies, or 41, or captain, or any of those, but crash does a number on my thumb by the end. and apparently, it does a number on dave's hand too since he usually switches to the easier way to play it for the end. my advice would just keep playing, your fingers will start to just naturally stretch out and be able to hit stretches easier and less painfully.

jaspa · Unread post by **jaspa** » Wed Jan 01, 2003 11:49 pm

The whole hand cramping thing is new to me. I've never had a problem with it during the 11 years+ I was playing bass. Now when I play songs like Crash, Nancies, Crush, or 41 my hand and even sometimes my forearm just goes nuts. But thanks for the help guys, I'll try your suggestions.

ScroogeMcDuck · Unread post by **ScroogeMcDuck** » Tue May 13, 2003 1:57 pm

Today I was holding the phone with my left hand and it whigged out. It wasn't a cramp exactly, more like a muscle spasm. But, some of my fingers locked up and my hand looked like the crypt keepers. I had to use my other hand to bend and relax my fingers. I know it was b/c I played for so long last night. Am I gonna have arthritis when I get older? I'll sue Dave and whomever else is responsible for writing songs like #41, Satellite and Crash.

DT · Unread post by DT » Tue May 13, 2003 5:48 pm

the song that really kills my hand is satellite..... ouch

DreaminBassMunky · Unread post by **DreaminBassMunky** » Wed May 14, 2003 7:40 pm

I dont have problems with flat picking songs, but the one song that kills me is Watchtower..and crash..by the end of those my hand is ready to fall off. Same with a few others. For me it's just easy to shake off. Never happens what I play bass though..

does anyone here have a hitch hikers thumb..I do and i am not sure if it helps me or hurts me when I play..the joint always ends up really sore though..

Jay · Unread post by **Jay** » Wed May 14, 2003 11:45 pm

yeah i have a hitchhikers thumb, but it does not hurt.my hands really don't hurt me too much, and i play a few hours a day. knock on wood i guess...

jsgksu · Unread post by **jsgksu** » Wed May 14, 2003 11:48 pm

What exactly is a hitch hikers thumb? Might be a dumb question but Ive just never heard that phrase before. Thanks.

Jay · Unread post by **Jay** » Wed May 14, 2003 11:53 pm

um, if you extend your thumb out, does it go straight, or does it curve backward? hitchhiker's thumb curves backward. mine does it a lot.

jsgksu · Unread post by **jsgksu** » Wed May 14, 2003 11:54 pm

Ahh, I see. Mine goes straight up so I guess I dont have it, does having that actually affect your guitar playing, that sucks if it does.

Jay · Unread post by **Jay** » Wed May 14, 2003 11:57 pm

it doesn't hurt me or get in my way...i dont know if there is some sort of thing that it does better or worse though.

monkieonastring · Unread post by **monkieonastring** » Thu May 15, 2003 10:32 am

Chris_Newman wrote:Stretch!!!

I always found that shaking my hands helped too.

Yeah, whenever i get that cramp in the "thumb muscle", I always shake my hand for like ten seconds and it's gone. I saw Dave shaking his hand at the Oxford show, and I was releived to see even great players get cramps too.

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Hand cramps...

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