robert43
Rookie Solder Flinger
Posts: 22
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Post by robert43 on Jul 7, 2007 2:13:07 GMT -5
Hi I am new at the playing a guitar / bass , my son plays guitar (13 ) I am 45 learing bass. My problem is my left hand , my thumb dosent want to go to the middle of the neck say behind my ring finger. It wants to go behind my 1st finger& up high. Also when I move frets I have a lot of trouble un locking my fingers. On top of this I get wrist cramps I have noticed that I can curl my right wrist much more than my left wrist ( when I was young I broke my left wrist twice ) I can give you picture if this helps thanks
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Post by sumgai on Jul 7, 2007 12:27:52 GMT -5
robert, You need to know only three things in order to get over those hurdles - practice, practice and practice! I'm not kidding, the trite saying is oh so true. But in your case, take it slow and easy, your wrist-area muscles are weaker than usual (due no doubt in part to your previous misfortunes). Don't, repeat, don't contort your fingers or thumb into positions that feel un-natural. The thumb will never find itself behind the ring or little fingers, not even if your name is Allan Holdsworth. Keeping one's thumb down off the upper edge of the neck is tough, it's a natural position of ease for both the thumb and the rest of your hand. The problem is, it also forces one to use the first finger inner knuckle for leverage (against the lower edge of the neck) when depressing strings. In turn, that forces the fingers out of the proper (optimal) position for long periods of playing comfortably. Your fingers should be strking the strings from straight down, on the finger tips - not from an angle, and on the finger pads. But to make progress, you have to be comfortable. A good teacher will let you develop bad habits in the name of progress, but he or she will point them out continuously, and soon enough, you'll find yourself wishing to keep the teacher quiet, so you'll "self correct" those bad habits. (IMO, a teacher who brooks no bad habits from the beginning has forgotten what it's like to learn something from scratch, and how hard it can be for a beginner. Those people make life difficult for beginners, and probably turn off more than few potential players. They are not beginner-friendly, and should be used only after some skill has been developed.) Hooked fingers and wrist cramps can be due to one of several things, or a combination of them. Is it simply over-exertion? Don't try so hard. Is it nerves (about performing properly)? No sweat, every player has gone through that same stage, and we can assure you, it'll pass. Is it come kind of physical stress, not guitar-related? I can't help you there, sorry. And finally, is it another kind of stress, like a bad day at work, or the car just broke down? However you do it, relax before you even bend over to pick up your guitar, then stay relaxed throughout the session. Otherwise, your progress is gonna be mighty slow, I can guarantee that. That's about all I can offer, hope it helps. sumgai
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Post by cynical1 on Mar 9, 2008 15:46:43 GMT -5
Sumgai pretty much summed it up. Although they are about as exciting as watching meat defrost, you can do exercises up and down the neck. There are dozens of sites that offer their "prescribed" patterns to become Jaco in 6 months, but any exercise pattern will help.
A simple 1-2-3-4 (Start with low E, 1st fret - [F]) across and back all strings, go up a fret and repeat until you've made it all the way up and back on the neck will help you tremendously over time. Once you have this down you can modify the pattern. IE: 2-1-3-4, 3-1-2-4, 4-1-2-3 etc, etc, ad nausium...
But remember, EVERY note must sound CLEAN. Don't practice making ugly sounds. SLOW down if you have to, and stop before you develop muscle spasms. In time you will be able to run up and down the neck with ease as a warm-up.
Starting out this feels like lugging a piano up a flight of stairs. Stop and let your muscles recover if it starts to hurt, then start from the bottom and work up again.
I still do this after 25+ years, unplugged, in front of the television.
Stick with it, it does get easier. Soon you'll be opening beer bottles with your thumb.
Happy Trails
Cynical1
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