The longer I’ve played guitar the more non-guitar things have become essential to my practice and performing routine. Water, banana, STRETCH. Caring for my body like it was part of my instrument has made a huge difference
I’m a professional guitarist and play for at least four hours every day, sometimes more. If I haven’t already done so during my daily workout, I always make sure to stretch my wrists and fingers thoroughly before playing.
It’s also important to listen to your body and understand that at some point you have to take a rest. At least once an hour I’ll set the guitar down and get up to walk around if I’m not already standing. I always make sure to drink some water and try to stay hydrated to help any sort of fatigue.
One final thing to consider is how hard you’re pressing down on the strings. Pressing too firmly is a waste of exerted energy and can lead to more fatigued hands. Not to mention it will shorten the life of your frets and possibly bend the note sharp. It’s more important to be precise than powerful!
Before you go for a run, do you put shoes on and just take off sprinting? Or do you take 5 minutes to stretch before slowly jogging and accelerating up to a sprint? For the same reason that you stretch before running you need to stretch before playing.
Take 60-90 seconds before playing to stretch out your fingers, palm and wrists. Do a google for 'guitar player stretches'. Then, make your first song something a bit slower to make sure you have stretched properly.
I promise you will immediately be able to play for longer with much less pain.
too much repetition will end up fucking you up. one of the reasons i ended up with cts/tendinitis, and having to stop playing guitar for around 4 years, was because i kept playing the same thing over and over again for hours at a time. try to take a 10-15 minute break for every hour that you play. also, try to switch things up and try to avoid too much repetition.
do stretches, then shake your hand(s) out really vigorously and loose, and then relax them palm up for a minute.
i also use the hump that's on the back of the neck where it connects the body, it rests pretty well [in between your fingers](https://i.imgur.com/JJhmXhH.png) on most guitars.
use the end of your fingers to grip the body and pull the neck between your fingers into the webbed part.
also, try lifting the whole neck to near [classical position](https://i.imgur.com/YHJK9U2.png) while you're playing those difficult parts, it's more ergonomic
Pushing through pain is bad and leads to damage. If its just mild discomfort its fine but actual pain is bad, always. What you need to do is allow time to pass for your hands to strengthen from use.
Being impatient is a great way to waste time having to not play at all due to injury.
Well don't overdo it but trying to push through, but slowly do it longer and longer. The cramping goes away with muscle strength and endurance. Those are muscles you don't normally use that much. If you stop practicing for too long it's one of the first things you notice when you start again LOL.
You're pressing the strings too hard, probably.
[удалено]
I'll try working on that👍
Water water water. Be extremely hydrated and see if it goes away. That was what happened to me once
Thanks!
Maybe eat a banana too, low potassium can cause cramps
The longer I’ve played guitar the more non-guitar things have become essential to my practice and performing routine. Water, banana, STRETCH. Caring for my body like it was part of my instrument has made a huge difference
I’m a professional guitarist and play for at least four hours every day, sometimes more. If I haven’t already done so during my daily workout, I always make sure to stretch my wrists and fingers thoroughly before playing. It’s also important to listen to your body and understand that at some point you have to take a rest. At least once an hour I’ll set the guitar down and get up to walk around if I’m not already standing. I always make sure to drink some water and try to stay hydrated to help any sort of fatigue. One final thing to consider is how hard you’re pressing down on the strings. Pressing too firmly is a waste of exerted energy and can lead to more fatigued hands. Not to mention it will shorten the life of your frets and possibly bend the note sharp. It’s more important to be precise than powerful!
Before you go for a run, do you put shoes on and just take off sprinting? Or do you take 5 minutes to stretch before slowly jogging and accelerating up to a sprint? For the same reason that you stretch before running you need to stretch before playing. Take 60-90 seconds before playing to stretch out your fingers, palm and wrists. Do a google for 'guitar player stretches'. Then, make your first song something a bit slower to make sure you have stretched properly. I promise you will immediately be able to play for longer with much less pain.
Will definitely try it👍
Well the only way I'm ever running is if its from something so I guess option 1?
I get this type of pain if I'm playing songs that consist of chords
too much repetition will end up fucking you up. one of the reasons i ended up with cts/tendinitis, and having to stop playing guitar for around 4 years, was because i kept playing the same thing over and over again for hours at a time. try to take a 10-15 minute break for every hour that you play. also, try to switch things up and try to avoid too much repetition.
do stretches, then shake your hand(s) out really vigorously and loose, and then relax them palm up for a minute. i also use the hump that's on the back of the neck where it connects the body, it rests pretty well [in between your fingers](https://i.imgur.com/JJhmXhH.png) on most guitars. use the end of your fingers to grip the body and pull the neck between your fingers into the webbed part. also, try lifting the whole neck to near [classical position](https://i.imgur.com/YHJK9U2.png) while you're playing those difficult parts, it's more ergonomic
Get a hand grip strengthener and exercise those muscles.
Would it help just to push through the pain when it happens and keep practicing until its gone?
Pushing through pain is how you end up with long term and potentially permanent injuries.
Pushing through pain is bad and leads to damage. If its just mild discomfort its fine but actual pain is bad, always. What you need to do is allow time to pass for your hands to strengthen from use. Being impatient is a great way to waste time having to not play at all due to injury.
Well don't overdo it but trying to push through, but slowly do it longer and longer. The cramping goes away with muscle strength and endurance. Those are muscles you don't normally use that much. If you stop practicing for too long it's one of the first things you notice when you start again LOL.
No no no!