Home› Musicians and Gearheads

my hand hurts

terminal velocityterminal velocity Posts: 73
edited May 2005 in Musicians and Gearheads
I've been playing guitar over three years, and this has always plagued me. I don't even have to be playing for too long, and my hand starts hurting between the base of my thumb and the wrist. I can be playing powerchords or quick arpeggios/melodies and it just happens. i almost feel stupid for asking, but is this normal, or some kind of behavioral thing that could possibly be corrected?
wind howls through our new haircuts
the water rushes 'round
heaven knows there's not one thing left to say
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • GarnerGarner Posts: 182
    you can't play guitar ever again
    Barry Bonds is innocent
  • DriftingByTheStormDriftingByTheStorm Posts: 8,684
    how hard are you squeezin' that axe mang?

    you gotta let yer chicken breathe a little man.
    otherwise you'll choke your chiken.

    uh.
    heh. u know what i mean?
    heh heh.
    If I was to smile and I held out my hand
    If I opened it now would you not understand?
  • justamjustam Posts: 21,410
    If you use your hands in a tense or forced way, you can injure your wrists.

    Good technique on guitar (or any other instrument for that matter) is often finding ways to use your hands to play things that won't hurt and that uses your body in a natural way.

    For example, you may find that if you turn your wrist a bit, you won't have to grip things with your fingers so hard and that will help you stay relaxed.

    The rotation of your wrist is the best friend you have when you trying to play fast or shift to awkard positions. Use it!! :D
    &&&&&&&&&&&&&&
  • bingerbinger Posts: 179
    I've allways read that, aside from the tips of your fingers, if anything starts hurting stop playing cause you can do serious damage to your hands. Maybe find a good teacher and explain the problem.
    I want to point out that people who seem to have no power, whether working people, people of color, or women -- once they organize and protest and create movements -- have a voice no government can suppress. Howard Zinn
  • charlotte28charlotte28 Posts: 56
    Your fret board may be too wide, in which case you're straining your hands by stretching them too much and putting pressure on your thumb at the same time - I have small hands and it hurts when I play my 12 string, but not my smaller guitar. Good luck :o)
    walk the bridges before you burn them down...
  • nailz100nailz100 Posts: 1,176
    Thats all fine and good Binger, but its kinda hard to stop playing when you are in the middle of a show
    Only with our eyes closed can we truly see
  • stonesgstringstonesgstring Posts: 4,613
    yeah possibly the fretboard is too wide. i have little hands, being a female, and so i find that if the necks are too wide, it can hurt.
    20/04/06 ~ 23/08/06 ~ 09/09/06

    14/09/06, 16/09/06, 17/09/06, 19/09/06, 20/09/06 ~ The Stone lookalike leg of the 2006 tour

    18/06/07 - Amazing, just amazing

    04/07/06 ~Proud to be part of the AIC Astoria Crew~

    Rockin' out to Creadles
  • HailHailVitalogyHailHailVitalogy Posts: 5,225
    it happens to me a lot but my doctor told me i have a low form of tendenitis
    2003: Uniondale, MSG x2 | 2004: Reading | 2005: Gorge, Vancouver, Philly | 2006: East Rutherford x2, Gorge x2, Camden 1, Hartford | 2008: MSG x2, VA Beach | 2009: Philly x3 | 2010: MSG x2, Bristow | 2011: Alpine Valley x2 | 2012: MIA Philly | 2013: Wrigley, Charlottesville, Brooklyn 2 | 2014: Milan, Amsterdam 1 | 2016: MSG x2, Fenway x2, Wrigley 2 | 2018: Rome, Krakow, Berlin, Wrigley 2 | 2021: Sea Hear Now | 2022: San Diego, LA x2, MSG, Camden, Nashville, St. Louis, Denver | 2023: St. Paul 1, Chicago x2, Fort Worth x2, Austin 2 | 2024: Las Vegas 1, Seattle x2, Indy, MSG x2, Philly x2, Baltimore, Ohana 2
Sign In or Register to comment.