my hand hurts

terminal velocity
terminal 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?
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Comments

  • Garner
    Garner Posts: 182
    you can't play guitar ever again
    Barry Bonds is innocent
  • DriftingByTheStorm
    DriftingByTheStorm 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.
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  • justam
    justam Posts: 21,415
    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
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  • binger
    binger 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.
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  • charlotte28
    charlotte28 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)
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  • nailz100
    nailz100 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
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  • stonesgstring
    stonesgstring 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.
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  • HailHailVitalogy
    HailHailVitalogy Posts: 6,020
    it happens to me a lot but my doctor told me i have a low form of tendenitis
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