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I'm going to put this here so any powers that be may move it they so desire...

Does anyone else get aches, pains, and/or cramps and shit in their picking hand or arm? My thumb gets pretty achy... like "this might not be a good thing" kind of achy. And sometimes I get forearm pains, but I don't think it's near enough to the elbow to be a tennis elbow sort of thing. Do any of you get shit like this or know good exercises to heal it up? I'm going to try and get a better computer desk in case the posture my current one (which is not a computer desk....) makes me use is actually part of the problem.

It's never my fretting hand, it's always the picking one that hurts....

when i played bass and gigged heavily i expiernced this, as i switched to guitar the past 8 years its dissapeared. maybe try fucking with a bass for practice and stretch your fingers out more than usual, it might make guitar more relaxing. as for forearm pain besides proper picking technique theres not much you can do. maybe go to the doctors? could be early arthritis.

I am an almost strictly pick-playing bass player, and yes, I had this issue for the first 6 months or so when I started gigging every 2-4 weeks or so. I never really found a cause or a solution, but it basically went away on its own and I just assume it was either a ligament I strains or a muscle I pulled that eventually healed and then I conditioned it.

thanks dewds

I wonder if it's just a symptom of over-use. I've been working out more, using the computer a bit more than usual (like now ) and trying to make more art too. I'm going to cut out the strength workouts, at least for a good long while, because I know I do have a case of medial epicondylitis from doing too many weighted pull ups last year.... Maybe my arm just needs to catch up to the workload I'm putting on it

I'm going to look at proper picking technique....because who knows...

I'm a right handed guitar player, but the only pains i have ever had have been in my left hand, in the fleshy part of my thumb....

Decibill wrote:I'm a right handed guitar player, but the only pains i have ever had have been in my left hand, in the fleshy part of my thumb....

I get that whenever I play either my fifths-tuned guitar (because the chord shapes are generally upside-down from what they are in standard tuning) or when I'm playing the banjo. I assume that I get it while playing the banjo because the neck is narrower than a guitar

As far as my right hand goes.... it mainly only hurts when I'm picking lots of single notes/strings, like when I'm playing scales or trilling or the like.

When you play, how hard are you squezzing that pick? do you tense up your fore arm or keep it loose? I had some similar things going on and relaxed my technique, took me a bit to make playing approach different, but was worth it. Pain free now.

Yeah, pain usually means you need to improve the technique, or just like, ignore the pain. Either way works pretty well.

Stretch!
I hurt my shoulder at work about a year or so ago, enough that I had to take physical therapy.
I mentioned my soreness after playing to my therapist and she showed me a few stretches to do before my gigs, and it's been a long while since I've gotten really bad aches.

I try to warm up a little before doing anything "intense." I probably should do stretches, though.

AxAxSxS wrote:When you play, how hard are you squezzing that pick? do you tense up your fore arm or keep it loose? I had some similar things going on and relaxed my technique, took me a bit to make playing approach different, but was worth it. Pain free now.

I've noticed that I sometimes tend to squeeze the pick pretty hard. But if I loosen up, I just...can't...pick. Especially since I use such heavy strings. It feels like I'm going to drop the pick if I loosen my grip. If you can give me some kind of tip on how to loosen up my forearm a little but not loosen my grip drop the pick, I'd love it.

Try changing your playing position and/or the position of your instrument.

Sit down. Hold your instrument in Classical guitar position. Adjust strap.

You'll probably end up with the instrument placed higher than it was before and you may think you look like a dork, but it'll probably be more comfortable and may ease up on your aches and pains.

Yeah, I've tried that. It does help with the forearm issues...I think. But not with the thumb issues. I wonder if my grip is just weak since I haven't been practicing this hard is a long while.

Yeah, then it sounds like you're putting too much pressure on your thumb.

Have you tried changing picks? Maybe using something heavier?

yup. I use pretty heavy picks (.70-somethings). It's better than it was say...last year, since I started using the large-size picks. Something about them feels nicer.

Try something even heavier. .70-something's not even heavy. More like medium. Try at least a 1mm plectrum if not something closer to 1.5mm.