Bass_god_offspring Posted October 6, 2004 Share Posted October 6, 2004 Hey guys/girls! you've probably noticed that i haven't been on here for a while, well, that's what junior year of high school gets ya! anyways, my question(out of curiosity): recently, one of my friends (drummer of my band too) was diagnosed with Carpal tunnel syndrom (early stages). nothing serious, he just has to not use his right hand too much and wear one of the wrist brace things. does anyone know if that can happen to bassists/guitarists? furthermore: does anyone know what type of injuries can occur from playing the bass? (jumping off stage and getting in fist fights with the guitarist doesn't count ) -BGO 5 words you should live by... Music is its own reward --------------- My Band: www.Myspace.com/audreyisanarcissist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getz out Posted October 6, 2004 Share Posted October 6, 2004 I'd search; both the forum and the web. We have discussed. CTS is a possibility (actually, it's VERY likely) if you have poor technique. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moot Posted October 6, 2004 Share Posted October 6, 2004 Hey BGO! Yes it can and does. I know a guitar player who got it in both wrists (repetative motion job at the lumber mill) and ended up having both operated on. He was totally hatin' it for awhile and said while the surgery fixed one side he really couldn't tell the difference in the other. I constantly dread the thought of CTS or Arthritis or any other groove hampering ailments. I used to get nasty cramps that scared me to death but lately that hasn't been happening thanks to some warm-up techniques gleaned from this wise forum. Bend and stretch and one and two and . . . "He is to music what Stevie Wonder is to photography." getz76 I have nothing nice to say so . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g. Posted October 6, 2004 Share Posted October 6, 2004 Ask Dr Science: Many bass players have asked me this very same question. I've always assured them that playing only roots and the occasional fifth will prevent this treachorous malady, known to be the sure sign of wankery on musical instruments and uh - . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LLroomtempJ Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 BGO: who's your mother/father? (bass god offspring) Also, at my summer job two summers ago people used to walk around and do an "ergonomics check" on people. You could ask someone that you know at a show you are playing to watch you. I'd recommend practicing in the same manner that you play (don't sit if you stand vice versa) and look in the mirror. If anything looks wrong, or if anything that you do causes you pain...stop it. I was once sore after working on this particular left pinky lick for like 10mins nonstop. do check out the other threads tho. jason 2cor5:21 Soli Deo Gloria "it's the beauty of a community. it takes a village to raise a[n] [LLroomtempJ]." -robb My YouTube Channel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass_god_offspring Posted October 7, 2004 Author Share Posted October 7, 2004 who's your mother/father? (bass god offspring) haha, i get that alot. actually, the "offspring" part is a reference to a band that i like (the Offspring), so hence, "Bass God Offspring" -BGO 5 words you should live by... Music is its own reward --------------- My Band: www.Myspace.com/audreyisanarcissist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClarkW Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Once upon a time I had to lay off bass playing because my left wrist hurt too much. It turned out that I was lugging around a 100 lb amp too often, and playing with my bass slung too low and curling my wrist. A smaller amp and some lessons from a qualified instructor who made me completely relearn my left- and right-hand technique cleared up the problem completely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhurstlmt Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Definitely go for a search. Most CTS comes from poor technique both on drums and bass. I see a lot of people who position their bass in a way that makes them "look cool", but leads to injuries of the back and wrist. I guess if image is that much to you. (I am not saying it is.) I prefer to have my incredible bass playing project my image. Let your speech be better than silence, or be silent. For those who believe, no explanation is necessary. For those who do not, none will suffice. "Rindase!" "Rendirme? Que se rinda su abuela, *#@!^$" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bass_god_offspring Posted October 7, 2004 Author Share Posted October 7, 2004 Definitely go for a search. Most CTS comes from poor technique both on drums and bass. I see a lot of people who position their bass in a way that makes them "look cool", but leads to injuries of the back and wrist. I guess if image is that much to you. (I am not saying it is.) I prefer to have my incredible bass playing project my image. by "cool" i think you are referring to having the bass slung really low? i do that occasionally, just cuase i can move around a lot more like that, but not 100% of the time. thanks a lot you guys. -BGO 5 words you should live by... Music is its own reward --------------- My Band: www.Myspace.com/audreyisanarcissist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swayingtree Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 My sister who is a licensed massage therapist showed me how my arms and hands should be in a circle, without any harsh angles. I tend to play my bass low because of that. I think playing it too high could result in problems too, if your arms or hands are bent at too much of an angle. "Every act of love is a work of peace, no matter how small." -Mother Teresa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
... Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Carpal is a frequent injury suffered by guitarists and bass players who use bad technique; a lot of times associated with having the instrument slung way too low. Raise your bass up and wear it high. Be proud. Don't hurt yourself in an effort to try and look cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanJ Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Raise your bass up and wear it high. Be proud. Don't hurt yourself in an effort to try and look cool. I'll have to stop you here. Wearing your bass too high can result in problems in your shoulders. Believe me, I'm suffering from it myself, and I know others too. So, the advice is; not too high, not too low. In the middle somewhere. My gear: Ibanez SR3005ESOL Korg DTR-2000 Mesa/Boogie Basis M-2000 (For sale) Mesa/Boogie Powerhouse 1000 (For sale) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raven Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Play in a position thats comfortable. If it causes pain, something's wrong. Your body has a way of letting you know when something isn't right. If you feel pain in your wrists or arms, try repositioning the bass. I can tell you for certain that if you sling your bass too low, your fretting hand will be at a very strenuous angle and the tendons will suffer for it. BCR's homepage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Gollihur Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 See my Double Bass Links Page at http://www.urbbob.com/basslink.html under Musicians' Injuries. There are some great resources out there. 1000 Upright Bass Links, Luthier Directory, Teacher Directory - http://www.gollihurmusic.com/links.cfm [highlight] - Life is too short for bad tone - [/highlight] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ATM Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 I don't know about CTS, but in high school orchetra during a rather long rest I couldn't resist spinning the old double bass. Faster and faster till I accidentally whacked my knee and half the orchestra who saw it broke up laughing and the other half stopped, wondering what was so funny. Found out that upright basses can be very loud percussion instruments. ATM http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v506/atmofmn/Bass/DeepThoughtsBS.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveC Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Almost all injuries are from poor technique. On eof my violinists is recovering from bad technique. Her teacher (not me) made two small changes to her bow arm and she's fixed. The benefits of proper instruction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewstermaniac Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Tendonittis in the shoulder from the strap digging in for hours on end, carpal tunnel from playing soo much, back pains from the weight of bass on your shoulder for hours on end.... Stuff can and does happen. Just be aware of the warning signs and take of yourself right away so you can keep the groove alive! Check out my work in progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wraub Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 I am actually dealing with a minor thing right now. I went from a dormant stage as a player, no gigs and barely any practice for about a year, to an uptempo rock band rehearsing for 3 hours straight through every week, and mucho practice. Now, I have a swollen/sore spot on top of my picking hand, right where the tendons converge. I doubt it's a technique thing, as I have been playing pretty much the same way for many years, and have never had this problem. Partly overwork (music and job), partly lack of proper warm-up, I guess. At least we're on hiatus this week. Take care of yourselves! Do your warm-ups well! And wear earplugs, at least for rehearsal. Thank you, please pull forward. Peace, wraub I'm a lot more like I am now than I was when I got here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g. Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Poor technique isn't the only cause of problems. The instrument has a few ergonomic liabilities, and playing music involves a lot of lots of lots of use of certain muscles and tendons. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getz out Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Originally posted by greenboy: Poor technique isn't the only cause of problems.Agreed. I believe we are at a point in society that says doing anything is pretty much bad for your health; running, climbing stairs, typing, playing guitar, sleeping on your chest, etc. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wraub Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Well, Maury, living IS a leading cause of death. Peace, wraub I'm a lot more like I am now than I was when I got here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getz out Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Every day you live, you die a little more... take it from someone who works in life insurance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred TBP Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Originally posted by chewstermaniac: Tendonittis in the shoulder from the strap digging in for hours on end, carpal tunnel from playing soo much, back pains from the weight of bass on your shoulder for hours on end.... Stuff can and does happen. Just be aware of the warning signs and take of yourself right away so you can keep the groove alive!...to which there is one solution: Slider double-strap for guitar ...also found it here: ActiveMusician.com I bought one of these years ago for some heavy ash body basses I'd used (like the old Ibanez Artist basses, wraub) and when I use to play a Gibson 12/6 doubleneck in my "Jimmy Page" phase. HIGHLY recommend these if you're experiencing shoulder or back pain from playing a heavy instrument. Takes time to adjust right, you may fuss at it a bit, but it's worth the effort. Using the strap came as a result of years of severe back pain and some injuries which damaged two of my 4 lower lumbar disks. My current solution is playing alder/basswood instruments, which tend to be a few pounds lighter. I still own a few heavyweights and I plan to bring the double-strap back into play soon. I had CT surgery for my left hand about 12 years ago (I showed Tom C. the scar) and prior to that I had therapy from an orthopedic specialist in certain aerobic exercises. CT is gone and thanks to the exercises I've learned to play backhanded on the neck, which relieves some of the stress. The tips of my right fingers and thumb are somewhat numb, and my endocrinologist believes this is nerve damage from diabetic neuropathy. (It could also be early arthritis) I've said it before, but it bears repeating: if you have diabetes, take care of it before it takes care of you. Other than all that, I'm doing fine for an old fart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g. Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Yeah, several different strap/harness affairs have been on the market - and at least ONE of the systems allows you to rotae the bass ala ZZ Top. All that, and taking the shoulder and back debilities out of the equation too! . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
... Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 Originally posted by JanJ: Raise your bass up and wear it high. Be proud. Don't hurt yourself in an effort to try and look cool. I'll have to stop you here. Wearing your bass too high can result in problems in your shoulders. Believe me, I'm suffering from it myself, and I know others too. So, the advice is; not too high, not too low. In the middle somewhere.Right then. I should have added: Your bass should be at the same level while standing as it is when you are sitting down and playing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g. Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 I put my bass fairly low and pull the neck up to a steeper angle when I need the best ergonomics. Then BOTH wrists are less bent. (see Capasov's article on Dammann basses for a glimpse of the advantages). I can drop the neck if I want to, and sometimes use the thumb on low B and E strings to get some interesting chordal and double-stop action. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Capasso Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 BGO - hope your friend's situation improves. Godd advice for yourself here as well - read Bob's material. Originally posted by greenboy: (see Capasov's article...When I first saw that, I thought it was another of the famous green typos. Then BAM the genius of it hits me. Nice work !! Tom www.stoneflyrocks.com Acoustic Color Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicklab Posted October 7, 2004 Share Posted October 7, 2004 I had some problems with my left (fretting) wrist for a while. When I found the proper arm position all the pain went away. Obligatory Social Media Link "My concern is, and I have to, uh, check with my accountant, that this might bump me into a higher, uh, tax..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.