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“Spraining” Back of Wrist
I am new to TAC and discovering I am unable to reach the frets in the introductory exercises. I am pausing the video to study the wrist position along with thumb placement, that has helped, but in order to play these, the only way I seem to be able to make it work (without lifting my fingers off the frets while playing) is to deeply hyper-extend my wrist to allow my fingers to reach. The result is I am playing the correct frets, the strings sound great, but it feels sprained in the back of my wrist all the way up to the elbow. Clearly, there has to be another way. If I lean my hand to the side, I can’t reach the frets any better, but it does create more flexibility so I can “hop” between frets leaving the resonance of the open strings as I do this, which sounds okay and is not hurting me. That is the only work around I have been able to find. Any tips? Thanks!
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5 Replies
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Even though it may seem strange, the very fact that you are showing up daily will in itself start to help wrist position.also, I’m a huge fan of YouTube. You will see many tips on wrist/hand positions there. The car may not be running on all cylinders but it’s going down the road
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@musicrmemsn-com Had the same problem when I started playing guitar three years ago. What helped me the most was (and still is) utilizing the exercises within Tony’s Skill Course “Daily Stretch for Guitar”. I have a long-term left wrist injury that restricts range of motion. Doing the exercises routinely has enabled me to gain the flexibility for playing without discomfort.
Take it slow at first by having several short practice sessions (10-15 minutes) instead of a prolonged session each day. That also helps to build up fingertip calluses too. However, with anything else worth pursuing, “no pain, no gain” but be smart about it. The most important thing Tony emphasizes is to play your guitar CONSISTENTLY.
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Thank you so much! This is day two, so I am going to track down those
stretches! Thanks for the encouragement from both of you. I will be wise
about it, practice in short spurts, and check supplemental instruction
to help figure out hand position (if it’s possible). Great advise! -
@musicrmemsn-com What you’re outlining can be concerning. Have you taken the stretching course yet. If not, I highly recommend it (look in Skills area). I overextended my fingers learning a song a few years back, and it caused tendon damage and I had tendinitis in the hand and elbow. That’s very serious. I was unable to play quitar for nearly 6 months while I went through accupuncture and eventually an injection by the orthopedic doctor. Once you have it, you’re prone to it. I feel it just from practicing sometimes, and I have to immediately stop and rest the arm.
Stretching before and after playing is extremely important to avoid incjury.
As you progress in playing, the stretches will become easier, as your fingers gain strength and flexibility. Do the best you can, but as soon as you feel pain, stop immediately and rest.
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Thank you! Yes, after reading other suggestions, I learned about the
stretching TAC class and went right over to locate it to get started. I
stopped playing for a several days to let my arm recover before
proceeding. It was strange because I easily play full basic guitar
chords and have never had this problem (C, G, E, A, D, F, the minors,
etc., though I don’t bar – something I need to learn. I am also a piano
teacher, which involves stretching fingers to reach extended chords on
the keyboard. However, the wrist is positioned comfortably over the keys
and not reaching from behind, like guitar). I don’t know what it is
that is tripping me up while trying to gain these first TAC video
skills, but I’d like to develop this ability. In the big picture, I
decided to slow down, per recommendation, and located a You Tube
instructor another TAC student mentioned that seems to lead her
students, step by step, into these exercises. From there, I am slowly
working into expanding my ability into what Tony is presenting. The
stretches are helpful, I am having fewer problems, and I am only playing
TAC’s first videos for about 5 minutes at a time, several times a day,
rather than sitting down for longer sessions (as a musician who plays
multiple instruments, it is easy to play a couple hours without a second
thought, so this experience was kind of unexpected – not that I played
the TAC exercises for that time. I was getting about 10 – 15 minutes
before I had to stop). My biggest concern I learned from forum comments
was that Tony’s videos will disappear in 30 days. If I am taking it
slower, then that means I will potentially miss out on content, which
makes me bummed. I wanted continued access to the current content for
later, as I go through this slow-start process. But my health comes
first. I guess it is what it is. I thank you for your concern, sharing
your story, and passing on sage advice. I appreciate it. And thank you
to the others who nudged me into discovering a different direction. It really helped.
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