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Getting started…but with hand cramps…suggestions?
I’m really enjoying this challenge so far. I’ve had a guitar for decades and I’ve mostly handed it to others to play rather than playing it myself. TAC changes everything in such a positive and encouraging way. Thanks Tony! I’m looking forward to this.
As I’m getting started and working through the Blues stuff, I’m having familiar discomfort in my fretting hand: Hand cramps…particularly in the palm by the thumb. This is one of the main reasons I have disliked playing guitar. I have big hands with short fingers and I struggle with how to position my fretting hand so that it stays comfortable without cramping.
Does anyone else have a similar experience? How did you deal with it? Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Chuck ✌
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15 Replies
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Hi Chuck,
It’s normal to get discomfort with playing the guitar. Best to take frequent breaks, shake the hands and stretch them before playing. It’s also possible that your hands are tense when playing. Tony has some stretching exercises in the Skill courses section i believe. He also covered some tips for that in his Acoustic Tuesday YouTube program recently.
I get a lot of discomfort in my thumb joint too, which i believe is due to arthritis in my case. I use massage, hand grips, pain relief ointments which help a bit.
I hope things get easier for you
https://tonypolecastro.com/courses/guitar-players-daily-stretch-guide/
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This reply was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by Beatrice.
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Hi Beatrice, sorry for the late reply. I’ve been sick for the past week. I am getting better now and back into the groove of things. Thanks for your encouragement and thoughtful reply.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by
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@chuckson , here are a couple of ‘cheat sheets’ for you. I don’t remember who posted these but here they are to share again.
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Much appreciated! Sorry to be unresponsive as I’ve been sick for the past week. I am getting better now and back into the groove of things. Thanks for your encouragement and thoughtful reply.
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Several others suggested doing the daily stretch course. I think this is a fantastic idea. It helped me a lot
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I’ll give it a try! Thanks!
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Chuck–
I get these weird contorted-fingers hand cramps in my fretting hand now & again as well.
For me, it seems like they just go away after just a minute or so of shaking and stretching my hands and fingers out……. but………. when I put my fingers back on the fretboard and happen to find that EXACT same weird position, they cramp right back up again. For me, it’s kind-of a “trigger” thing– I’m fine until I find “that ONE” position.
I don’t know if you could look at it like any other muscle-cramp— (charley horse, etc). My good-old cure for leg cramps was– believe it or not– drinking about a half cup of pickle juice……. I don’t know why or how– but it seemed to work….. and quick!
I’ve heard another “old wives’ tale”- (can I say that these days?)- that bananas work also.
Anyway– that’s my crazy advice for charley-horses, but I have my doubts it’d be the same for hand cramps.
There ya go… I’m full of advice– (and something else?)…….
theoldcoach
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That’s it, precisely! It’s like a charlie horse. I’m working it out as you’ve described by trying to find “the position” that works best. I’ve been comparing my hand position to some in the videos, and I’m not quite lined up with them. I like your idea here and I appreciate it. Sorry for the late reply, I’ve been sick for the past week. I’m better now and getting back into this.
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OK, so a long, long while later…I wound up buying a different guitar. I came to terms that my Yamaha guitar (which was a gift chosen for me, not my selection) was a poor fit for my large hands with short fingers and broad finger tips. My Yamaha had a narrow neck width at the nut (~43mm) a neck shape that, for me, lead to chronic discomfort and inability to cleanly play each string.
My new guitar is a Martin 000-10E that has a 44.5 mm neck width at the nut and a neck taper that is way more suitable for me. I’m actually looking forward to playing now, whereas in the past it was just too frustrating to be tolerable.
Props to my Nashville-based singer/songwriter daughter, Kylie Dailey, who took her daddy (me) to a local music store and encouraged me to try all the guitars I wanted until I found one that fit. What a difference a good-fitting guitar makes. 🙂
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There are a lot of lessons where I stop and should ‘ouch my thumbstick!’
I try to do all the stretches that others post and I find it releasing to put the tip of my on the top of the heel of the guitar and then stretch my hand downward while my thumb rests on the heel and I find this provides be a nice stretch.
I’ve been playing pretty consistently for 2+ years now and still get sore. I’m sure I’m squeezing too hard on chords and things – so my finger pressure is something I’m always trying to be conscious of (but not always actually ).
I don’t have a very long thumb so wrapping my thumb for barre chordes hasn’t worked out well for me and I think that’s a big area where if I could figure out how to do the thumb-wrapped barre chords I would save a lot of ‘thumbstick’ use where I’m using a lot of that thumb muscle to make a full barre chord sound clean(ish).
You are not alone. Rock on.
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🙂
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Wa’sUp @chuckson : Yes the hand cramp thing is a bummer. Here is the quick and dirty. When it starts to hurt, stop playing. When it stops hurting, play more. Over the course of time and time on the fretboard, you will learn how to precisely place your fingers, you will develop rock hard calluses (this is important to understand…the harder your calluses are the less pressure it takes to make a clean note) and you will develop an intuitive understanding of how little you actually need to press in order to obtain the sound you want. In the mean time play the daily challenges. They are a fantastic way to get your fingers in shape. We are not born with our fingers in guitar shape enough to play guitar. Be patient. Focus on your effort. Leave your outcomes/assessments for later evaluation. If you are having trouble with a chord play the chord in time and release in time. On and off. Then when you have a feel play on for two beats and rest two beats, then four beats on and four beats off and so on. This technique of on and off will also start honing your senses so that you learn what the least amount of effort it takes to make the chord sound you want. Most of all find a way to have fun while you are getting your fingers in shape. Of everything I said, this last thing is the most important of all.
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👍
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Chuckson (patient) sez: Doctor, doctor, when I do this thing, it hurts.
jumpinjeff (doctor) replies: Stop doing it when it hurts.
Ha! I guess I’ve not given myself permission to stop, because it felt like giving up. Since you’ve provided me with this advice, I’ve felt a lot better about taking a break as I progress…and things are getting better. I appreciate your advice.
(Sorry for the delayed response. I’ve been down for a week sick and am just now getting back into the daily groove.)
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Glad you are better enough to cruise the forum. The trick is to avoid long term joint/tendon inflammation by readying your hands and fingers for what you are and will demand of them. Good “doc” talk. As humorous as it is there is truth enough to take notice. I tended to discount the amount of prep it would take for me to be able to play the things that I wanted to play. Too many repetitive stress injuries and the stories of them has made me extra prudent when it comes to overdo but hey, then again, I am an itinerant overdoer. When you get that stabbing pain in the meat between your index and thumb stop shake it out, stretch it out and when the cramp subsides get right back at it. I am convinced that part of the learning process is figuring out what pain signals are irritants easily remedied by managing tension, position vs. the pain signals to really take head and remedy with rest and non- invasive remedies.
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