Hypermobile joints

[Loraine]

@briplaysjovie I’ve heard of hyper mobility before, but you’re the first to ask a question about it, that I’m aware of, in the forums, and that’s great. There are probably others out there too afraid to ask the question or simply give up. My understanding of the syndrome is that it actually has to do with surrounding muscles not being strong enough to keep the joints from collapsing or turning.

Focus on finger strengthening. Many of Tony’s lessons focus on finger strengthening, but there are many YouTube videos that cover exercises. I would incorporate these along with your daily stretches. Try not to hyperextend when stretching to avoid the dreaded tendonitis that can out your playing on hold for extended periods.

You might consider going to physical therapy too. They could show the safest and most effective ways to build the muscles and strength up.

There isn’t going to really be a quick fix to the hyper mobility. I’m not sure how taping your joints would help with the matter. Also how would you get the arch needed in your fingers and hands to play?

Here’s a YouTube video on hyper mobility and guitar. I can’t comment on her suggestions, but I think she’s a physical therapist.

https://youtu.be/mTII0TNO3Es

[briplaysjovie]

Thank you! I’ll watch the video and try some of the suggestions I’ve read about already. And of course, keep going with TAC.

If I find something that works, I’ll post about it and hopefully others will find it helpful as well.

I’ve been consistently playing since November 2022, learning lots of worship songs and have already played a live performance with my worship band at church.

I’m determined to figure it out and keep playing. It’s been a lifelong goal for me, so I’m not giving up. I just need to find a way to work with my condition.

Thank you for the tips!

Briana

[Carol-3M-Stillhand]

@briplaysjovie have you tried playing with a capo on fret 3 or 4? It makes everything easier by improving the action as well as eliminating those first few extra large frets, so that your fingers don’t have to stretch as far to fret the notes. Another tip is to tune your guitar lower by 1 full step. (Instead of EADGBE, tune it to DGCFAD). This will reduce the tension on your strings and make it easier to fret your notes. And if you tune lower by 1 full step AND put your capo on the 2nd fret, you will be back in standard tuning and still have your reduced string tension. Also check out the world of open tunings. (You might wind up playing slide guitar or dobro, which would be awesome! There are more open strings in the chords in open tunings, so less issues with fretting notes as well. And as everyone should, try to be aware of posture and ergonomics and play as relaxed as possible to avoid excess wear and tear on your joints and muscles. Best wishes, Carol

• This reply was modified 2 years, 9 months ago by  Carol-3M-Stillhand.

[Loraine]

😆😍 great suggestions Carol!!

[Booker]

Hello! I can only add one more suggestion to the excellent tips from Loraine and Carol. I play a classical Cordoba and steel string Martin (I learned on a classical first). The first three strings on a classical are nylon. All the classical strings have less tension than a steel string folk/blues guitar. The classical does not have the vibrant sound of the steel strings, but fretting/playing notes is much easier, less pressure……and I use a pick (very new to me) with both.

Also, depending on your hand size and reach, the classical guitar comes in a student size ( 3/4 of the standard size ) as well.

Keep at it! 🙂

[Loraine]

@Booker Excellent suggestion, and I think classical fares pretty well on volume, but you’re right, so much easier to play.

[KayMesser]

I love this suggestion

[KayMesser]

I am so excited someone else asked about this issue. I had posted a question about hypermobility a few months back as well.

My middle and index finger on my left have the most issues with my knuckles dipping when I’m holding chords.

A few things that have helped me:

* Don’t press hard – the harder I push the more likely it is for my knuckle to slip. Stressing the joint if it is weak won’t (in my experience) get it stronger – it can cause your body to guard against the slippage by stiffening other areas of the body (I have really bad issues with hypermobility my lower body & hip)
*My PT always reminds me that other people want more flexibility & stretch – but for me, it is better to think about finding stability. This leads me to thinking about chords where I can have stability while playing.
*Think about different versions of this chord shape – there are some chords that I cannot do with my hypermobility (yet at least). You can look up different variations of that chord up and down the guitar neck. There is a G chord that triggers my hypermobility badly, but a different G that has less of a stretch and more support.

*Speed – some chords I can do with stability at .5x of a song. If I try to play it quickly I don’t focus on stability and then my knuckle sags. I find playing slower with light pressure to be a great way to build strength, muscle memory, and security in my body. I’ve been working on a Tom Petty song that caused a lot of hypermobility a few months back. I want to play it faster, but the slow speed has helped me gain confidence with a few chords that used to feel impossible.
*I second Carol’s suggestion of a Capo. The frets are closer and can reduce your stretch. My fingers slip the most as I try to stretch without strength.
*If my left hand is not doing well one day I will switch to practicing fingerstyle with my right hand with super simple close chords.

Feel free to try these, or if they don’t work for you that is totally ok as well. Listen to your body.

I’m excited to hear about any tips you find as you progress in your guitar journey. It has already been really helpful for me reading through the tips from other folks.

Cheers, Kay