Tips to prevent injury

[TBman]

Originally Posted by SunnyDee

Do these sit on your thigh? I wonder if it would be strain there.

Sunny, did you try a wide strap?

[s0cks]

Contrary to popular opinion, you should stretch after playing/exercise when the muscles are warm. The latest science shows that warming up before an activity is very beneficial at preventing injury, but simply stretching beforehand made no discernible difference. However, stretching after said activity did help.

Don't take my word for it though, have a Google.

As for guitar, those tips are pretty accurate imo. I use a guitar rest and I'm sooo glad I got one. A strap gave me shoulder ache, and without the rest my wrist would play up. Really what it comes down to is playing with the least tension as you possibly can.

[SunnyDee]

Originally Posted by TBman

Sunny, did you try a wide strap?

The one I have is about as wide as the fretboard at it's widest, soft nylon webbing, and double thickness on my shoulder. It works fine for a while. I'm going to experiment more, though, when I'm not traveling, when shopping and storing stuff is easier. Do you have a specific one in mind?

[SunnyDee]

Originally Posted by dkstott

Yes, they sort of sit on your thigh. In my 2 years of use averaging 1.5 hours of playing every day. I've never had any sense of strain.

Maybe this video will help

...

Thanks, that did help, from pics I thought they sat on one thigh. I'm just thinking of how it feels if I hold my laptop on my thighs, I feel strain all through my legs pretty soon. Maybe next time I fly in to the left-handed guitar store, they'll have something I can try. I'm very interested in this sort of thing, but it is, by far, the geekiest looking thing ever.

https://youtu.be/4ktPtoJqThM

[TBman]

Originally Posted by SunnyDee

The one I have is about as wide as the fretboard at it's widest, soft nylon webbing, and double thickness on my shoulder. It works fine for a while. I'm going to experiment more, though, when I'm not traveling, when shopping and storing stuff is easier. Do you have a specific one in mind?

I had bought a wider than normal one for when I played my resonator because it weighs a ton. I'll check the brand later today.

[beninma]

You can use a foam roller on your forearms.. (PT thing)

Some of this "tension" is just left over from whatever else you're doing in life.

Some of the stuff in the OP I feel like is somewhat mumbo jumbo that people tell us when we're beginners. But some of it is very very real.

I've been playing around 2 years. One of the things I've noticed lately is I don't really need my thumb on the neck at all for some things anymore. I'm holding the guitar differently with my right arm, probably cause I'm keeping my right hand a lot closer to the bridge.. that + getting my left hand fingers in the right place seemingly erases a lot of effort and I notice I can sometimes lift my thumb right off the neck without losing the fretting pressure.

Other stuff I'm still definitely applying too much pressure.. and it very often seems to be related to new techniques that I can't do efficiently, I don't have my fretting fingers optimally positioned, and then I compensate by squeezing harder.

[Clallam]

Another tip I've received is to play with your wrists as straight as possible. To do this you will need to elevate the neck. How far depends on style. Classical players have to go pretty high, anyone who wraps their thumb over the neck can go lower. This advice is consistent with advice in other areas. For example, the ergonomics people where I work spend a lot of time getting everyone's workstation set up so they can type with their wrists straight. We've had a lot of training on it too.

Doing a lot of finger movement with bent wrists is a fast path to carpal tunnel syndrome.

Look at YouTube sometime and watch the guys who have been playing at a high level for decades, totaling tens of thousands of hours. They all maintain their wrists straight. It's the young guys who don't. Many of them won't last.

[rick-slo]

Originally Posted by Clallam

Another tip I've received is to play with your wrists as straight as possible. To do this you will need to elevate the neck. How far depends on style. Classical players have to go pretty high, anyone who wraps their thumb over the neck can go lower.

Neck up is optional. Depends on the person. Neck up to me is not comfortable.

Here are some people who frequently (or always) keep the neck fairly level:

[sirwhale]

I bought a neck up - the best thing I'd bought except for my guitars.

I knew I needed one because I was constantly trying to raise the guitar, first by putting my feet on top of each other and then by using a block of wood.

But I started to notice my pelvis was uncomfortable in this position for a long time.

The neck is perfect for me. Much easier for barre chords. I can still play in other positions, but barre chords are much easier for me with the guitar pointing up. With the bonus that I can sit in a normal way too.

[SprintBob]

I'm a big fan of the NeckUp also, it's similar in function to the De Oro and it sits on one thigh. I find I am most comfortable and effective with the neck height at my shoulder when sitting. While I'd love to play my guitar all the time, maintaining my weight, flexibility, strength, and cardiovascular endurance are beneficial to my guitar work. It takes no more than an hour a day.

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

Neck up is optional. Depends on the person. Neck up to me is not comfortable.

Here are some people who frequently (or always) keep the neck fairly level:

Yeah, but do any of those guys REALLY know what they are doing?

[runs for cover]

Tony

[EllaMom]

Originally Posted by tbeltrans

Yeah, but do any of those guys REALLY know what they are doing?

[runs for cover]

Tony

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[dkstott]

Ha!! Muriel Anderson using a neck-up. I liked it, but I broke 2 of the plexiglass inserts. One got stepped on & the snapped for an unknown reason.

So, I moved to the De Oro support and love it.

[Clallam]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

Neck up is optional. Depends on the person. Neck up to me is not comfortable.

Here are some people who frequently (or always) keep the neck fairly level:

Good point on neck elevation. I stand corrected.

I would note, however, that with one exception they are all pictured playing with straight wrists. I think that's the key message. How you get there is up to you and what fits your body and your style.

[Silly Moustache]

It's all about this surely.

Good lessons for posture were developed way back when guitars were no wider than classicals, and played in the classical way.

Western style (guitar waist on the right thigh) twists us, and wider guitars hunches up our right shoulder.

This can be managed without gizmos - but , when I get back from hospital, I'll try to start another thread with some , hopefully helpful thoughts on this. stay tooned - off to get zapped again.

Stay loose.