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Thread: Article: Still Strangling

  1. #1

    Default Article: Still Strangling



    - low life -

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Alberta, Canada
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    2,088

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    When you find your fretting hand getting tight, stop, flex your fingers and relax before proceeding. Try playing a bit without your thumb on the back of the neck. You'll discover that it doesn't take a lot of pressure to fret the strings at all. Much of your fretting pressure should actually come from the large muscles in your upper arm/back because you simply apply gentle pulling pressure against the fretboard. The thumb is there basically for pivoting and anchouring your hand. Those large muscles do not tire nearly as quickly as do the muscles in your hand and when you learn to use them, you'll find you can play for more extended periods without tiring.
    Last edited by TobiasMan; 06-21-2016 at 01:34 PM.

  3. #3

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    It's called arthritis.... Heeeee!!!! Heeee!!! Lol!! I know not funny...

  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by line6bassman View Post
    It's called arthritis.... Heeeee!!!! Heeee!!! Lol!! I know not funny...
    Creek, crack, pop...

    Who, me?

    Snap, pop... Groan...


    - low life -

  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by TobiasMan View Post
    When you find your fretting hand getting tight, stop, flex your fingers and relax before proceeding. Try playing a bit without your thumb on the back of the neck. You'll discover that it doesn't take a lot of pressure to fret the strings at all. Much of your fretting pressure should actually come from the large muscles in your upper arm/back because you simply apply gentle pulling pressure against the fretboard. The thumb is there basically for pivoting and anchouring your hand. Those large muscles do not tire nearly as quickly as do the muscles in your hand and when you learn to use them, you'll find you can play for more extended periods without tiring.
    Pretty good ideas here... I also want to make sure to use Lane's suggestion of washing/soaking my hands in hot water before playing. He says it limbers things up big time.


    - low life -

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    Charlottesville, VA.
    Posts
    219

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    If you're tensing up, just remember to breath.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    New Liskeard, Ontario
    Posts
    528

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    Good morning, Elmeaux. +1 to what TM and the others have said.

    I have been thinking about your post for a bit, and I wonder if two key phrases are “too quick a tempo” and “perfect time”. I wonder if the combination of the two is not causing a certain level of performance anxiety. The result, at least in me, is an automatic stiffening up. After a point, it is all downhill as the tense muscles start to accumulate lactic acid and cramp up even more.

    I suggest that you stretch the muscles both before and after your sessions. Then, start slowly, whatever the piece is. When it is up to your liking, (how good is good enough is an endless debate), then increase the speed in small increments. Before you do though, check you fretting hand. Are all the fingers relaxed? Are the fingers starting to fly off the fret board? If things are not all OK, then relax and try a bit slower. I leave the metronome out at this stage as the anticipation of the click can, on a piece that I thing is a bit beyond me, cause me to tense up. Hmm..Maybe I should start drinking before practice sessions??? But I digress. Once things are going well, all nice and relaxed, then go to getting it in time. One trick I read is to turn the volume of you metronome down to the point that you can only hear it if you are off slightly.

    Good luck. Brian.

  8. #8

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    Thanks, Dave and Brian. Every bit of advice helps! I agree that the desire to perform well is a big part of things. It creates emotional tension which creates physical tension. One of the reasons I wouldn't do well performing for others.

    I'm working on my relaxation!


    - low life -

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