Warm-up: How, and how long?

[AlanJ]

Just as in the title really – I wondered what exercises you do, and how long you do them for?

Having come back to bass playing after a decade or two of neglect (married, kids, the usual), I have noticed that my old warm-up routines seem less adequate than they once did.

I currently warm up for maybe 15 or 20 minutes, running through some repetitive stuff that starts at the 12[sup]th[/sup] fret and runs down to the first and back to stretch my fingers and get the blood flowing. I physically stretch my fingers also, bending them back (with the aid of the fingers on the other hand, and without making anything go ‘ping’).

However, I have found that my playing isn’t really fluent until I’ve been playing for an hour or more. This seems like a really long time to me, and I wondered whether everyone warms up for a longer time than I do, and what exercises they use.



Alan.

[Bilbo]

I don't warm up, really. Tend to play so much I am close to match fit at all times. If not, I just make sure the first few tunes aren't hardcore.

I guess its more important to warm up if you are on the edge of your physical potential at all times. As a jazzer, I tend to not get into that zone very often so can 'warm up' with the first half of the first set. At home, I suppose its depends on what you are practising?

[chris_b]

I did some exercises in 1974, I think.

[risingson]

I just do scales, and licks that I know are going to get my hands warm and comfortable. Nothing too strenuous, usually starting in the middle of the neck... too low on the neck can stretch your hand too much too quickly, too high and I don't feel my muscles working.

[Bilbo]

I always play a low F first.

Why do I do that?

[Hobbayne]

Warm up? whats that??

[Dave Vader]

[url="http://www.bapam.org.uk/documents/1_Dont_cramp_your_style_web.pdf"]http://www.bapam.org.uk/documents/1_Dont_cramp_your_style_web.pdf[/url]

try this rather than a load of scales etc. More effective.

[discreet]

I play at least three hours a day anyway, so don't warm up as such.

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1337871031' post='1666767']
I suppose its depends on what you are practising?
[/quote]

Wahey!

Edited May 25, 2012 by discreet

[fumps]

I do a weird warm up exercise that is like doubling back down the neck G string down to E that i've done for years. I usually do this for a min or two until my fingers & fore arm loosens up.
I'm not sure how to describe it but it has always worked for me....looks like I'm the only one to do exercises here lol

If your interested i could probably tab it & Pm you it

[wal4string]

Several years ago I worked with a keyboard player who woke up one morning with RSI. The night before he had played an energetic gig playing 16th notes during a RnR set. He has never played pro keyboards since and now plays tuba in a funk band. He also admitted having never warmed up as he 9/10 his keys were set up on stage. I was taught that to play a gig without a warm up was asking for trouble sometime in the future. All athletes have a warm up routine before an event and musicians should do the same. Like the keyboard player 9/10 my bass is normally set up on stage so I simply perform some simple hand stretching exercises, bending the wrists back and fore as far as I can with my other hand and clenching my hands into a fist and slowly relaxing them. Another tip is to squeeze a squash ball tightly in in each hand. Yes, I can already imagine the kind of comments I will receive after this post. But for those of you who ignore a warm up routine don't be surprised to hear yourself in a few years say "if only I had done some warm up".

[MrTaff]

I do the finger exercises 1234 1324 etc & run through some riffs starting slowly & building up the speed, my hands simply can't go from cold to 16ths at 140+ without a warm up.

[Coilte]

[quote name='wal4string' timestamp='1338211418' post='1670842']
Several years ago I worked with a keyboard player who woke up one morning with RSI. The night before he had played an energetic gig playing 16th notes during a RnR set. He has never played pro keyboards since and now plays tuba in a funk band. He also admitted having never warmed up as he 9/10 his keys were set up on stage. I was taught that to play a gig without a warm up was asking for trouble sometime in the future. All athletes have a warm up routine before an event and musicians should do the same. Like the keyboard player 9/10 my bass is normally set up on stage so I simply perform some simple hand stretching exercises, bending the wrists back and fore as far as I can with my other hand and clenching my hands into a fist and slowly relaxing them. Another tip is to squeeze a squash ball tightly in in each hand. Yes, I can already imagine the kind of comments I will receive after this post. But for those of you who ignore a warm up routine don't be surprised to hear yourself in a few years say "if only I had done some warm up".
[/quote]


Good post, all of which I agree with. To be honost, I'm surprised at the general air of complacency in the thread with regards to warming up.

As we all know, the bass guitar is a very physical instrument to play. As pointed out above, it is prudent to warm up before physical activity. Doing this can contribute to a life of trouble free ( from a physical aspect) bass playing.

My routine goes like this. Before I even touch the bass, I spend about three to five minutes doing gentle finger stretches. I then stretch out my arm, and gently bend the wrist, using the other hand, for three seconds. I then bend the wrist the other way for three seconds. I repeat for the other hand.

Then I pick up the bass and slowly do some chromatic scales. Finally I open the fingers wide, hold for five seconds, relax for five seconds, then make a light fist and relax again. Then I am ready to play.

It may seem like a lot, but the whole procedure takes less then ten minutes. Time well spent IMO.

BTW, it is also prudent to warm down, with some gentle stretches.

Here is a clip containing some of the exercises I mention :


[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_0aVxFxBa0[/media]

Edited May 28, 2012 by Coilte

[Dave Vader]

I always mean to warm up, but generally my warm-up consists of hearing someone shout "Oi, Dave, we're on you tosser" downing my drink, putting out my fag and running for the stage.

piss-poor preparation etc. etc.

[Coilte]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1337871031' post='1666767']
At home, I suppose its depends on what you are practising?
[/quote]

Sorry, but I have to disagree here. The tendons in the hand cant differenciate between for instance doing scales, playing songs, or merely doodling. All the hand knows is that it is being asked to do something that nature never intended, i.e. play the bass. Warming up gives it time to adjust and prepare for the task at hand (pun intended ), and IMO should be done every time you play, regardless of other circumstances.

Edited May 28, 2012 by Coilte

[AlanJ]

Wow, I'm really surprised how varied the responses are here!

I warm up, and feel the benefit of that immediately as a greater freedom and fluidity to my playing, so will of course continue for that reason alone. I am also quite sure that I would do myself an injury if I didn't warm up, so that's another good reason to me.

That youtube vid that Coilte posted has some great non-instrumental exercises, and I love Dave Vader's suggestion of full body stretches and warm-ups - probably more useful in a gig situation than when sat at home practising, but something I'd simply never have thought of before.

I like Slash's thoughts on warming up [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=hOAWLDP7954"]here[/url], where he says you should play for at least an hour before going on stage - I wonder how many of us have ever done that?!

Alan.

[Coilte]

[quote name='AlanJ' timestamp='1338235897' post='1671409']
I am also quite sure that I would do myself an injury if I didn't warm up,
[/quote]

Possibly, but you seldom hear much about warming [b]down.[/b] This is just as important (maybe even more so) than warming up, as far as avoiding injury is concerned.

Warming up helps to stretch and prepare the hand for the task ahead. Warming down helps to rid the body of toxins that can build up from activity, and allows the hand to return to it's normal relaxed state gradually.

Edited May 28, 2012 by Coilte