34" finger issues

[Joebethell]

So I broke my little finger (left hand) a couple of years ago along with my left leg (leg was a mess) mountain bike racing has its risks which I learnt the hard way and promptly stopped racing and ride for fun. Now the issue is my little finger has started to cause me problems fretting over the last month I have tried exercise including the strength gadgets but it doesn't seem to help. It seems worse on a 34" scale like my Pbass which I am putting down to the stretch in the lower frets but still causes a few problems on my 30". After a while it seems to freeze up or slow and has a dull ache. I have seen my GP who suggested if it doesn't clear up after 3 to 4months going to a specialist but was wondering if anyone has had similar on the basschat world. Apart from selling my P and sticking to 30" which would extend my playing times I'm struggling and worried.

[Chienmortbb]

Try a different shaped bass. I was having trouble with my little finger on a standard 34" Fender Jazz. I bought a single cutaway Bass where the hand and wrist position is quite different and since then I have had no trouble. Alternatively move the rear strap button closer to the top of the bass. It will alter the balance and that may help.

Edited November 18, 2016 by Chienmortbb

[No lust in Jazz]

I broke and dislocated the little finger on my left hand while playing football a few years ago,

I went to physiotherapy for a number of months and followed the exercise programme that I was given, I can still feel the tissue damage, but I'm good.

[Twincam]

I have big issues with my fretting hand which developed from an nasty accident.

Its maybe more the width and depth of the neck rather than scale.
Borrow a thin necked bass and see if it helps.
If not then try a shorter scale.

[Joebethell]

The Doctor seemed to suggest it was a tendon issue caused from the break but as it was an old injury that had been ok for over 18months or so and has only recently caused an issue that the options were limited. I took it as him saying see if you can live with it as he didn't think much could be done without surgery I may have been reading between the lines a bit but he didn't suggest physio just a joint specialist at the hospital

[chris_b]

OK, so I'll say the usual. . . if your fretting hand is stretching you're doing it wrong.

Always move your whole hand to place your fingers over the note and never [i]reach[/i] for it. Don't play with your thumb anchored to one place. Your left hand should always be "on the move".

[Joebethell]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1479482578' post='3176920']
OK, so I'll say the usual. . . if your fretting hand is stretching you're doing it wrong.

Always move your whole hand to place your fingers over the note and never [i]reach[/i] for it. Don't play with your thumb anchored to one place. Your left hand should always be "on the move".
[/quote]

Thanks but I don't think it's a technique issue as I have only had the problem over a short time not previously and I do get the same pain in day to day tasks/work etc although to a lesser extent hence the visit to the doc

[chris_b]

OK, but it's a technique tip that is good even if you don't have any hand problems.

I'm getting some arthritis in the base of my left thumb which is concentrating my focus on things like this. Obviously it's for you to decide if the info you get is appropriate or not.

Good luck with sorting this out.

[Grangur]

Do you find the problem is increased when you're fretting in the First position (up and the bottom end - around the 3rd fret) ?

If so, and it's better fretting at the 9th fret, or near there, try a 5 string. the 3rd fret on the E is the same as the 8th on the B etc.

[Joebethell]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1479485964' post='3176954']
OK, but it's a technique tip that is good even if you don't have any hand problems.

I'm getting some arthritis in the base of my left thumb which is concentrating my focus on things like this. Obviously it's for you to decide if the info you get is appropriate or not.

Good luck with sorting this out.
[/quote]

👍 Will give it a try as well it can't hurt (anymore).

[Joebethell]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1479486410' post='3176956']
Do you find the problem is increased when you're fretting in the First position (up and the bottom end - around the 3rd fret) ?

If so, and it's better fretting at the 9th fret, or near there, try a 5 string. the 3rd fret on the E is the same as the 8th on the B etc.
[/quote].

Hard to say really I would say it just seems to come on quicker with the Pbass so I put it down to the stretch but it could be the width or depth of the neck as others have suggested. Maybe I should try and control the elements a bit more and see what has a bigger reaction do the same riffs or scales in differing positions for a time period on my basses and record the outcomes in some way.

[Grangur]

[quote name='Joebethell' timestamp='1479487228' post='3176964']
.

Hard to say really I would say it just seems to come on quicker with the Pbass so I put it down to the stretch but it could be the width or depth of the neck as others have suggested. Maybe I should try and control the elements a bit more and see what has a bigger reaction do the same riffs or scales in differing positions for a time period on my basses and record the outcomes in some way.
[/quote]
Try going to an Alexander Technique teacher. My bro-in-law is one. A good teacher will be able to look at you playing the bass and tell you what you're doing that's causing stresses in your actions. He/She may simply tell you to move your elbow further out/in/up/down etc. relax the thumb, or something.

My bro-in-law is also a Pro Cellist, but he teached Alexander Technique to help folk with many different instruments and other problems, often sport related.

[Twincam]

To add that if something hurts don't carry on using it. Rest it for a bit I learnt the hard way and got thumb tendonitis badly my thumb kept hurting while playing but I carried on and on. It got so bad I had to stop playing for literally three nonth.

[CrackerJackLee]

I broke my fretting hand middle finger in sparring. As I was not an active bassist at that time, it didn't bother me except on some cold damp days. A few years later as I started playing again, I noticed an ache. But as long as I was careful, it didn't bother me too much, but it did spoil the activity and caused worry. Push-ups bothered it, rapping my hand somehow would bother it. But over the years it has disappeared. Now, I can use a punching bag and play bass and I don't feel anything, even on cold days.

If you nurse it, go easy with scales and arpeggio practice, work around it and have patience it does heal. If you can afford it, an x-ray and doctor who leans toward this type of bone injury or even musically inclined, can go a long way. Get a copy of the x-ray or look at it with a doctor to understand how not to stress it. Try heat therapy.

You may also be pressing down too hard... Instead of squeezing between the thumb and fingertips, try pulling the hand against the string instead of squeezing hard. If the string doesn't buzz, you are using sufficient pressure. Don't overdo it.

Maybe switch from 1-2-3-4 to 1-2-4. Works good for me... and great for superstar bassists...

And your daily tasks are not helping. Your injury never gets rest. And because you are a musician, you need to see a specialist. Your doctor is treating you like a coal miner or a farmer. But you're a musician.

And finally, as a real doctor about supplements. My doctor prescribed Glucosamine Chondroitin for my finger joint pain. Doc may also have a pain killer, like aspirin, to take the edge off. I used to take an aspirin a day.

Edited November 18, 2016 by CrackerJackLee

[Skybone]

Do you do any stretching/warm up exercises before you play?

Might be worth getting into the habit of warming up your fingers before you play. You can also try one of those finger exercisers you can get at music shops.

Has your GP sent you for X-rays? Is the finger worse in the cold? It could be the onset of arthritis (I have it in my wrist & knee because of an RTC), Ibuprofen & Paracetomol help, exercising and building up your muscle tone is better.

[bazzbass]

I suffer from arthritis.

some days I can play YYZ two or three times in a row without pain.

some days I'm cramping halfway through the first verse.

when pain persists, STOP.

So I play gentler stuff and half an hour later I'm OK again.

Walking basslines are good to warm up with

Chicago _Does anybody really know what time it is and Van Morrison's Moondance type stuff is great fun too.

[NickA]

Double basses have a 40"+ scale length and most people play them with only three fingers (1 2 4) up to the octave; I guess you could adopt that technique on an electric bass using 1 2 3 and just leave your little finger out of the party. Or, as someone suggested try 1 2 4 which gives your little finger a bit of support from No3.

.. Mick Kahn (who always sounded great in my opinion) admitted to only really using fingers 1 and 2 in the studio and shifting position a lot (only using all four fingers on stage in case people sneered at him!).

Or... ibuprofen, lots of ibuprofen.

[IainS]

There's some really good advice here on technique that I'm going to consider taking up, myself. I had a fifth metacarpal fracture that turned out to be a tumour that needed removing, involving bone grafts etc. Very painful. I also struggled like mad to do the stretches that we need to do on bass.

A couple of things worked for me. The first was taking a long time off playing (two years) which was frustrating but undoubtedly helped with the healing. And then I bought a bass with a much smaller neck (Precision Lyte) so the stretches were easier to make. Still a few twinges now, twenty years later, so I bought a short scale bass recently and a stretch doesn't even feel like a stretch.