Using injuries to your advantage

[Cathode_Follower]

This is my first post on the DB board, so hello there all! I have made an arrival post on the introductions board, for those inquisitive.

Anyway. In the past year and a half since I started getting deep into the upright, I've had three hand injuries, and I thought I'd share what I'd learned from them.

The first was when I took my bass up a grassy hill in Bristol affectionately named the Mound, for an outdoor jam that occurs on the night of every full moon. On this occasion it was packed, mostly with percussionists, and as a result I played much much harder than usual to try and be heard above the inevitable din. This, compounded by a few sensation-numbing beers, resulted in two huge blisters on the tips of my index and middle fingers. For the next week it was agony to play in this (incorrect) manner, and as such it forced me to adjust my playing style to use the side of my fingers in the correct fashion. Neat eh?

The second was an impact-driver ploughing deeply into the pad of my left-hand middle finger during some DIY work. This took roughly three weeks to properly heal and needless to say it was impossible to put even light pressure on it, let alone the concentrated force/area of a metal bass string. But of course, the tips of the fingers are where you should be pressing, not the pads, so once again I was absolutely forced to correct my own bad technique.

The most recent, and most serious, was as a result of drunken tree-climbing following a highly successful set at a private function, where the champagne was flowing far too freely. I awoke in the morning with an agonising pain in my left wrist, and was pretty much unable to use my left hand for the next month. Thankfully two days after the initial event, a drunken associate (noticing a theme here?) knocked my bass over, breaking the neck off and conveniently removing any temptation to attempt to play, which is probably what saved me from causing any permanent damage. Also thankfully, I didn't have any gigs in the calendar for a full 6 weeks! Anyway, four weeks in and I had the time and the strength in my left hand to repair to the bass. What I found was that the remaining wrist pains only manifested when I squeezed my hand together, and yet again I found myself altering my technique for the better, being forced improve my use of arm-weight in holding down the strings.

Conclusions are, One: If you're going to make a career out of something that relies on your being physically fit, don't play silly buggers. Two: Alcohol increases the likelihood of silly buggers and should be treated with extreme caution. Three: Crisis and opportunity go hand-in-hand (to quote Homer Simpson - "Crisi-tunity!"). Next time something bad happens to you, think about how you can use the situation to your advantage. You might be surprised.

Anyone else experienced similar 'beneficial' injuries?

Edited January 29, 2017 by Cathode_Follower

[Cathode_Follower]

Sorry, I've just noticed this is in the wrong board. Rookie error. Could a mod please move to general discussion?

[stingrayPete1977]

Welcome and well done! I only started on upright after breaking my wrist as I couldn't twist my wrist around to play electric bass. Bristol and hills go hand in hand don't they? Lol

[Cathode_Follower]

Cheers Pete (can I call you Pete? It's so many years since I last frequented message boards..). Yes indeed, hills galore..! I also struggled with the wrist position when I played electric (though not down to injury). My eventual solution was to move the strap pins so the bass hung almost vertically in a more or less upright-bass position. Funny how things go full circle!

[Marc S]

Hello and welcome to BC Mr Cathode Follower. I'm just over the river, in Cardiff. I'd not heard of these full-moon / music events. I'd like to come along one day - sounds great. I do like Bristol a lot. There always seems to be something musical happening there, and the city seems to have a good "vibe" about it

I've not noticed or experienced any "beneficial" injuries myself. Personally, I'd say you have been very fortunate to have experienced any such "benefits". I think mostly, from an injury, you would expect the opposite of benefits (whatever that is? lol). Yes, alcohol can indeed lead to much silliness - perhaps that is where you have been really unlucky Maybe stay clear of "The Apple" - which is a cider bar, situated on a boat, moored at Welsh Back, in Bristol

Re your first injury, namely the blisters. I developed blisters early on in my DB playing. It got worse when I switched to Innovation nylon type strings. Although the Innovations were easier to play from a tension point of view - I think it made me play a bit harder, and the fingers of my right hand suffered friction type burns! Rather than this making me play "properly" I found a product which someone linked to on here - it's called Double Bass Finger Tape. The stuff is like magic! I found I could even play with injuries on my fingers.... and the tape doesn't come off easily, like plasters do

Anyhow, hope you don't suffer any more injuries - take care when drinking large amounts of alcohol, and hope to see you playing when I next visit Brizzle

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='Cathode_Follower' timestamp='1485730022' post='3226284']
Cheers Pete (can I call you Pete? It's so many years since I last frequented message boards..). Yes indeed, hills galore..! I also struggled with the wrist position when I played electric (though not down to injury). My eventual solution was to move the strap pins so the bass hung almost vertically in a more or less upright-bass position. Funny how things go full circle!
[/quote]

Yes no problem, I've been called much worse!

I have friends in Clutton but they have lived all over Bristol so I know it quite well, had some great times there.

[Twigman]

I benefitted from an injured drummer...he got RSI in his wrist so could only play the less raucous songs ....

[keeponehandloose]

Slightly off topic. I got out of end of year exams at school coz my right hand was in plaster and couldnt hold a pen.
I write with my left , so i think I qualify .

[Cathode_Follower]

Aha, tres witty guys, made me chuckle

Marc S, that tape sounds really interesting. Most of the time my fingers are tough enough but occasionally if my amount of playing per day spikes or if I have to have a few days off it throws everything out of whack. I'll have a search for that thread, cheers!

Cider is next-level danger. All that sugar, sends me loopy.. Funny you should mention it, I'm meeting another BCer on Sunday to try out his bass at, yep, a cider bar. Think I'll stick to water!

I should probably have mentioned in the OP that the most recent incident really shook me up and made me realise how careful I need to be in future. For much of the healing time I was scared I would never be able to play again. It still hurts a bit now after a lot of playing but it's still healing and rebuilding strength (the injury occurred on the 17 Dec last year) so I think it will improve.

[Japhet]

Blimey! Let me know if you're coming round my way and I'll move out to a safe distance. Are you related to the Kenny Everett character called Reg Prescott by any chance?

[Cathode_Follower]

I think I remember that character. Wasn't there a sketch where he was doing a DIY show and ended up with both hands (and possibly his face) superglued to the table? My first experience of Everett was at the tender age of 10 when my primary-school headmaster lent me the taped-from-tv cassette of a programme on siege engines we'd not finished watching in class. The feature finished and Kenny wobbled into view moments later. I don't think I understood a lot of it at the time but I loved it!