AM1 Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Hi Since I have recently switched off my jazz bass to precision, I have quite a bit of rubbing of my plucking wrist against the bass body, to the point where it's now bleeding after playing for only a short time. I know, I know, I play like a girl On the jazz, I didn't have this because I played mainly down at the bridge pickup and my wrist didn't rub against the edge of the bass, now because of the pickup position on the precision, my wrist rubs constantly. I have tried altering my technique so my hand is not resting against the edge of the bass, but because I don't always rest my thumb on the pickup (I prefer to "float") then if I try to not rest my hand on the bass, I'm holding too much tension in my arm muscles. So a change in technique is probably not the answer at this point in time. Any ideas would be useful. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnylager Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 You shouldn't really be resting your wrist on the edge of the bass anyway. The larger the angle your wrist is bent at, the higher the risk of inflammation and injury, putting the kibosh on your playing altogether. Try tilting your neck up a bit so your picking forearm is straighter. This should give you an easier angle on your fretting wrist too. And maybe wear a sweatband on your picking wrist to reduce rubbing in the mean time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 ...sorry...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBeefChief Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 [quote name='EBS_freak' post='449528' date='Mar 30 2009, 03:04 PM'] ...sorry...![/quote] In terms of taste, those things are the logical next step from playing a Warwick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Issues + wrist bleeding = join an emo band. If I've been beaten to this I blame mad slow work internet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutToPlayJazz Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Hmmm... Try resting your thumb instead of your wrist. Ouch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AM1 Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 [quote name='thisnameistaken' post='449517' date='Mar 30 2009, 02:52 PM']You shouldn't really be resting your wrist on the edge of the bass anyway. The larger the angle your wrist is bent at, the higher the risk of inflammation and injury, putting the kibosh on your playing altogether. Try tilting your neck up a bit so your picking forearm is straighter. This should give you an easier angle on your fretting wrist too. And maybe wear a sweatband on your picking wrist to reduce rubbing in the mean time.[/quote] If I thought there was any gain to be made by not resting my right wrist on the bass, I'd make the necessary changes believe me. I have to play with the neck angled up anyway because of problems with my fretting wrist (which predate bass playing by years) so my right wrist (plucking) is actually pretty much as straight as it's going to get, whilst resting on the bass. Also, by resting my right arm on the bass, it gives it a decent bit of stability so I can keep the neck angled (to reduce the amount of bend in my left wrist). It sounds odd but by having made alterations to the way I play, I can practice up to 4 hours a day now and it has been the gradual extending of practice time that is now causing other problems..like the bleeding wrist, skin stripping off my fingers etc. In fact, if I lift my right arm off the bass, the angle of my plucking wrist increases and then I'm holding tension in my plucking arm. So that is not the solution. The sweatband thing makes sense though as I've seen people wearing them but never thought about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AM1 Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 (edited) [quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='449544' date='Mar 30 2009, 03:21 PM']Hmmm... Try resting your thumb instead of your wrist. Ouch![/quote] The only time my thumb is on the pickup is when I play notes on the low E string. It's just the natural curvature of the bass body above the pick up means my wrist rests against the bass body, quite naturally! Edited March 30, 2009 by AM1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh3184 Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 maybe get a luthier to carve an arm cutout? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clauster Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 [quote]In terms of taste, those things are the logical next step from playing a Warwick.[/quote] You may have something there BBC - I'd love to find an SH101 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrenochrome Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 I use 2 wristbands on my right forearm whenever I gig. It's not a problem when rehearsing, just under lights and the sweat makes my arm stick to my bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 I don't quite know what to suggest. Maybe a Steinberger?! Give the sweatband a go... that's probably the next logical step. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AM1 Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 [quote name='Adrenochrome' post='449568' date='Mar 30 2009, 03:48 PM']I use 2 wristbands on my right forearm whenever I gig. It's not a problem when rehearsing, just under lights and the sweat makes my arm stick to my bass.[/quote] The sweat thing...for sure...my arm was like an oil slick on Sunday and that was just in the studio. Playing flat out punk bass fingerstyle for 4 hour rehearsal probably didn't help but it was FUN! Sweatbands duly ordered. Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EBS_freak Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 [quote name='AM1' post='449572' date='Mar 30 2009, 03:53 PM']The sweat thing...for sure...my arm was like an oil slick on Sunday and that was just in the studio. Playing flat out punk bass fingerstyle for 4 hour rehearsal probably didn't help but it was FUN! Sweatbands duly ordered. Cheers![/quote] Stock up with loads of talc also! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
escholl Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 How exactly are you resting your arm on the bass? I do what I think is the same thing, only I don't ever rest my thumb on anything, allowing it to float, if you will, over all of the strings -- which certainly has a fair few benefits to the typical style of resting it on a pickup, so I can see why you'd do that. But i've never had any issues, certainly not any bleeding (!!)....i don't use a wristband or anything either, maybe it's just a matter of what part you're resting? For me it's usually the bottom of my hand/wrist, but it varies with the string i'm currently on, if that makes sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBeefChief Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 I find a paddling pool full of baby oil helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrenochrome Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 [quote name='BigBeefChief' post='449625' date='Mar 30 2009, 04:41 PM']I find a paddling pool full of baby oil helps.[/quote] ...for after the gig??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevB Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 I think I'd also ask yourself if you really need to practice for 4 continuous hours without rest. My guess is you're probably not improving a jot after the first hour and a half. Are you ever likely to play a gig that is 4 hours long with no breaks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheddatom Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 I used to have a bleeding wrist when I played with a pick, and when I was a very sweaty teenager, basically from the friction created between my very sweaty wrist as it rubbed against the bass as I picked up and down very hard and fast. The first time it happened it really freaked me out, but after that I just got used to it and thought it looked "rock 'n' roll" until I grew up. (no offence but....) If you're playing fingerstyle and you get that much friction/abrasion between your wrist and the bass, then your wrist is far too sweaty!! A wrist band could help I suppose, or long sleeve tops, but I hate wearing sleeves to play. Talcom powder could also help, or whatever it is that weight lifters use to put on their hands. You need something to dry your wrist out a bit, and something to ease the friction a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AM1 Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 (edited) A quick universal reply: Escholl - it's just a small patch on my wrist that rests against the precision neck, i use floating thumb too (but it's a variant of floating thumb, it's not "true" floating thumb as the purists would define it) but even at that, I do use my thumb on the pick up when I play low e string, the rest of the time, my wrist touches the top of the bass, it's unavoidable unless I contract my arm muscles to hold it off! BigChief, I'd rather a paddling pool full of beer! KevB - I don't do 4 hours back to back, it's spread out, like sometimes an hour in the morning, an hour in the afternoon, then an hour in the evening and then later at night another hour. I vary that from day to day, sometimes more, sometimes less, it just depends how I'm getting on goal wise and physically. If it becomes a struggle, I stop. I even took a few days off last week and had to get the bass out of the house to stop me picking it up! You say improvement is unlikely after 1.5 hours. I disagree categorically. Every day I practice with drum beats and I may be playing basic scales slowly but the slower you go, the harder it gets to keep time. If you can do it slow, you can do it fast. My timekeeping is coming on in leaps and bounds because of putting that disciplined work into it every day. Chedda - yeah, I hate sleeves too, I wear tops with tight sleeves to play, and yeah, I must be a sweaty betty, the sweatband is the way forward. Edited March 30, 2009 by AM1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrcrow Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 [quote name='AM1' post='449509' date='Mar 30 2009, 02:47 PM']Hi Since I have recently switched off my jazz bass to precision, I have quite a bit of rubbing of my plucking wrist against the bass body, to the point where it's now bleeding after playing for only a short time. I know, I know, I play like a girl On the jazz, I didn't have this because I played mainly down at the bridge pickup and my wrist didn't rub against the edge of the bass, now because of the pickup position on the precision, my wrist rubs constantly. I have tried altering my technique so my hand is not resting against the edge of the bass, but because I don't always rest my thumb on the pickup (I prefer to "float") then if I try to not rest my hand on the bass, I'm holding too much tension in my arm muscles. So a change in technique is probably not the answer at this point in time. Any ideas would be useful. Cheers.[/quote] i used to wear long sleeved shirts...that muff looks good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
escholl Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 [quote name='AM1' post='449657' date='Mar 30 2009, 05:09 PM']Escholl - it's just a small patch on my wrist that rests against the precision neck, i use floating thumb too (but it's a variant of floating thumb, it's not "true" floating thumb as the purists would define it) but even at that, I do use my thumb on the pick up when I play low e string, the rest of the time, my wrist touches the top of the bass, it's unavoidable unless I contract my arm muscles to hold it off![/quote] hmm no idea then -- that's basically the same way i do it. I tend to sweat a fair amount but usually just find it makes it slipperier, of course now that you've got me paying attention to it, i'm realizing that bit of skin is a fair bit tougher feeling than the same spot on my other wrist -- almost like some sort of pseudo-callus or something looks like a sweatband is the way forward! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AM1 Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 [quote name='escholl' post='449666' date='Mar 30 2009, 05:17 PM']hmm no idea then -- that's basically the same way i do it. I tend to sweat a fair amount but usually just find it makes it slipperier, of course now that you've got me paying attention to it, i'm realizing that bit of skin is a fair bit tougher feeling than the same spot on my other wrist -- almost like some sort of pseudo-callus or something looks like a sweatband is the way forward! [/quote] I just found a sweatband in with some old gym gear and tried it and no more rubbing. Long live the sweatband! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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