No Pain, No Gain?

[jakenewmanbass]

[quote name='timbo1978' timestamp='1395959485' post='2408512'] I only recently found out that the reason you use the third and fourth finger together is because they share a tendon, whereas the middle and index finger have their own tendon. I was making this mistake and now include chromatic runs up the finger board with a solid hand shape at the start of any practice or warm up. [/quote]

I think it's actually 2nd and 3rd that share a tendon, hence the old 'you can't lift your 3rd if your 2nd knuckle is on a flat surface' (with all other fingers out splayed) try it.
if I'm right then it's purely a strength and reach thing

Edited March 28, 2014 by jakenewmanbass

[fatgoogle]

Hmmm i can lift all my fingers separately from a flat surface on my left hand but not my right. Maybe its a strength thing after all these years.

[Jezyorkshire]

have posted a video in new topic, if you guys want to check my technique, i can see a lack of support sometimes for little finger maybe?

[Jezyorkshire]

i have just remembered that about 2-3 years ago i suffered from a frozen shoulder, im wonderin if some of the symptoms im experiencing are due to the raised arm position when playing double in relation to this previous problem, i went for physio and was able to sort it, i still have the exercise sheets somewhere and a stretchy piece of material that i used for the exercises, ive also sent for this
[b] Conquering Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Other Repetitive Strain Injuries by Sharon J. Butler[/b]

[Jezyorkshire]

just done the exercises for my left shoulder that i was given when i had the frozen shoulder problem couple of years ago, bleedin hell, its definitely in a state, the sensation im getting in my wrist may be referred pain/aching from this problem , this is obviously having an impact on getting my elbow up and the shoulder muscles/shoulder rotation working properly.

[TPJ]

[quote name='Jezyorkshire' timestamp='1396488176' post='2414303']
just done the exercises for my left shoulder that i was given when i had the frozen shoulder problem couple of years ago, bleedin hell, its definitely in a state, the sensation im getting in my wrist may be referred pain/aching from this problem , this is obviously having an impact on getting my elbow up and the shoulder muscles/shoulder rotation working properly.
[/quote]

I had to lay off for a year Jez due to a combination of tennis/golfers elbow (pain on both sides). The physio would not only work on my arm, she would also work on my neck and shoulder. She informed me that it's all connected and indeed the neck work often releived my arm pain. Good technique is helpful but so is a degree of physical strength. I got injured because I wasn't playing much in general, had a week off playing and then played a high energy gig. That blew my arm out :/

[Hector]

Just had my action adjusted from the high high high setup I had before to something a bit more normal, and loving how much easier literally everything is! This weekend's gigs/rehearsals should be a blast. First chance to try out the new full circle live as well

[Jezyorkshire]

Tom, your right about the physical thing, im obviously weak in the shoulder area from my previous frozen shoulder, i developed this after i stopped playing double bass ! It also means im using the wrong muscles when lifting arm up to a degree, while bass is with Peter Hall for seam gluing and will get him to make it easier to play in half/first position will be trying to get my shoulder sorted with exercises and take it slow when get it back, i have been going manic with practice, one day i did 3 hours which is crazy.
Hector, let us know how it goes and how your full circle sounds.

[Jezyorkshire]

had a bluegrass rehearsal tonight , half hour playing and left upper back/shoulder/upper arm muscles are protesting and cant keep 2nd or 3rd finger stopping a c or g note, its interesting how these muscles when fatigued affect fingering! got home and done my physio exercises.

[oggiesnr]

[quote name='Jezyorkshire' timestamp='1396569433' post='2415323']
had a bluegrass rehearsal tonight , half hour playing and left upper back/shoulder/upper arm muscles are protesting and cant keep 2nd or 3rd finger stopping a c or g note, its interesting how these muscles when fatigued affect fingering! got home and done my physio exercises.
[/quote]

When I lost the use of my second finger for a while I would drop back into half position and play all C's and G's with my fourth finger supported by my third. Mean't a bit more shifting but worked until I got the finger back working.

Steve

[Jezyorkshire]

i should have said 2nd or 4th finger lol

[oggiesnr]

[quote name='Jezyorkshire' timestamp='1396609996' post='2415624']
i should have said 2nd or 4th finger lol
[/quote]

In which case use your third

Steve

[jakenewmanbass]

Best thing you can do for all muscle strength throughout the body is to exercise the core.
If you have a strong and stable core all muscular movements are better supported, I've been studying sports nutrition and training for the last 18 months and have improved my own core strength, the results are quite astonishing, I'm deadly serious when I say my fingers work better. It's a whole body approach.

[Jezyorkshire]

Jake, thats becoming apparent ! the whole of my left shoulder/upper arm area feels like its stuck together, i can feel its affecting my neck as well on the left more than on the right

[BassMate14]

I suggest strings with low tension. Try solo strings like Belcanto or Evah Pirazzi weich or even the Rotosound RS 4000.

[fatback]

Maybe a silly suggestion, but have you dropped the bass as low as it will go? I've a knackered left shoulder, but as long as don't have the arm too high it's ok.

[Jezyorkshire]

Have spoken to doctor and am gonna get an appointment at surgery with visiting physio

[Bilbo]

I did a gig last Sunday with saxophoinist Julian Siegel and pianist Dave Gordon, both absolute monster improvisers (Julian's trio features Joey Baron and Greg Cohen and he has played with Steve Swallow and others - top drawer stuff). We opened with There is No Greater Love and I played an absolute blinder, great groove, great solo. I had fitted my new Ben Bastin Wooden End Pin and the bass felt stable and sounded great. I was elated. We followed it with All The Things You Are which I have played 1,000,000 times. Biggest pile of bollocks you have ever heard! What's THAT all about

What was great, though, was playing a later tune (I cannot recall) at a furious tempo whilst Siegel played chorus after chorus of astonishing Jazz (he likes to explore a tune and I have known the performance of single tunes to go on over 20 minutes - that is longer than Close To the Edge ). I was playing in my normal frantic 'oh, sh*t' kind of way when something happened that had never happened before. I became aware that all of the tension in my hands and body (and teeth, oddly enough) was self imposed and I forced myself to relax all of those tense muscles and to focus my energy on the task in hand. All of a sudden, playing a walking bassline at the this mad tempo became relatively easy and I was able to focus on the content of the lines and not the 'execution' of the thing. No solo but it was fairly Zen-like and I felt like a weight had being lifted. Brilliant. I just hope I can find that 'zone' next time. And no more hand problems.

[Bilbo]

I did two double bass gigs on the same day yesterday. Four one hour sets and three set ups and tear downs. No pain, no strain - all perfectly comfortable. We get there in the end, don't we?