Hey. As someone whos suffered from RSI problems for years I thought I should maybe look at my fretting hand positioning. The 2 positions people use are either the Dimbag style of having your fingers at a right angle to the fretboard (i.e. keeping your hand dead straight) or (more commonly) having your fingers come down from an angle. The former requiring your thumb to be much lower down the neck and your wrist much more cocked. The latter seems more natural, even though it does bend your hand other way...But does anybody which (if any) is more 'body friendly' and why?
Also neck thickness - I've heard that a thicker neck will give more support, and so your fingers dont have to push down so hard. But then it does make things way harder to reach while standing up...Anybody know about these things?
i'd try to always go with what's comfortable(instead of rigidly sticking with something that may be uncomfortable), and back off immediately if you start to strain.
i'd try to always go with what's comfortable(instead of rigidly sticking with something that may be uncomfortable), and back off immediately if you start to strain.
That works for me. Couple of years back, when I severed a tendon in my fretting hand, I almost had to re-learn guitar from scratch - the biggest change I had to make was with barre chords. I tend to play most of them, now, as partial barres with my thumb playing the bass notes on the bottom two strings - only use full barres when I'm adding 6ths and 7ths with my pinky.
I'd also recommend using the lightest strings you can get away with. I'd use 8's if I could, but I've tried them before and I snap far too many high E strings - so I use 9's, and that reduces a lot of the strain on my fretting hand.
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
i'd try to always go with what's comfortable(instead of rigidly sticking with something that may be uncomfortable), and back off immediately if you start to strain.
That works for me. Couple of years back, when I severed a tendon in my fretting hand, I almost had to re-learn guitar from scratch - the biggest change I had to make was with barre chords. I tend to play most of them, now, as partial barres with my thumb playing the bass notes on the bottom two strings - only use full barres when I'm adding 6ths and 7ths with my pinky.
I'd also recommend using the lightest strings you can get away with. I'd use 8's if I could, but I've tried them before and I snap far too many high E strings - so I use 9's, and that reduces a lot of the strain on my fretting hand.
:D :D :D
Vic
Yeah I use 8s lol. Rarely break a string so I'm fine with em. Love how easy they are to play. Saw some 7.5s online a while back...I think thats pushing it a bit. Might aswell put cheese-wire on your guitar.
But snapping the tendon...ewww. That must feel really horrible. Not to mention painful. How on Earth did u manage that? Those things heal so slowly even with a minor injury, let alone severing em. :cry:
Yeah I use 8s lol. Rarely break a string so I'm fine with em. Love how easy they are to play. :
That makes a total of TWO on GN!!!
Cat
"Feel what you play...play what you feel!"
