My fret hand seam's to be cramping a lot after about 15 to 20 minutes of practice.
I have never had this problem until now.
I think I know why, I have been doing a lot of index then ring then index then pinky on my scales.
My question is; should I just rest my hand a little bit, and play some more?
Or should I take a nice long break?
I don't want to do myself more harm than good.
Tim
stretching exercises before playing really help me.
#4491....
Have you been practicing anything new or chalenging? If so, best to take a break or lay off from practicing that as much, since you are using new muscles that are weak. Warm up is always good before practice. Maybe take a lesson with a teacher who has great technique to make sure you are doing everything right.
"Contrary to popular belief, Clapton is NOT God. The prospect that he is God probably had a large hand in driving him to drugs and booze. Thanks everyone."
-Guitar World :lol:
I never cramp up unless I play a song with a bunch of bar chords. I think you just need to condition your hand to playing. The more you play, the less cramping you will experience. I wouldn't push it too much though. When it starts to cramp, you should take a break. Pain is a way for your body to tell you to STOP doing something. Or at least take a break.
Also my advice is if you're just getting out of cold weather, let your hands warm up, the tendons in your hand shrink because of the cold, and you can snap one. Also, never practice with a cramped hand because you will somehow compensate for it in your playing, this makes horrible muscle memory. If you've been playing guitar for an hour straight, take a break. You can work up some serious RSI (Repetitive Stress Injury).
Cheers!
Zacharias Wolf
