scthompson - Posted - 05/22/2012:  07:06:14

I have been trying to drill root and first inversion chord shapes, and my thumb is cramping up terribly. I've been stretching it a lot, but it doesn't seem to improve. Advice?

grumpsie - Posted - 05/22/2012:  07:32:29

Whenever you start getting cramped, you're probably thinking too much, getting tense, and trying too hard. I would recommend a lighter touch for a couple of sessions, make an effort to play with the lightest touch you can, for both left and right hands, of course, do things slowly until you start to improve with light playing. Don't worry about tunes (by all means practice by playing tunes, but don't emphasize learning the tune), focus on sweet tone, accurate timing and a light touch. You may hit the wrong note here or there, but if the note is sweet in itself, you're still doing something worthwhile. Of course, you're likely to pick up the tune as well, but don't fret it... (haha!).



I often find I make the biggest leaps when I remember to practice with the lightest touch I can. A couple of hours go by with no pain, and I feel like a much better player when I return the next day!

Edited by - grumpsie on 05/22/2012 07:33:02

scthompson - Posted - 05/22/2012:  07:45:36

I'm struggling with getting to the f- and d- shapes fast and acurately. I can't nail them; I have to rotate the hand into it each time. Frustrating. I think my hand needs to arch more, and it gets so tired!

grumpsie - Posted - 05/22/2012:  07:53:10

quote:

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Originally posted by scthompson



I'm struggling with getting to the f- and d- shapes fast and acurately. I can't nail them; I have to rotate the hand into it each time. Frustrating. I think my hand needs to arch more, and it gets so tired!

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I know this sounds boring, but try doing it slowly, with control. Practice should, generally speaking, involve as little struggle as possible. In fact, I can't think of a time when struggling helps you play music. You get impatient, but if you do it slowly, with control, and a lot of repetition, speed will come. Speed is the result of not having to think of how to do it, not the result of struggling to do it.

With a slow tempo and the lightest touch you can produce, you will find control comes much easier than with muscles all tense. Of course the muscles need to develop, so perhaps some tension is unavoidable. But try to eliminate it by slowing down and lightening up. If practice is boring let the hand practice while your mind watches TV or talks to a (very tolerant) friend. If you concentrate only on slow, controlled, light movements, you are practicing in the most efficient way to develop speed.

The above sounds very absolute. I mean it only as a relation of how I've experienced practice and playing, your mileage will vary. I am also nowhere near experienced enough to be handing advice around as absolutes. But I've practiced with too much tension in the past, and I've seen what has worked for me in getting around it.

scthompson - Posted - 05/22/2012:  08:15:57

Sometimes I can put the banjo on and stand with it while outside with the kids. If they're ignoring me anyway, they don't care if I'm doind sone very boring drill.

countryman99 - Posted - 05/22/2012:  10:09:52

quote:

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Originally posted by scthompson



I'm struggling with getting to the f- and d- shapes fast and acurately. I can't nail them; I have to rotate the hand into it each time. Frustrating. I think my hand needs to arch more, and it gets so tired!

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 Hi Sarah. Thats good advice from Grumpsie, obviously from experience,  as I also have hand cramp as a result of the type of work .did before retiring 12 years ago. So it did occur to me to ask if you hold your banjo with the fretboard too far away so your arm is extended, and the wrist not able to move comfortably into position without strain. Its possible to gain at least 8" nearer by moving the head to the side, without spoiling your stroke. It works for me and greatly reduces the strain on the awkward chords.

Regards, Mac

alubin - Posted - 05/22/2012:  11:00:29

Here's one thing I found helpful when I was learning how to move these chord shapes around. Think of the D-strings (1st and 4th strings) as rails, and of your ring and pinkie fingers as moving together along the rails when you move to a new chord. When you change chords, you'll only have to worry about your index and middle fingers finding the right place, and you won't have to hunt around with your ring and pinkie. I still practice sliding my ring and pinkie fingers into position. I found that thinking of moving positions in this way really made switching these chord shapes a lot easier to practice. Hopefully this will help with the thumb-cramping too.

scthompson - Posted - 05/22/2012:  11:06:14

I've been trying to take it apart and just practuce the ring and pinky strike. Did you do that? Then add the other two?

JimHand - Posted - 05/22/2012:  15:32:21

Sarah: Where on the neck are you practicing changing the chords?  If you are low, move up on the neck to around the 5th fret or higher (G using the D shape is at the 5th fret, 6th fret F- shape is C and then F- shape at the 8th fret is D). This should help at least in practicing the chord shapes. After you get used to changing them there, then you can move down the neck easier.  Also, SLOW PRACTCE is the secret!

rendesvous1840 - Posted - 05/22/2012:  19:57:43

Don't press any harder than you need to to play clear notes. If you are clenching the neck tightly you will damage your hand. If the strings are so high they require painful amounts of pressure, the action may need to be adjusted. There are liars in the world saying "No pain, no gain." Totally wrong. Pain is your bodies way of telling you to stop and back up. I believe calluses are another clue something is wrong. I started guitar in 1966, banjo in 1968. I still don't have calluses. You want your hands loose enough to move up & down the neck freely. You can't do this if you have a death grip on the neck.
Paul

scthompson - Posted - 05/23/2012:  04:10:37

I'm rather proud of my calluses:) But I think those are sage words. I bought a nicer banjo because my old one was physucally difficult to play.

I'm playing in the low frets; I just need to slow down even more. I'm 35 and not terribly coordinated, and I've only veen dabbling in fretted instruments for a couple years so the mechanics are new. I started on steel string guitar but it was so hard for me that I switched to a ukulele with nylon strings and made much more progress.

Sometimes the pace of improvement is frustrating, that's all. Some things come quick, some things come slow.