To Steve,Tyr or any other serious bassists out there.

[LordFireworm]

A few months back,me and my guitarist started playing complicated,fast and fairly intricate metal for the first time (We're 18).
Anyway,because I'm stubborn as all hell,I decided I was only going to play with my fingers.The first few times we played the material I was getting serious cramps.I'm fine now but not quite as comfortable as I'd like to be.With this in mind,I was curious as to whether or not you suggest doing weights?
We have some free weights lying around the house and I want to know if doing them will both build up endurance for bass and help my playing in general?
Do either of you two do them?What do you think?
Thanks.

 

[Unregistered]

Free weights for bass playing? Well, it couldn't hurt your overall health, plus it may improve your posture while playing (basses are heavy compared to guitars, especially an extended range bass). So I say, could only help.

Maybe consider those grip exericers (i dont know what their called, you can find them at WalMart in the sports department), but stretch the muscles out after. But, I quess the best way to build endurance and strength is to just play alot. Maybe in your spare time, find a tough and tricky exercise or song part and do it very repetitively, you'll build finger agility, endurance, strength. Feel the burn!!!

I used to do that while watchin a movie on the tube, to not be bored with the repetativeness.

Hope you find something useful in my ramble.

 

[flaviu]

hey I'm a serious bassist don't exclude me : P

I was doind weights when my tendonitys problem showed up, so I'm a little traumatized, but I still believe the weights had nothing to do with the problem


But it's the mind : }

 

[Erik Tiwaz]

Hmm , well , the foremost need of the muscles is Oxygen , and to bring Oxygen to your muscles you need blood-circulation. Basic morning gymnastics will suffice for that.
I would not recommend anyone to use finger-weights or over do those grip-exercises , in the worst case scenario it will only bring premature reumatism.
Your muscles also needs proteins and carbohydrates , many of the basic food sorts have that , but you can also get ecstracts of that.

But I also think it is very important when learning new techniques to do them slow at first and increase the speed gradually.
Teach your mind to make your fingers do "impossible" movements i.e do easy exercices in a more difficult way than necessary. That way you might progress slightly faster.
The reason for stagnation VERY seldom lies in your fingers , it lies in the mind. But you need to make sure you do your stuff in the correct way for your body , else you might injure yourself.

 

[Unregistered]

Ya, maybe those hand grips were a bad idea. But they also have the finger types in music stores with various tensions. Perhaps a low tension.

I assumed he had his basics down to be passed the "do things slowly" phase.

I usually like to have a few minutes of scales, and scale variations to warmup first before anything strenuous, with some finger stretches after to loosen things up. Thats just my routine.

When I practice intense stuff that have my fingers cramping up, I give myself a few minutes to let them rest up, stretch the stiffness out, and start back alittle slower.

 

[Higon]

I'm not a serious Bassist, so don't count on me =P

 

[flaviu]

do you know if that stuff to put around your wrist or pulse works?

A doctor said it just forces the wrist and does nothing good, do you think it's true?

 

[Unregistered]

Around wrist or pulse?

I was talking about (i wish i could remember its name) that little hand-held device, it has a separate spring-loaded button to push for each finger. You press down with your finger-tips, and it's made so you can work on individual fingers. I had a heavy tension one (it was a little too hard), but a lower tension one seems likely to be okay.