Hand Guitar Exerciser

[Kvoth]

Hi,

Let´s if I explain myself good enough in english.
I´ve been playing guitar for 4 years, but ever since y play a barre chor for a while or a song that contains a lot of barre chords, it hurts the tendon thatconnects the thumb to the wrist.
I tend to point with the thumb to the middle finger while í´m playing a barre chord.
I saw something like a hand exersicer,

Would this work ?

I´m kind of worried...

Thanls in forward.

[elixzer]

I feel your pain i HATE barre chords, because of the pain. and much prefer to find ways around having to use them. This is a big reason I am interested in learning Shell chords. Guitarists like Django Rheinhardt More Answers to your Jazz Guitar Questions by Tony Oreshko

I am not professional guitarist so not sure if you could transpose your songs with many barre chords into this way so easy

Another video I tried to find for you but as of yet am not sure where I have filed it, is this guy saying to use NOT pressure from hand to barre, but from the ARM strength, and one of the ways to do this is when barring pull the guitar into the body, and he claims that doing this way you wont have to even use much pressure with the thumb at all!...just found it:

Guitarist Douglas Niedt, Classical Guitar Technique Tip of the Month

What you don't want to do is injure yourself. The players I love to watch are the ones who don't use many full barre chords, and also using a fingerstyle with righthand can free you from having to depend on them also, I think.

Answers to your Jazz Guitar Questions by Tony Oreshko

“GYPSY JAZZ CHORDS

This is a huge topic, so rather than try and cover lots of theory in this short space I've given some examples for you to listen to and to try out yourself.

One of the main features of the gypsy jazz style is the chord voicings. Many of the shapes use only three notes, often played on the lower strings, and you have to learn to miss out or deaden the strings marked with a 'x'.

One great thing is that you only need to know a small number of different shapes. The trick is to learn how to combine them, as they can be used in a huge number of ways. Here are some examples of different chord patterns you can play just with a handful of shapes.

Notice how many of the chords have more than one name, depending on where you play them in a sequence:"

And check this video out:

[Dad3353]

...I´m kind of worried...

Good evening, Kvoth, and welcome to the forum...

It sounds as if there's a posture problem here; I would recommend finding a good guitar teacher locally, preferably a with a jazz specialty, if that's your main interest. If you're playing a strat, there should be no strain from bar chords at all. In any case, don't go forward without getting this sorted out, as lasting damage can be done.
I have no experience myself with hand exercisers, but in general I would say that they are of little or no use with such a problem. You are not lacking power (in fact, it's your own power causing the strain, your hand and grip should be much more relaxed. Any more power and you'll hurt yourself more...). I've seen many times the question on both guitar and bass forums, and the general consensus is to strengthen on the fretboard, not with exercisers. Get the positioning correct first, however.
If a teacher confirms that your posture is indeed correct, consult a doctor before doing permanent damage.
Hope this helps...
(No problem with your English; it's better than my Spanish...)

[whatswisdom]

I saw something like a hand exersicer, Would this work ?

Best hand exerciser is a well made guitar, with a professional set up. Easy action. I don't mess with hand exercisers. I'd rather play guitar. Best way to develop left hand is to practise slurs (hammer-on/pull-offs) daily. Tough barre chords will be yours if you take your time and practise them in context. Jazz chord melodies are full of barre chords. Pick some good chord melody arrangements and you'll have all the hand-exercisers you'll ever need.

[elixzer]

but did any of you see the video I linked him to where guitarist is saying how not to use force with hand but with the whole arm and pulling guitar to the body? Do you not agree with that. I only ask because I feel confused, and am sure Kvoth will from all the different advice.

[ten left thumbs]

Please seek help from a professional teacher, if only for this. Barre chords are not a matter of strength, but of placing accurately on the fretboard. You can injure yourself trying and getting it wrong. (I speak as someone who did just that ... and then worked it out, but it set me back months.)

[elixzer]

Please seek help from a professional teacher, if only for this. Barre chords are not a matter of strength, but of placing accurately on the fretboard. You can injure yourself trying and getting it wrong. (I speak as someone who did just that ... and then worked it out, but it set me back months.)

So you never had a professional teacher?

[ten left thumbs]

I've had a smattering of lessons here and there, including a spell of regular lessons. From professional teachers.

Once I got over my injury and had physio, then started playing again, I had a teacher look over what I was doing specifically for barre chords.

[elixzer]

I've had a smattering of lessons here and there, including a spell of regular lessons. From professional teachers.

Once I got over my injury and had physio, then started playing again, I had a teacher look over what I was doing specifically for barre chords.

So you seem to suggest that a guitar teacher is important to checkout the unique position of an individual player?
Do you use a pick or do you play fingerstyle?
And didn't your teacher tell you to use your whole-arm and shoulder strength and pulling guitar to body to barre rather than just using wrist?

Also some people just cannot afford guitar teachers. I am one of em.

[Billnc]

An important lesson I got from Mick Goodrick is this. Press down on a note with your index finger, OVER the fingerboard. Relax the pressure until there is a slight buzz and then press just enough to hear the note clearly. This is a very small amount of pressure. This is all that is needed to play a note cleanly.

If you do not have a teacher work very diligently to make sure the angles of your hand are correct, it can take some work to find the proper placement of the index finger (rolling it slightly to the thumb side of the finger, towards the nut seems to help quite often).

As a teacher doing this for almost 30 years, I can say very few students ever listen to me regarding hand position and technique. Go over what your teachers have shown you (Kvoth have you taken lessons?)

Avoid the hand exerciser. It works the muscles you use to play, this puts even more stress on those muscles and can lead to repetitive injuries.

[ten left thumbs]

And didn't your teacher tell you to use your whole-arm and shoulder strength and pulling guitar to body to barre rather than just using wrist?

.

No.

[ten left thumbs]

As a teacher doing this for almost 30 years, I can say very few students ever listen to me regarding hand position and technique.

Don't give up.

[elixzer]

No.

So I find that very unnerving and not knowing who to trust then. I mean the guy who gives that info in the video could himself be a guitar teacher, I don't know. The very fact he is doing videos like that is a form of teaching anyway, and I wonder if I get in touch with him what he will say in response to someone else saying it is not important. Not that you said that, but you don't seem to repeat what he suggests is important? Just say he says his guitar teacher told him to do that, what then? lol
One weird thing is that after watching his video which I took to be kosher advice, I contacted him and asked if this applied to partial barring, like with many Jazz chords. and just expected him to say 'yeah'. He rather said that he needs to do an extra video about that, but it will take a few months before he puts it out.

[Kvoth]

Thanks to all for the answers, I should have given more info at first.
A few months ago I started with a teacher, Jazz & Bossa nova, I told him about the problem,like Billnc he suggested this:

Press down on a note with your index finger, OVER the fingerboard. Relax the pressure until there is a slight buzz and then press just enough to hear the note clearly. This is a very small amount of pressure. This is all that is needed to play a note cleanly.

With almost the same words.
And he also suggested like Elixzer:

this guy saying to use NOT pressure from hand to barre, but from the ARM strength, and one of the ways to do this is when barring pull the guitar into the body, and he claims that doing this way you wont have to even use much pressure with the thumb at all!

But I still feel it, for example when I play Blue Bossa with my spanish guitar, after repeting the chorus for 2 time it starts the pain.
I always thought it is because I started playing guitar with 23 and that my body was already developded. And that always used my right hand to do all the work since I was a baby, (screwing a bolt, opening a bottle...) and that I made my left hand weak. That´s why i thought about the hand exerciser.

[elixzer]

Thanks to all for the answers, I should have given more info at first.
A few months ago I started with a teacher, Jazz & Bossa nova, I told him about the problem,like Billnc he suggested this:
With almost the same words.
And he also suggested like Elixzer:
But I still feel it, for example when I play Blue Bossa with my Spanish guitar, after repeating the chorus for 2 time it starts the pain.
I always thought it is because I started playing guitar with 23 and that my body was already developed. And that always used my right hand to do all the work since I was a baby, (screwing a bolt, opening a bottle...) and that I made my left hand weak. That´s why i thought about the hand exerciser.

So you have a Spanish guitar? Would that be a Flamenco guitar? I am asking because I thought they have very low action, which would help with barring?

I see so you are thinking that your right hand will be stronger because of all the muscle-building things you have done since little? makes sense. But I would include of course shoulder and arm exercise because it is all connected. And as you say, your guitar teacher repeated what the guy in the video said about using arm strength and pulling guitar close to body when barring.

So let me get this straight---You have taken your guitar teacher's advice, as explained above, but this has not helped?

If so, have you told him? And what did he say?

[Billnc]

Thanks to all for the answers, I should have given more info at first.
A few months ago I started with a teacher, Jazz & Bossa nova, I told him about the problem,like Billnc he suggested this:
With almost the same words.
And he also suggested like Elixzer:
But I still feel it, for example when I play Blue Bossa with my spanish guitar, after repeting the chorus for 2 time it starts the pain.
I always thought it is because I started playing guitar with 23 and that my body was already developded. And that always used my right hand to do all the work since I was a baby, (screwing a bolt, opening a bottle...) and that I made my left hand weak. That´s why i thought about the hand exerciser.

Do you warm up? I do shoulder stretches and 'active release' stretches for my hands and forearms, there are many variations, I've hit on my own routine. Do not play with 'cold' muscles.

[ten left thumbs]

Forgot to mention - I do use baoding balls for hand stretch and coordination. Seems lots of guitarists do.

[Hurricane Ramon]

I hear this a lot from complaining types ( no a put down to the author of this thread ) I can't do it cause it hurts stuff . I'm not sure if there at types of people who are physiologically incapable of doing them at all . And then there is also the " mental " factor .

When you first tried to tie your shoe laces it was impossible at first and for a long time right ? Same thing with making bar chords to me .

Arm strength :

Took a year to develop in my case when I started @ 48 , now they are a breeze .

Guitar compatibility is key to this , you get the wrong size neck thickness and your screwed for a beginner . And there's the rub , how do you know if you got the right size neck width and thickness ?

Thought you'd never ask :

Take a guitar ( you guys who can't or are having difficulties only here ) , any guitar in a music store and try making bar chords and the one that is the easiest to get a half ways good sounding bar chord , well you found the one fitted for your hand

Even with that as a plus it's still going to cost you dedicated regular practice , it's that simple . If you can't make one then :

It's a case of quit , the guitar isn't your cup of tea or

Buckle up and stop sniveling and get tough and get the job done , that's all there is to it man .

So if all things are equal in life and your not physiologically impaired -

¡ Get tough and do it to it !

Easy man :

Hurricane Ramon

[Hurricane Ramon]

Forgot to mention - I do use baoding balls for hand stretch and coordination. Seems lots of guitarists do.

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Use to have a set way back when I was not able to play guitars .

Personally for my right hand co ordination I use a Bic lighter , works great .

You do the " Walking Coin " thing

card sharks and magicians do . It's been a great way to develop better finger control and strength for me and cheaper than those dang balls heh heh . A Bic lighter also stretches the hand better than the coin .

Easy man :

Hurricane Ramon

[Kvoth]

So you have a Spanish guitar? Would that be a Flamenco guitar? I am asking because I thought they have very low action, which would help with barring?

Spanish,made here in Madrid, I would say mid action..

You have taken your guitar teacher's advice, as explained above, but this has not helped?

No, although that was less then a year ago...

If so, have you told him? And what did he say?

Haven´t told him yet.

Do you warm up? I do shoulder stretches and 'active release' stretches for my hands and forearms, there are many variations, I've hit on my own routine. Do not play with 'cold' muscles.

Never warm up, always grab the guitar and start playing.

I hear this a lot from complaining types ( no a put down to the author of this thread ) I can't do it cause it hurts stuff . I'm not sure if there at types of people who are physiologically incapable of doing them at all . And then there is also the " mental " factor .

Don´t even know what you mean.

you get the wrong size neck thickness and your screwed for a beginner . And there's the rub , hod do you know if you got the right size neck width and thickness ?

Bought my guitars through the internet, from where I live, stores are far away, but that really makes a lot of sense.

Took a year to develop in my case when I started @ 48 , now they are a breeze .

You started at 48 playing, and took you a year to play barre chords easily? Is that it?

[Hurricane Ramon]

Spanish,made here in Madrid,
Bought my guitars through the internet, from where I live, stores are far away, but that really makes a lot of sense.
You started at 48 playing, and took you a year to play barre chords easily? Is that it?

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That's it man , and it was hard at first . Then after a while it began to get better as I

¡ regularly practiced !

De verdad hermano se puede solamente tienes que dedicarte a l obra porque la guitarra es una " obra " a conocer , es como un viaje larga , tienes que gozar la pasada en transito no solo la llegada a la destinacion

I make barred chord look easy man , it's no " sweat " ( algo sin sudarte je je je ) , all my neighbors who I got started and there many now since I began in 1999 are doing well of those who dedicated themselves to this task of learning how to play the guitar .

I now teach guitar and I do it in two languages .

I teach basic music theory and how chords are constructed on keyboard and guitar .

And voice training to .

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Don´t even know what you mean.
Quote:
you get the wrong size neck thickness and your screwed for a beginner . And there's the rub , how do you know if you got the right size neck width and thickness ?

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The size of your hand ( el tamaño de su mano ) has to correspond correctly to the size of the guitar's neck thickness and width ( tiene que responder correctamente al tamaño de el brazo de la guitarra ) .

If the neck is bigger ( wide ) and thicker than your hand to grip it comfortably then it is not the right size for your hand .

Considera esto :

Si sus zapatos estan muy grande o muy pequeño para sus pies entonces - - - -

Sinceramente :

Hurricane Ramon