10 replies to this topic

[Jimbo70]

I've been playing for nearly four years and practice 45 minutes to an hour 6 days a week but still find my fretting hand cramps up especially when I play Barre chords for more than a few minutes. Does anyone know of any hand excercises I can do to help increase the strength and dexterity in my hand?

[mset3]

Jimbo,

Check how you are holding the neck when making a barre chord. You are probably holding the neck too tight when fingering the chord. Watch how hard you are pressing down on the strings. A light touch works. As far as a type of exercise goes, rest when you feel cramping coming on. Squeezing a rubber ball can help build up hand and finger strength.

Mike

[starsailor]

It does sound like a tension problem Jimbo, try and see if you can relax a bit more when playing, like most physical pastimes it also needs a bit of a warm up before you start the serious stuff so maybe spend ten minutes just noodling around on the fretboard, here's a couple of basic exercises, really just stretching which you can fit in anytime, just monitor what you do though, if those cramps persist and it's causing you pain it may be worth seeing a doctor to see if there might be something else going on.

http://www.livestron...guitar-players/

[nickcallear]

I always start my sessions with about 10 - 15 minutes of chromatic exercises which works wonders for warming both fretting hand and picking hand.

Stuff like this, gradually building up speed
 exercisechromfix.gif   17.76K   2 downloads

Then i spend about 10 - 15 minutes working on chords
Then about 10 - 15 minutes doing scale work.

Normally all nice and warmed up then to work on whatever song your working on.

[tinsmith]

Wrist curls with light weight helped me....
I have other issues though

[karcey]

Jimbo70, on 19 February 2012 - 08:26 PM, said:

I've been playing for nearly four years and practice 45 minutes to an hour 6 days a week but still find my fretting hand cramps up especially when I play Barre chords for more than a few minutes. Does anyone know of any hand excercises I can do to help increase the strength and dexterity in my hand?

It could be the way you hold your mouth.
Don't laugh. Some folk find that with their mouths closed they tense up more easily and with their mouths open they relax quicker.
Just a thought. Try it and see if it's like that for you.

[Doug]

tinsmith, on 20 February 2012 - 09:41 AM, said:

Wrist curls with light weight helped me....
I have other issues though

don't we all?

[pHGTRSpider]

Hey there Jimbo70, all above sounds like good advice, not sure about the mouth one, you never know.

A point that no one else has raised yet, it could be you are holding your guitar incorrectly. That is, leaning it back so you can see over the fretboard. Have a look and if you get that guitar back straight up and down you will not have to "stretch" your hand around as far and this should ease your cramps if it's the problem. cheers,

[tinsmith]

I also try to make sure I play the acoustic as it requires more finger power than the electric.

[Jimbo70]

Thanks to all for the advice. I have begun stretching and playing scales again and watching my posture and it is making a difference but like eveything else it takes time to see the results.

[dbuck]

mset3 ....said it right. You should also watch what you drink. to much caffeine, sodas and such will dehydrate you and will cause cramps. Sounds crazy but this happens to me when I play out if I dont hydrate myself.