Wrist problems and fingering problem

[zbalz]

Ive been playing for about a month and a half, religiously practicing every day...lately when I've been playing "classical style", I am getting these huge cramps in my wrist/forearm of my left hand. Is this normal? What can i do to fix this if it isnt normal?

Also, Stone mentions in Lesson 1 to release and not lift the fingers. Right now I have no clue on whether I am lifting or releasing when I am playing, but assuming I am lifting, are there any tips on how to release and not lift my fingers?

Thanks

-Zbalz

[StoneDragon]

Some amount of muscle fatigue is guaranteed... after all, you are asking your hand to do something that it has never done before in a position it has never used before. The important thing is to know whether the discomfort is muscle fatigue or your body telling you to change something.

The classical hand position is a relaxed position. Most often, the discomfort that a beginner feels in that position is due to holding too much tension in the wrist and hand.

Occasionally, the discomfort can be due to the posture itself. If that is the case, then by all means adjust the posture. every body is different.

The principle is what is important. You want to develop technique that allows you the greatest freedom with the least amount of effort... that way you can pop your blood vessels straining to play something that is really hard instead of straining to play things that are not really that hard if you just relax.


A good drill for learning the difference between lifting the fingers and releasing the fingers goes like this:
play any note with one finger
take that finger completely off the string (that is lifting)
play the note again
relax the finger (the note will stop ringing but your finger will still be in contact with the string.... that is releasing)


the trick when playing is to use as much release as possible and as little lift as possible.

[Sixstring]

Welcome z,

I answered another similar question in a thread called How important is left hand "technique"? in this same category (Technique Talk) earlier.

You may find the drill useful in finding your comfort zone. Good luck.

[Bluice]

I find that even after playing guitar for 25 years that I want to grip the neck too hard with my left hand. It is unconscious on my part. If left alone I'll get cramps and extreme muscle fatigue after only a short session. I have to make a conscious effort on my part to just relax the hand. Nothing gained by trying to poke the strings thru the fretboard.