left hand worries

[sanderdude]

O.K. so, I have been playing about 2 hrs a day for 2 weeks after a many many year layoff. I am limiting my playing so as not to get blisters before calouses. My question is about a slight numbness I am noticing mostly in the ends of the 3rd and 4th fingers. The calouses are coming along nicely but I am fearful of damaging the fingers by playing too much too soon with these 64 yr. old hands. Any comments would be most appreciated. p.s. the new guitar is sounding noticably better after surviving its first two weeks in my care.

[brian richardson]

STOP!!!
usually numbness comes from the neck/back.
are you using a footstool? is so, ditch it!
get one of those guitar cushions so both feet stay
flat on the floor.
wait a few days and start again.
the 'no pain no gain' theory doesn't apply here.

[sanderdude]

thanks again Brian: Yeah I made a footstool. Gives me an instant backache and left leg to sleep. The numbness is only at the very tips of 3rd and 4th fingers on left mano. I am paranoid of pushing myself to injury on this new adventure, so I already laid off yesterday. I switched to my chainsaw for some fine woodwork in the backyard! More of that today. I think I will layoff today also. Any recommendations on a particular guitar holding device?
I must say I have only ever been really comfortable in the past with the waist resting on my rt. leg. I know this not very correcto.

[brian richardson]

i use the dyrnette guitar cushion.
some people have complained about it
slipping, making squeaks, etc.
i've never had a problem with mine.
there are other 'similar'' items on the market but,
a lot have suction cups to attach it to the guitar.
fine i guess on lacquer but, a no no (for me) on french polish.

why not just play in the position you like if you
are comfortable and can pull in off musically?
screw the correct way of holding the guitar.
if you are happy and it helps your playing, go for it.
(try a guitar support though, it'll help when going for the higher neck positions and keep your back and shoulders square)

have fun with the chainsaw.
some of the scariest and funniest moments
with friends have involved one.

[Faya]

i'll have to agree with the ol' BR dude!

don't over work yourself and play in a position that's most comfie for you.

i also have a Large Dynothingy.....and really like it!

boy...........it's been like 3 weeks since i even touched a guitar!!!!
and in all honesty........i feel like a ton of bricks have been taken off my shoulders.
:confused:

[Sandra]

i use the dyrnette guitar cushion.
some people have complained about it
slipping, making squeaks, etc.
i've never had a problem with mine.
there are other 'similar'' items on the market but,
a lot have suction cups to attach it to the guitar.
fine i guess on lacquer but, a no no (for me) on french polish.
Another Dynarette user/fan here. No suction cups or clamps are going to touch my guitar.

I've also never had a problem with it, except it doesn't work well with a SoloEtte because the SoloEtte's tubular frame isn't wide enough to provide stability.

[@@.]

check these http://www.staffordguitar.com/reviews.asp
also , scroll down to some good links here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_guitar_accessories

[sanderdude]

Thanks to you all who have replied with the cushion suggestions. I like the looks of the Dynarette. May try it. This is 6:30 am Sunday here now. I did not play fri. or sat. The numbness is gone from fingertips. Faya, I know the feeling of the missing huge weight. When i had been studying, playing, performing, for 7 years in my 20s I suddenly felt like I had created a monster. Had to play at least 4rs daily or would feel like I back slid. Anyway I quit. Bam, sold my guitars. What a relief it was. I think I was playing for the wrong people, meaning my parents and the world instead of 4 me. Anyway I feel empathy for anyone who has chosen to live the life of a musician.

[JoeAlders]

Dynarette…., dynarette..????

Is my observation correct …? While looking at the great Maestro Bream’s
DVD ‘My Live in Music’, I suddenly saw him using this thing while playing
a piece (forgot which piece it was). Although I have no experience with it,
I will stick to the good old footstool!
Sanderdude, I am 61 years old and playing about 2 hours a day for about 1 ½ years now after an ‘on and off’ for more than 25 years of guitar playing due to my busy work. In the beginning I suffered a LH 2nd finger tendonitis and some pain in my upper left leg (the ‘foot stool’ leg)due to too much playing.
But after I started to take a short break after playing every 15 minutes, these sufferings
disappeared. So my advice is not to change playing position and using this Dynarette,
but taking a lot of ‘short breaks’.

Joe.

[cgram@adelphia.net]

I had lots of back pain, very severe, in my upper back and shoulder when using a foot stool, so I got a Dynarette. Because of my specific physiology, the dynarette did not help at all. It may work for some people, but because it is not adjustable, it is not very accomodating at all. Recently, my teacher has lent me his adustable guitar support (I'm not sure the name of this specific one) and I have had good results. It holds the guitar more firmly than the dynarette, so one doesn't have to expend the same amount of energy on keeping the guitar stable. It is also very flexible, so whatever you physiology, it is more likely to work for you. Some people find these devices aesthetically unappealing, and I personally would rather use a footstool in this regard. However, if the footstool isn't working for you, you don't have a lot of options, and the nice wooden neck up supports look a lot better than a dynarette, in my opinion, and they actually work. I also have some stretches I do that have really helped me, and also just the refinement of technique in both hands and release of tension. All these things can go a long way. Good luck.