[Fingering-About Pain-] Things Guitarists should know about their body

Hello!
My name is Takuto Fujioka, guitarist in an acoustic unit called BABY BABY and an occupational therapist.
Thank you for always reading!

This time is the third installment for fingering, and I would like to look at the pain and breakdowns that occur when playing the guitar.

Have you ever felt pain in your hands, arms, shoulders or other muscles while playing the guitar?
Most of this pain can be relieved by taking a break, but if the cause of the pain is not known, the same pain will come again, and eventually your body will suffer a breakdown such as tendonitis.

This time, I will focus on the pain in the left hand caused by fingering.

What kind of playing causes pain?

"I got sore fingers when I practiced the same phrase many times."
If you are a guitarist, you may have had the experience where "it hurts if you opened your fingers all the way".
Fast-playing stretch phrases and closed-voicing chord forms are tough to hold down, and they are difficult, so you will have to practice them over and over again.

I think the cause is hidden in the "tough to hold down" and "practicing over and over again".

Why pain?

"Tough to hold down" "Practicing over and over again"
Behind these words
・ You are using more force than necessary
・ You spend a long time keeping the same hand shape (or posture).
・ Efficient use of fingers and hands is not possible
I think that the elements that cause pain are hidden in these points.

The pain from practicing like this hurts, but why can't you play it well? I think it's just that you don't realize that you're causing the pain yourself.

For example, when you hold the chord as shown in this photo, it is difficult to hold it with your fingers spread out, so you naturally tend to force yourself to do it.
At this time, the fingers and wrists are held in a certain posture, but the force continues to be applied.
The muscle contraction that occurs at this time is called "isometric contraction".

Muscles exert their strength by expanding and contracting and changing their length, but isometric contraction is called static activity (isometric muscle contraction), and there is no joint movement. It's like pushing a wall with all your strength, but the wall won't move, yet you maintain a constant use of strength.

Since this isometric contraction does not move the joints, the blood flow tends to stop, which puts a strain on the muscles themselves.
If this condition continues for a long time, the muscles and tendons will be affected. If you move your body repeatedly while your muscles are still strained, your muscles and tendons will be further strained, leading to pain and breakdown.

Also, I think that the cause of pain in fast stretched phrases comes from how to use your fingers. (I can't play fast, but ...)

It's hard to see in the photo, but the force is in the direction of bending the fingertips. I could barely hold it down, and when I took the picture, my finger muscles hurt.

If you relax your fingertips and move your fingers from the root, the strain on your muscles will be relatively small and you will be able to move your fingers efficiently.
Also, due to the structure of the hand, if the position of the thumb is on the diagonal line of the middle finger, a stable position can be found.

The above is just an example that considers the structure, so it may be difficult for some people to do this.
However, whether you are holding a chord or playing a single note, instead of bending your fingertips to press the strings against the frets, you can use the force to extend your fingers to move them from the base of your fingers allowing you to easily press the strings even if you spread your fingers.

About prevention of pain and injury

Of course, stretching muscles is important to maintain flexibility, but instead of practicing just repeating the same thing under a dark cloud of pain, analyze the movement of your hands when they are required play a phrase or hold down chord and practice the movements. I think that is the most effective and important thing to do.

Certainly, if you repeat this a number of times, you may be able to play phrases and chords that you couldn't play in the past.
However, human beings are creatures of habit, so even a pain-causing movement will be remembered by the body and repeated.
To prevent injuries and breakdowns, you must determine whether the exercises you practice are efficient or inefficient for your body.

If you're practicing the guitar and your hands hurt, take a break and think about how you can stop your hands from hurting by facing your body and the pains.
I'm sure there is a way to use the body that will suit you better.
‘Til next time!