Re: Grip strenght devices.


"Derek Tearne" <derek@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1jav8dg.1bsa1q2a9mws0N%derek@xxxxxxxxxxxx

I've seen grip strength devices over the years like the
planet waves
vari-grip
http://store.daddario.com/category/152456/Vari-Grip_Hand_Fitness_Tool

I've never bothered with such things before, but I'm trying
to build
strength back after the broken elbow.

Are these things worth buying? Or am I better just doing a
lot of
actual practice?

I'm a bit torn on this issue as I'm not sure to what extent
a strong
grip is a help - obviously the fingers need a certain
amount of strength
but if I'm gripping hard that seems like bad technique to
me.

The elbow is coming on quite well now - it's astonishing
how much
mobility is lost so quickly and how hard it is to get back.
I can now
play all the notes on the fingerboard just about normally -
but
finger/grip strength is down quite a bit.

Fortunately I didn't have any gigs lined up during the last
couple of
months. Last week playing four tunes in a row (at an open
mic type
thing) was exhausting - but I think this week I'm a lot
more able as I
can get my hand back into a comfortable position rather
than kind of
twisted and flat against the fingerboard.

--- Derek

I'm not a believer in those types of device, you don't need
strong fingers to play bass. I'm inclined towards Clive's
advice: practice, little and often, then longer sessions as
time goes by. Nothing prepares you for a gig though: I had a
month off recently due to a sprained finger and thought I
could just pick up where I left off. Wrong. Playing was a
tentative at first but the main problem was blistering on the
(uninjured) fingers.
Good luck.

--
SR


.

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