Finger hurts

[robboster]

I play the classical guitar, and the neck is kinda big, but after awhile of playing, even a very short while (say 15 mins) my fretting hand thumb aches at the joint.

Is there a problem with my playing style? I play with only the end of my thumb pressing against the back of the neck of the guitar. Am I supposed to rest the entire back of my thumb on the back of the neck?

 

[Phil]

I'd recommend resting the entire thumb, the top segment, to be exact, on the back of the fingerboard. Not only it's comfortable, it also gives better support. As opposed to using the tip of your thumb.

 

[Hydrofly]

The correct technique is to use the tip of the thumb. Pain is part and parcel of leearning guitar.

 

[Rhizopus]

No pain, no gain

 

[robboster]

So it's supposed to feel pain when you start learning guitar?
If I were to use an acoustic or electric guitar, would the thinner (in width) neck improve the situation in any way?

 

[theunknown]

no such thing as correct technique in holding a guitar. its however u find most comfortable.

 

[robboster]

no such thing as correct technique in holding a guitar. its however u find most comfortable.

well, my method doesn't seem very comfortable, so I'm wondering wat is for other people, so i can see wat may be comfortable for me.

 

[KeDraiv]

for classical guitar usually people use the top segment of their thumbs.

if you find ur finger hurts, i think it may be due to ur positioning of ur thumb on the neck.
try position the thumb of ur finger more towards the middle of the neck instead of the top or the bottom. that will it's more stable and you use less force.

as for electric guitaring, i've seen shredders gripping on to the neck of the guitar while shredding, dunno how they do that though. haha

 

[robboster]

thanks:mrgreen:

 

[pianomankris]

Please ignore the 'no pain no gain' and 'pain is part of learning the guitar' comments - if you are playing correctly, you should never experience any pain at all. Ever.

Your muscles will still get tired, but there should be no pain per se.



On the subject at hand:


The two main thumb muscles are the flexor pollicis brevis and the adductor pollicis.

The adductor is the one that usually gets tired when barring - you'll probably feel it in the fatty part between your thumb and your 1st finger.

It all depends exactly where your thumb is getting sore, and when it gets sore e.g. what are you practising at the time.



The most obvious advice from the loose description you give would be to keep your wrist straight when playing.

You may also be stretching your arm out too much, and this could be placing strain on your full arm, which you could be trying to compensate by turning your hand in. This instantly strains the thumb muscle.

Try playing with a capo on (5th fret and above) - this should avoid any excess strain on the full arm.

 

[Hydrofly]

Ok basically, I think the pain he feels is from the muscle straining to hold all the strings down properly, probably never used those muscles prior to playing guitar.

 

[robboster]

Ok basically, I think the pain he feels is from the muscle straining to hold all the strings down properly, probably never used those muscles prior to playing guitar.

I played piano before. But the pain isn't in the 4 fretting fingers, it's in the joint of the thumb, the part connecting it to the hand.

 

[Hydrofly]

no no, i meant the adductor pollicis. Thats the muscle that's straining, if it feels more like a muscular ache than a sharp pain, nothing really wrong with it.

 

[robboster]

I don't remember ever saying something about sharp pain but... yeah, it's like a muscle ache. I tried putting the whole last segment of my thumb on the middle of the neck when playing, and it's much better now.

Thanks everyone!:mrgreen: