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Any Guitar Players Here?


MadMardegan

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Strange question, I know, but the reason I'm asking is; I've always wondered if people have ever experienced any negative affects, when it comes to playing an instrument, from working their hands/fingers so much? Has it ever affected your dexterity or speed of play? Ever experienced cramping or just felt like you couldn't play as well as you once used to?

The same question can be applied to any instrument, I simply chose guitar because it's what I play.

I've seen people saying before that weight lifting has severely dampened their ability to play. Me personally, I've never experienced any ill side effects but I figured no where on the net would I find a group of people who work their hands/fingers out more than here and I wanted to ask for your opinions.

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I play many things. Keyboard, guitar, and violin among others.

I've noticed an improvement in control in my fingers, as well as an increase in general strength.

For this reason I have changed most settings in my instruments to a higher "strength" level: the action on my guitars and preset for key tension, for example.

This enables me to be a lot more expressive, I think. The max dynamics are easier to achieve because of training. The softer dynamics are also easier to get because of increased control.

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I've been playing guitar off and on for 15 years and haven't noticed any ill effects of hand training (been doing "some" grip stuff for 10). I was doing grippers for a couple of years before I could sweep arpeggios with any impressive speed. So if anything it might have helped...but like I said I only played off and on, and went for periods of years not playing. I've been on a finger picking kick lately with no problems to speak of.

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I had tennis/golf elbow from playing guitar too much. Took a while to heal. Been playing for a while prior to that - 10+ years.

I think what did me in is lotsa shredding while standing up.

Felt it while benching as well.

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I play bass (poorly). Never had a problem.

I've never noticed any carryover though. If I don't play for a while, grip training does not maintain my stamina to play.

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I play many things. Keyboard, guitar, and violin among others.

I've noticed an improvement in control in my fingers, as well as an increase in general strength.

For this reason I have changed most settings in my instruments to a higher "strength" level: the action on my guitars and preset for key tension, for example.

This enables me to be a lot more expressive, I think. The max dynamics are easier to achieve because of training. The softer dynamics are also easier to get because of increased control.

Yori - you need to fire up my Kramer Pacer & Peavey 5150 amp when you're here! I used to play guitar a long time ago when I was in HS/college, and just got the thing back to playable condition last year.

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I haven't been playing much, used to play a lot. When I started grip I still played and I think it helped.. Especially vibrato!

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I play many things. Keyboard, guitar, and violin among others.

I've noticed an improvement in control in my fingers, as well as an increase in general strength.

For this reason I have changed most settings in my instruments to a higher "strength" level: the action on my guitars and preset for key tension, for example.

This enables me to be a lot more expressive, I think. The max dynamics are easier to achieve because of training. The softer dynamics are also easier to get because of increased control.

Yori - you need to fire up my Kramer Pacer & Peavey 5150 amp when you're here! I used to play guitar a long time ago when I was in HS/college, and just got the thing back to playable condition last year.

Nice setup Martin! Sadly guitar is the most people to extinction of skill for me and I haven't played for a good while too.

I'll see if I can get any practice in before the comp!

PS: got a keytar by any chance? :-)

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I play many things. Keyboard, guitar, and violin among others.

I've noticed an improvement in control in my fingers, as well as an increase in general strength.

For this reason I have changed most settings in my instruments to a higher "strength" level: the action on my guitars and preset for key tension, for example.

This enables me to be a lot more expressive, I think. The max dynamics are easier to achieve because of training. The softer dynamics are also easier to get because of increased control.

Yori - you need to fire up my Kramer Pacer & Peavey 5150 amp when you're here! I used to play guitar a long time ago when I was in HS/college, and just got the thing back to playable condition last year.

Nice setup Martin! Sadly guitar is the most people to extinction of skill for me and I haven't played for a good while too.

I'll see if I can get any practice in before the comp!

PS: got a keytar by any chance? :-)

Ha ha! No, I don't have a keytar. I have a keyboard up in the daughter's room, that's the closest thing.

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I play bass (poorly). Never had a problem.

I've never noticed any carryover though. If I don't play for a while, grip training does not maintain my stamina to play.

I've been playing guitar my whole life and I agree 100%. Grip training hasn't done anything for that. I'd say it's not the same kind of strength at all. When playing guitar (I think) you're supposed to use "back pressure" rather than pressure against/toward your thumb. I'm not a technical player at all though. So, I'd say you more or less should be able to play without using your thumb on the gripping hand. Like being able to high-bar-squat without holding the bar. ;)

Edited by Norden
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I've been playing for the past 25 years, and grip training hasn't done anything to affect my playing. Although, if I put the kind of time into grip training that I put into guitar I could probably CCS a #4 by now. :grin:

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