Grip Training For Musicians

["D"]

Any musicians out there? A friend of mine is really into playing the guitar and the piano. He likes lifting as well and has been thinking about doing some grip specialization but is worried about how this will effect his playing. To him, his music is more important than his training and he does not want to anything to interfere with it. Any advice/suggestions for this guy?

[young'un]

as a pretty competent percussionist (accepted to Eastman Conservatory and Cleveland Institute of Music, among other conservatories; turned them down b/c of the price tag; currently minoring in percussion performance), I would definitely advise other musicians to do grip training. it will help technical endurance if nothing else.

it's just important to not destroy your hands right before a big concert

-> this means train grip all you want...just don't do anything stupid before a performance and make sure that you don't train grip so much that you can't practice due to fatigue...b/c if your friend loses his will to practice as a result of tired fingers, that will affect his playing (duh)

basically...tell him to go for it.

-jeff

[bender]

What young'un said.

I have a twin brother, the good twin perhaps, who has devoted his life to philosophy and the classical guitar. I took the path of strength training and the army, but both of our passions get rubbed off onto the other. I started him on "the grippers" and a pile of other home-made stuff, and he's fallen for grip training and bending. It was his experience, after training grip for a few months, that it was difficult to play after a good grip work out, but when recovered, his dexterity, finger "awareness" and playing endurance were greatly heightened to the point that he regrets not hand-strength taining earlier.

He plays the classical guitar, and claims that crushing a 200lb CoC gripper improves his ability to brush a finely tuned nylon string.

I play too, and notice little to no difference, if only my forarms don't cramp when playing finger-style rifs.

I would say, to the advanced player, it may make a noticable differance, but to the average palying-guitar-for-chicks-at-parties guy, it does nothing.

Edited December 9, 2002 by bender

[Jonathan McMillan]

Think I remember reading somewhere that Da'vinci was totally into hand strength -could bend horseshoes? While he didn't play the piano, he still must have had good finger dexterity.

Jon@han

[Tou]

I play acoustic guitars. Anything from Dave Matthews to Chet Atkins. Grip training doesn't affect my playing.