Hand strength

[TomG76]

I have weird hands...

...for a man my size they're not very big - indeed as a guitarist I sometimes curse my short fingers. But they are very strong. I've unintentionally hurt people when shaking hands and turned off taps so tightly that other people can't turn them back on. If you need a lid off a jar, I'm your guy.

I've been doing some training in anticipation of taking up judo and it's made my hands even stronger.

I've realised that I'm fretting so hard that the string goes out of tune. Whilst learning control must be hugely important, is there any merit in adjusting the action or string gauge? Or is it all about being more nuanced and sensitive?

Forum favourite @Jinder plays beautifully and seems to have much bigger hands than me. 

[jedzep]

For the strong-handed, the latter.

Edited April 30, 2022 by jedzep

[TomG76]

Thank you.

[jedzep]

The players who can move from acoustic to electric and adjust their fretting finesse level proportionately are the ones who really impress me. 

[TomG76]

4 minutes ago, jedzep said:

The players who can move from acoustic to electric and adjust their fretting finesse level proportionately are the ones who really impress me. 

Yes. Being subtle is so important. I also hit the balls too hard when I play pool or snooker!

[jedzep]

Hah!  Firesign Theatre called it 'stopping power'.  I work on it while playing all the time, and find it satisfying to have a variety of tones at hand. 'Slowing power' is also a great tool, sometimes hard to teach.  I learn by copycatting anyway,  so easy for me.

When I had my house moved, the guy who did the foundation drove the biggest excavator I'd ever seen.  He dug and shaped the hole, swinging that claw around with the lightness of a symphony conductor.  I think he moved my needle on appreciating nuance and finesse.

[DanvillRob]

I've always had relatively short/fat fingers for a guy my size....but they were pretty strong also.

I've played guitar for about 60 years, a little piano for maybe 55 years and spent a lot of time typing on a manual typewriter and the old 'IBM Selectric' typewriter.   This gave me pretty good finger dexterity.

But with arthritis that started in my left thumb joint...then the right thumb joint made me change the way I played, (some chords very painful to play), and now it's started in my middle fingers...the right one is VERY painful, the left one, not so bad.....now my 'strong' hands have difficulty holding hammers, coffee cups, and have real difficulty twisting off the lids to jars.

I'm still grateful I can play at all at my age.

[Murph]

4 hours ago, jedzep said:

The players who can move from acoustic to electric and adjust their fretting finesse level proportionately are the ones who really impress me. 

What's really a trip, for me, is playing guitar, mandolin, resonator and banjo in a single setting.

Different tunings, different scale lengths and totally different tensions with the banjo having almost none, to the mandolin having TONs.

[DanvillRob]

21 minutes ago, Murph said:

What's really a trip, for me, is playing guitar, mandolin, resonator and banjo in a single setting.

Different tunings, different scale lengths and totally different tensions with the banjo having almost none, to the mandolin having TONs.

Those people made a deal with the devil.

[TomG76]

2 hours ago, DanvillRob said:

I've always had relatively short/fat fingers for a guy my size....but they were pretty strong also.

I've played guitar for about 60 years, a little piano for maybe 55 years and spent a lot of time typing on a manual typewriter and the old 'IBM Selectric' typewriter.   This gave me pretty good finger dexterity.

But with arthritis that started in my left thumb joint...then the right thumb joint made me change the way I played, (some chords very painful to play), and now it's started in my middle fingers...the right one is VERY painful, the left one, not so bad.....now my 'strong' hands have difficulty holding hammers, coffee cups, and have real difficulty twisting off the lids to jars.

I'm still grateful I can play at all at my age.

I really wish you well with it.

[TomG76]

1 hour ago, Murph said:

What's really a trip, for me, is playing guitar, mandolin, resonator and banjo in a single setting.

Different tunings, different scale lengths and totally different tensions with the banjo having almost none, to the mandolin having TONs.

Absolutely. Even using different tunings on the same guitar impresses me!

[Larsongs]

It’s all about dynamics.. There are times to play hard, to play light & in between..  

[Jinder]

11 hours ago, TomG76 said:

I have weird hands...

...for a man my size they're not very big - indeed as a guitarist I sometimes curse my short fingers. But they are very strong. I've unintentionally hurt people when shaking hands and turned off taps so tightly that other people can't turn them back on. If you need a lid off a jar, I'm your guy.

I've been doing some training in anticipation of taking up judo and it's made my hands even stronger.

I've realised that I'm fretting so hard that the string goes out of tune. Whilst learning control must be hugely important, is there any merit in adjusting the action or string gauge? Or is it all about being more nuanced and sensitive?

Forum favourite @Jinder plays beautifully and seems to have much bigger hands than me. 

Thanks Tom!!

I have hands like shovels and have often inadvertently caused a wince or two with a handshake, so I sympathise!

For me, the sweet spot was going to 13s and downturning to Eb. I’ve not had too many issues with fretting sharp but I used to break strings with a vengeance due to my heavy right hand! No such problems since going to 13s thankfully, I can get four gigs from a set of D’Addario XTs or Martin Lifespans. The Dunlop Tortex Flex picks help too, the .73s still feel like original Yellows that I loved for many years but are a little less inflexible, so tend to extend string life a bit 🙂

[TomG76]

2 minutes ago, Jinder said:

Thanks Tom!!

I have hands like shovels and have often inadvertently caused a wince or two with a handshake, so I sympathise!

For me, the sweet spot was going to 13s and downturning to Eb. I’ve not had too many issues with fretting sharp but I used to break strings with a vengeance due to my heavy right hand! No such problems since going to 13s thankfully, I can get four gigs from a set of D’Addario XTs or Martin Lifespans. The Dunlop Tortex Flex picks help too, the .73s still feel like original Yellows that I loved for many years but are a little less inflexible, so tend to extend string life a bit 🙂

Really useful, thanks,  mate.

[BluesKing777]

 

Perhaps a little wood guitar is a bit ‘delicate’ for you, everyone is different......but I have a couple of guitars that DO need finger strength and worth a bit of time learning perhaps.....my National resos.

My National Tricone black steel is a beast at 9 1/2 lbs with nut width of 1.82”, fat strings with 16 on the 1st for wonderful.......bottleneck, which also needs finger strength distilled with some finesse and control. Once learned, the tricone can make one note ring out and  sound incredible, pretty impossible on wood guitars....so you need to play less or it can get out of control like an electric guitar.

Worth a go....

 

BluesKing777.

 

Edited May 1, 2022 by BluesKing777

[E-minor7]

We have a comedian here with very strong physics, , , and presence. Some 30 years ago he sat out to do a kind of double show with a highly skilled violinist.                                                                                                                                           The good old odd couple concept - a bit like Quinton King & Paul x 20.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Now in the middle of the performance he had to overtake the extremely expensive violin from the player and place on a piano.                                                                                                                                            But geared up was so excited that he cracked the vintage string-instrument in front of the audience with his bare hands.  

                                                     Yes, it made headlines - but is now generally forgotten. Not between these ears though. For me that turned out to be impossible. . 

[Larsongs]

Most Guys can break someones Hand while shaking hands if they want to.. Does that mean that's how you should shake Hands? No..

Same with playing a guitar, Piano, Violin or whatever.. You need good Dynamics..

[kelly campbell]

On 4/30/2022 at 8:27 AM, jedzep said:

The players who can move from acoustic to electric and adjust their fretting finesse level proportionately are the ones who really impress me. 

I agree with you and along the same line do you find it hard to switch from several different nut widths  on acousics?  I do not do well on more narrow nut widths.  I ofter wonder if I should stay away from them to enhance over all fretting?? Opinions?

[Larsongs]

I play several different kinds of Guitars.. Acoustic & Electric.. As well as Bass.. It was a slow progression going from one Acoustic Guitar & building an arsenal over the years.. The slow progression probably helped make transition from one type of Guitar to another less difficult.. I don’t notice it so much anymore..

Most Guitars aren’t that much trouble.. The most difficult Guitar for me to transition to is my Ric 360 12 String! The Necks are pretty narrow & Strings are so close together. Making it more difficult for me to play.. But, I do like the sound of it on certain Songs..

[Kwlsky]

I find that a light touch with my fretting hand has made the biggest difference with speed and accuracy of changing cords and flatpicking all over the neck, not to mention comfort in extended playing time. This was very difficult for me to learn to do on the guitar, as I'm a squeeze the hell out of everything kind of guy. (Which is why I will never be good at golf).  But a tender touch on the strings with either hand has also really opened up my ability to express the same notes and chords in different ways, which has opened up a whole new aspect of guitar playing for me. Now that I've finally gotten good a setting up my own guitars, a light touch is all that's needed.

[Larsongs]

5 hours ago, Kwlsky said:

I find that a light touch with my fretting hand has made the biggest difference with speed and accuracy of changing cords and flatpicking all over the neck, not to mention comfort in extended playing time. This was very difficult for me to learn to do on the guitar, as I'm a squeeze the hell out of everything kind of guy. (Which is why I will never be good at golf).  But a tender touch on the strings with either hand has also really opened up my ability to express the same notes and chords in different ways, which has opened up a whole new aspect of guitar playing for me. Now that I've finally gotten good a setting up my own guitars, a light touch is all that's needed.

I agree. I’m learning to do my own Setups. I do pretty well with most Guitars. But, would rather have someone else Setup my Ric 360 12 String & my other Guitars that require Neck removal. I’m not quite there yet on the more difficult Setups. But, I’ll learn..

I’m a Singer/Guitarist. I’ve learned that when I’m singing to play lighter & when I’m not singing bring my Guitar volume up to the level of my Vocals & then lighter when I resume singing. It’s definitely an exercise in Dynamics but important & make for better performances. Getting Bands to do that when playing live is difficult.. But, is important if you want sound professional… 

[Holiday Hoser]

I usually just sit on my hand till it goes to sleep and than it fells like a totally different persons hand.

[Murph]

1 hour ago, Holiday Hoser said:

I usually just sit on my hand till it goes to sleep and than it fells like a totally different persons hand.

 

A totally different persons hand that's under your butt.....

[Murph]

😏

[fortyearspickn]

I had confidence in our members that a thread  titled   "Hand Strength"  would turn weird within a few days.