My right hand (picking) is feeling weird!

[BenoA]

Hello everyone,
I don't know if this is normal and I'm curious to know if anyone here has gone throught such weird situation.
It started about a year ago. At that time, I had been using Jazz III picks for a while and suddenly, these picks started to feel weird between my picking fingers (thumb and index). So, back then, I tought I should just change the pick. So after a few tries, I ended up my choice on Dunlop Tortex 1.14 mm.
Recently, well, the weird feeling about the pick as just started again (let's say about 3 months ago). My right hand feels strange, I can't play as fast as I used to. It's like I'm starting all over again to play guitar.
I'm not a regular player. Some days I can play for 30 minutes, others for 3 hours.
For the past few days, I've been playing more as my band got a gig booked (at the last minute) for next saturday September 9th. The weird feeling about my right hand seems to "amplify" and last evening, after a few hours of pratice, my index holding the pick was hurting... weird!!! It's definitely stressing me a lot to feel so uncomfortable with my picking hand. For the rhythms it doesn't bother me much but for those quick solo runs... I'm getting nervous. The only thing I can see to help me out before the gig, will be to hide a few hours before and warm up at a slow pace.
So my Q: Anyone here went thought such a weird phase? If yes, how did you get over it?
Am I getting too old, should I quit and start palying golf???????? :P
BTW, don't venture into the "psychological path" with my situation vs playing live. I don't mind playing in front of people and that weird "right hand" feeling started way way back before the gig was booked. Anyway, the most stressful part of that gig is managing the 2 hours gig of the contract as the band was on a more than 6 months break due to our singer doing a backpack trip in Europe!

So go ahead, comment and discuss! Thanks in advance!

[Nazgul]

I use dunlop jazz III picks and my index finger (which holds the pick together with a thumb) started to hurt too, that was after I started using Jazz IIIs and I couldn't bend joints on my index finger fully for some time, but after awhile I just fixed it itself . I think because I started to hold the pick more loosely.

[Adam]

Sounds like either 1 of 2 things.

1 - You're gripping the pick too tightly and cramping up your hand.

2 - You're experiencing some kind of medical nerve/tendon thingy and should see a doctor.

[sl2lover]

I switch picks about as much as pro golfers switch putters! I'm real picky about them!

[slayer32390]

how do you grip the pick? maybe you are putting too much stress on your joints with your current grip style? ive never had any problems with it since ive been playing. but my picking hand felt really weird today as ive been playing bass alot more than guitar lately and on bass i use a regular dunlop nylon 1mm pick versus guitar with a jazz III and i sucked when i was playing guitar today. well at least thats what i think is wrong

[danastas]

Try this, clasp and press on each finger with your index and thumb of your left finger. If you feel some numbness on any of your fingers, it could very well be a nerve problem. If you feel numbness on you index or middle, there could be a problem in your wrist. If you feel numbness in your 3rd or pinky finger, it's likelier a problem with your elbow.

I know these things because I had similar problems as you (I lost all speed with my left hand and became very sloppy fingering positions). I was diagnosed with an ulnar nerve problem. It didn't come back for a year and a half, and my doctor actually told me the guitar was a good form of therapy. But I had to fight through relearning the guitar all over again.

I hope it's not a nerve thing because a doctor can't really do anything about it. They usually come back though.

[BenoA]

Thanks guys for your answers...
I think I've been the master of my own disaster recently with my picking hand...
I just read this interesting article by Terry Syrek:
http://www.terrysyrek.com/picking1.html
What da you think?
I think I may have tried too many things without really working with what I already had.

[Boxcar Willie 84]

I noticed a pain up and down the phalange bone in my hand on my index finger, and in the joint to my thumb when I had been playing bass. I think it had to do with me holding the pick a bit tighter to accomodate for the thicker string and also because I picked in a much narrower region than I do on guitar, so it was more like i was just moving the pick back and forth with my thumb and finger rather than my wrist or arm. I dunno how to explain it well, it made sense to me at the time. Hope youre ok!

[Spidervenom]

Watch your picking in a mirror, and see if you're moving your fingers. Try to make sure that you're holding the pick lightly, and making wrist movement only.