Power Chords = Ouch

[CharvelRocker]

I've been having issues lately when I play a lot of power chords together (ie in like Fly Away by Lenny Kravitz or Iron Man). It just starts aching to where it hurts to hold it and I have to stop and just lit it rest a ltitle. My technique or something else?

[VitaminG]

is it just a muscular ache? That could just be a lack of endurance. I used to have the same thing. For a long time, I didn't spend a whole lot of time playing barre chord songs by myself, so when I'd get together to play with friends, I'd be 2 minutes into the song when my hand would just cramp up.

Make sure you warm up, keep working at it, rest when your hand gets sore, and play again when your hand loosens up again. You'll eventually build up enough endurance it'll no longer be a problem.

[khabibissell]

Speaking of that, search youtube for the John Petrucci instuctional vids. One of them focuses on his warmup. There are excellent endurance building exercises in there.

[CharvelRocker]

is it just a muscular ache? That could just be a lack of endurance. I used to have the same thing. For a long time, I didn't spend a whole lot of time playing barre chord songs by myself, so when I'd get together to play with friends, I'd be 2 minutes into the song when my hand would just cramp up.

Make sure you warm up, keep working at it, rest when your hand gets sore, and play again when your hand loosens up again. You'll eventually build up enough endurance it'll no longer be a problem.

Thanks!

Speaking of that, search youtube for the John Petrucci instuctional vids. One of them focuses on his warmup. There are excellent endurance building exercises in there.

I'll be sure to

[jcm800x]

Check out a desciption of De Quervains, I hope thats not it.

[delt]

I often use fingers 2 and 4 to do "power chords". Especially after one that's based on an open string (1st string on 2nd fret) or when moving higher up the neck. My pinky does a kind of "semi-barré" on the 2 strings where fingers 3 and 4 would be.

Yeah, most other guitarists keep telling me i have a really unorthodox (but clean) technique, but when it works... =)

[AlexiLiimatainen]

That's pretty odd man... what specifically hurts?

[CharvelRocker]

More or less the (if you hold your hand open with your palm towards your face) the are by my wrist. I broke my wrist pretty badly a couple years ago. Could my lack of endurance be related to this? I also have a tendancy to have my pinky hang down under the neck when I play power chords. could that be part of it? Streteching before I play does help though.

[tanpsi]

Are you having problems playing stuff you didn't have trouble with a little while ago?, you may have some medical issue you want be careful with.

Otherwise slowly work up to it, also check to see if you are gripping too tight or your arm is stiff and tense

[CharvelRocker]

Are you having problems playing stuff you didn't have trouble with a little while ago?, you may have some medical issue you want be careful with.

Otherwise slowly work up to it, also check to see if you are gripping too tight or your arm is stiff and tense

Nope, not having any new issues. I'm not having trouble playing stuff as I am just playing it for more than a few minutes. Stretching before hand has helped. Im guessing my hands just need to warm up some before playing a whole song based around them.

[MichaelLitvak]

i used to have that pain too and still do sometimes..
lets say i am trying to play the power chord 3 5 5 (G5)
before what i would do is use finger 1 for fret 3, finger 3 for fret 5 and pinky for the other 5.. it slowed me down so now i just use first finger and third finder.. my teacher does the same thing but instead of thirs he uses his pinky.. i tried it and it feels bad so im not doing that


try either way

[Chad]

Power chords should be one of the easier things to do. When I first started playing, I did 3 string power chords by fretting the first string with my index finger and fretting the other two strings with my ring finger.....kind of a small barre with the ring finger. This put too much pressure on my thumb from behind the neck. I started doing index first string, ring finger next string, pinky third string and that works much better for me.

[vi0lenT]

When Im playing my acoustic after like 30 seconds my hand starts hurting real bad, it's coz of my thumb either it's not placed the right way or something ... I've been really really worried about this problem coz I cant play barre chords for long and that's what Im really tensed about.

[Newc]

String thickness and action as well as how firmly you press down have a lot to do with it. It takes a bit of practice, but you should practice to where you're only fretting hard enough to sound the notes, and not strangling the neck, thus straining your muscles.

[Brick]

your probably just tensing too much when u play, you only have to press hard enough to make the note come out well.