hitchhikers thumb

d'uke

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So whenever i play i keep my left thumb on the back of the fret board and whenever i play of an extended period of time it gets really painful and i have to stop the strumming! :mad:

does anyone else have this problem? or can anyone recommend another way to place my left hand so relieve the pain?
 

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So whenever i play i keep my left thumb on the back of the fret board and whenever i play of an extended period of time it gets really painful and i have to stop the strumming! :mad:

does anyone else have this problem? or can anyone recommend another way to place my left hand so relieve the pain?

wrap your thumb across the top. Here are three pictures. I am making a G, C, and F. The only time I place my thumb in the center is when making barre type chords (D, B, Bb, E, etc..)
 

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sorry, but i totally disagree wrapping the thumb. it encourages a ham grip, it limits mobility on the fretboard and encourages your to grip the neck which destabilises the instrument as you are applying too much pressure to that area of the instrument. IMO the uke should be supported by the body alone so that the pressure you need on the neck is only sufficient to fret the strings.

the real problem with your thumb d'uke is that your knuckles are behind the fretboard and you are reaching round to fret the strings. you need to turn your thumb to a less horizontal and more vertical position and to position your knuckles and indeed your whole wrist in line with or even slightly in front of the fretboard. sorry i do not have pics but you can see my hand position on my vids as an example.
http://www.youtube.com/user/graycrom#p/u/0/i3C4ZiYvmrY

my thumb at the back is almost vertical. see too how much my arm is relaxed, i mean i just let it hang from the shoulder and reach back up to the neck rather than hunchng the shoulder and coming at the neck from behind it.
 
or can anyone recommend another way to place my left hand so relieve the pain?

Your holding of the uke in this way may be developing carpal tunnel syndrome, a wrist problem that is painful and will cause you ongoing problems. If wrist pain has been persisting after you have been playing, I would urge you to seek medical advice. It would seem you have had this habit of holding the uke since you commenced?

I may have it wrong but when I commenced to learn, oh weeks ago (lol), I assumed the cut out on the headstock was for my thumb to sort of rest in thus providing a spot to balance the fretboard with the palm of my hand. I thought, and I'm sure I read somewhere that the idea was to be able to hold the uke with body / right elbow and the left hand so that either support could be removed and the uke wouldnt drop to the ground. Pineapple Pete's Uke School website was invaluable for me in my first week. Sorry I'm not clever enough to give you the link.

Wishing you happy and painfree ukeing

Cheers, Tony
 
Thanks for all the advice guys!
ill practice taking the pressure off my thumb with making it vertical. as for the carpal tunnel thing, i dont actually hold my uke like that i was just showing how my thumb looks against the fretboard haha.

@ haolejohn: BEAUTIFUL mele.... even if i can only see the headstock hahaa
 
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Thanks for all the advice guys!
ill practice taking the pressure off my thumb with making it vertical. as for the carpal tunnel thing, i dont actually hold my uke like that i was just showing how my thumb looks against the fretboard haha.

@ haolejohn: BEAUTIFUL mele.... even if i can only see the headstock hahaa

Thanks. One thing I learned in holding the uke is to make it comfortable. Most guitar or uke snobs:) say keep the thumb behind but I have played for 2 hours standing up my way and had no pain and was able to transition freely and comfortably. To each their own I suppose but my goal is to play practically. I even had my wife take those pictures while i played. Of course, I'm no expert or professional but I'm not that bad.
 
you want to have another look at that pic there john, notice his knuckles are in line with the fretboard, and also that he is not wrapping his thumb over the top, it protrudes, but it is not wrapped. have a look at this vid of him too...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skU-jBFzXl0 no wrapped thumb there. to be fair though, here is George Formby, a much better musician imo, clearly wrapping his thumb on the banjolele. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w3X95uWv8A I think in the end do what feels comfy and right for you, but i was taught that having the thumb back and knuckles flush would reduce the risk of stress injury in the long term as well as fingering chords easier.

thanks for the nice comp on the vids,
 
you want to have another look at that pic there john, notice his knuckles are in line with the fretboard, and also that he is not wrapping his thumb over the top, it protrudes, but it is not wrapped. have a look at this vid of him too...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skU-jBFzXl0 no wrapped thumb there. to be fair though, here is George Formby, a much better musician imo, clearly wrapping his thumb on the banjolele. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w3X95uWv8A I think in the end do what feels comfy and right for you, but i was taught that having the thumb back and knuckles flush would reduce the risk of stress injury in the long term as well as fingering chords easier.

thanks for the nice comp on the vids,

Maybe. I've been playing for 5 years or longer. I wear a XXL glove. I have no problems with transitions or pain. Is my way right? to me yes. I'm self taught and most ukulele players I have seen have their thumbs wrapping or almost wrapping around top. Even Jake does it http://www.youtube.com/user/keonimanua#p/u/11/uHmOVoG942Q I think the key is for the OP to find a comfortable method for him. Music is supposed to be fun and soulful. If one spends too much time trying to play a certain way they might miss the whole point of music. I wish I was trained in the "proper" methods but I'mnot and I do have fun doing things my way. Great minds think alike:)
 
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sorry, but i totally disagree wrapping the thumb. it encourages a ham grip, it limits mobility on the fretboard...
That works for some style of playing, but I find it difficult to bend notes and get a good vibrato without my palm providing the fulcrum and neck support needed. I may have a big wrap around, but it's not a death grip. The important thing, no matter what your style is, is to be relaxed. I have no trouble being mobile on the fretboard, especially on a uke - there's just not that much ground to be covered compared to a guitar or bass. About the only time I put my thumb back there is for barre chords. But that's just me.
 
i've been playing for just a few weeks as well now. one problem that i noticed that gave my thumb some pain was i would get sloppy and rather than bend my left thumb when holding the neck, i would hyper extend it. if i did that for some time, on the pain would come.

hopefully you're able to find a safe, comfortable grip!
 
wrap your thumb across the top. Here are three pictures. I am making a G, C, and F. The only time I place my thumb in the center is when making barre type chords (D, B, Bb, E, etc..)

Works if your fingers are long enough. I have small hands and if I try this way I can't reach all the strings!
I find getting my wrist straight(er) helps, my thumb/arm get less tired.
Maybe with practice you can shift between positions to give your thumb a rest?
Like most have said, Find what works best for you.
 
I hold my uke exactly the same and my thumb has been killing me too. I've been trying a few different grips but so far I keep reverting to old form. I'm going to try some sports tape so I'm not doing the 90 degree thumb bend. I'll let you know how it goes.
 
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