Left hand soreness

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ukejack82

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I purchased my first uke a month ago and have been practicing every day. I am trying to learn the song Five Foot Two and have trouble with the A7 - D7 - G7 progression. Going to D7 is the most problematic. The first problem I had was supporting the neck when shifting to that chord. I read and viewed some "holding your uke" tutorials and that has helped a lot, however it is still slow going. Lately I have focused my practice sessions on simply going through those progressions however I find my left hand cramps up after 15 minutes or so of doing this.

Do any of you have advice on keeping the hand from cramping. One thing I am doing switching from chord progressions to right hand finger picking simply to give my left hand a rest. Any other thoughts?

- Jack
 
Have you played a stringed instrument before? You may be gripping the neck too tightly, which is easy to do if you're new to an instrument. Try to stay relaxed, keep a soft grip on the neck and figure out exactly how much pressure you need to apply to the strings to get a clean sound.
 
Dallas Pursley said:
Have you played a stringed instrument before?
Click to expand...

I have never played any instrument before. I will try your suggestion and keep a soft grip. However, I am trying very hard to get good chord sounds and I find, especially for the D7, I need to press down a little harder.
 
Find alternative fingerings for those tricky chords*, there's a so-called hawaiian D7 (2020) that would be dead easy in that progression

http://www.ukulele.nl/chordfinder.php (make sure to switch it to Soprano - C before choosing a chord - in this case D, then 7. Then just keep clicking on the chord again - in this case keep clicking on 7, in order to see other fingering options)

Learn some hand stretches, any RSI/OOS/Ergonomics stuff for touch typing should have some exercises you can follow. The other piece of advice is switch around from strumming to plucking, and try to find some songs that use more of the fingerboard. Failing that, switch between having your thumb on the back of the neck, and tucking the neck into the crook of your hand (what's that bit called between the thumb and index finger?), variation is the key!

* Use this advice sparingly! Alternative fingerings may sound different and the song won't come out as intended, it may sound better or worse - I encourage experimentation and going with what you feel sounds best. The other reason though is you may develop bad habits, sticking with an alternative fingering instead of the 'proper' way. I admit that this is the case for me and the E chord.
 
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ukejack82 said:
I have never played any instrument before. I will try your suggestion and keep a soft grip. However, I am trying very hard to get good chord sounds and I find, especially for the D7, I need to press down a little harder.
Click to expand...

Keep in mind that since you've never played a stringed instrument before that you're asking your fretting hand to do something it's never had to do before. You may have some soreness as your muscles become stronger. You should also expect some very sore fingertips! :)
 
Are you twisting or holding your left hand wrist too stiffly, or putting it into awkward positions, this might be putting a bit of strain on the ligaments and muscles, and causing this cramp. You could try getting one of these powerballs which can help strengthen your hands. Also, with experience and practice you will relax more when playing and hold the chords more lightly.
 
I had similar hand/wrist problems when I first started playing ukulele. The addition of a strap made a huge difference for me. It also makes playing up the neck easier! :D
 
Thanks

I appreciate the useful suggestions. I will try and incorporate those into my practice routine. I will exercise my wrist. I am trying very hard to play relaxed, on the look-out for tense shoulder/arm/wrist. I try to play as loose and light as I can but I get strange chord sounds (especially D7) if I don't press down harder. I am keeping my thumb on the back of the neck to provide support for my chords. I am also trying to keep my wrist as straight as possible. Hopefully it is due to just lack of practice and will improve with time.

Thanks again.

- Jack
 
ukejack82 said:
I appreciate the useful suggestions. I will try and incorporate those into my practice routine. I will exercise my wrist. I am trying very hard to play relaxed, on the look-out for tense shoulder/arm/wrist. I try to play as loose and light as I can but I get strange chord sounds (especially D7) if I don't press down harder. I am keeping my thumb on the back of the neck to provide support for my chords. I am also trying to keep my wrist as straight as possible. Hopefully it is due to just lack of practice and will improve with time.

Thanks again.

- Jack
Click to expand...
For that D7 chord, since you are having some problems, instead of the barring at the second fret use the Hawaiian D7 chord which is the G string at the second fret and the E string at the second fret. Try this but continue to practice the barring D7 chord as well.
 
ukejack82 said:
concert size
Click to expand...

Get yourself an inexpensive soprano to start with. One of the biggest unchallenged myths is that a concert is "easier to play" than a soprano. That's not necessarily so. In your case, you might have more "room" but you have greater string tension to deal with both in fretting and strumming. BTW, most newbies IMO with strumming issues would do better on a soprano as a start...it simply takes more energy to get a response out of a concert. It's a matter of physics not opinion. The "feel more comfortable" approach is usually focused on chord formation and changes. The soprano will more easily focus you on rhythm. I also find the disportionate dimensions of a concert make it the most difficult to hold. At least with a soprano you can hold it to your chest more easily when sitting or standing...and "bear into" the instrument...
 
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luvdatuke said:
Get yourself an inexpensive soprano to start with.
Click to expand...

:agree:

I too started on a concert, but have benefited enormously from using a soprano (Mahalo cheap, red and glossy) for practice, it sort of allows your hand to make the same chord shapes, but tighter, so when you revert to the concert, your hand has breathing space. Also I suppose on a soprano the chord shape is engarved in your head better as you have the feel of the other fingers around the shape, whereas on a concert, fingers are a bit more independant of each other.

And the D7, when you get past that hurdle, you'll be keen to take on more. It will come. It just needs to get into your brain and fingers.

Happy Strumming!!!!
 
The D7 will come. Why overfocus? Sure, practice what's difficult. But focus on fluidity...
 
Just an update.

I seem to be able to do that D7 transition smoothly now!!!! It's like I woke up one morning and was able to do it. The suggestions have really paid off. In one of the videos, it warned about not tilting the uke so that you have to bend your wrist. I was doing that, and now that I hold it correctly, I have less wrist pain. Uke Mike also suggested practicing barre chords every day, even if for only 5 minutes. I have added that to my practice routine and I can now practice longer without feeling pain.

It was so awesome to be able to strum through the chord progressions smoothly!!! I have now started to work on different strum patterns and I feel the song taking shape. This is such a wonderful experience. I absolutely love this. Sorry about my enthusiasm, but this is the first instrument I have ever been able to play and I love it. I get very tensed and stressed and I find the uke to be very therapeutic.

- Jack
 
ukejack82 said:
Just an update.

I seem to be able to do that D7 transition smoothly now!!!! It's like I woke up one morning and was able to do it. The suggestions have really paid off. In one of the videos, it warned about not tilting the uke so that you have to bend your wrist. I was doing that, and now that I hold it correctly, I have less wrist pain. Uke Mike also suggested practicing barre chords every day, even if for only 5 minutes. I have added that to my practice routine and I can now practice longer without feeling pain.

It was so awesome to be able to strum through the chord progressions smoothly!!! I have now started to work on different strum patterns and I feel the song taking shape. This is such a wonderful experience. I absolutely love this. Sorry about my enthusiasm, but this is the first instrument I have ever been able to play and I love it. I get very tensed and stressed and I find the uke to be very therapeutic

- Jack
Click to expand...
You should be enthusiastic. That's great and music is good for the soul my friend.
 
Learning isn't linear but a spiral. The best to you and everyone. Many years.
 
ukejack82 said:
Just an update.

I seem to be able to do that D7 transition smoothly now!!!! It's like I woke up one morning and was able to do it. The suggestions have really paid off. In one of the videos, it warned about not tilting the uke so that you have to bend your wrist. I was doing that, and now that I hold it correctly, I have less wrist pain. Uke Mike also suggested practicing barre chords every day, even if for only 5 minutes. I have added that to my practice routine and I can now practice longer without feeling pain.

It was so awesome to be able to strum through the chord progressions smoothly!!! I have now started to work on different strum patterns and I feel the song taking shape. This is such a wonderful experience. I absolutely love this. Sorry about my enthusiasm, but this is the first instrument I have ever been able to play and I love it. I get very tensed and stressed and I find the uke to be very therapeutic.

- Jack
Click to expand...

Great to hear that! Keep watching Ukulele Mike, he's a treasure trove of useful information. And I get what you mean - I get tense, stressed and cranky... half an hour practicing on the uke and I forget what I was irritated about :)

Good luck with mastering that song, and many more
 
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