My left hand hurts when I play... ?

Hmmm - I know exactly where you mean, is this your writing hand as well? I would recommend doing some finger and hand exercises - you might even try getting one of those gyroscope hand and wrist exercise balls from a local sporting good store:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerball_(toy)
Also try these execises:
http://www.toc.md/exercises_wristhand.htm
Specifically the wrist flexor and extensor exercises. years ago I noticed a guitarist friend of mine do these exercises before a gig and I asked him what he was doing - he showed me how to do it and I was amazed how well they stretched my hand and forearms out before playing.
last summer after playing golf, I noticed a sharp pain in my right arm (elbow area). Turned out to be "tennis elbow" after searching the web - the cure was to either rest your arm for weeks and possibly months or exercise it. Well I rested it for months but the pain never went away - i had a hard time holding my arm out straight and picking up say a beer. I started exercising it on my Bowflex machine and within 2 days I felt 50% better. A week of resistant exercise and the pain is almost 100% gone. I'm 41 and starting to feel more body aches than I ever did before - so in my case, exercising my muscles keeps me going.
Hope this helps.
 
Hmmm - I know exactly where you mean, is this your writing hand as well? I would recommend doing some finger and hand exercises - you might even try getting one of those gyroscope hand and wrist exercise balls from a local sporting good store:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerball_(toy)
Also try these execises:
http://www.toc.md/exercises_wristhand.htm
Specifically the wrist flexor and extensor exercises. years ago I noticed a guitarist friend of mine do these exercises before a gig and I asked him what he was doing - he showed me how to do it and I was amazed how well they stretched my hand and forearms out before playing.
last summer after playing golf, I noticed a sharp pain in my right arm (elbow area). Turned out to be "tennis elbow" after searching the web - the cure was to either rest your arm for weeks and possibly months or exercise it. Well I rested it for months but the pain never went away - i had a hard time holding my arm out straight and picking up say a beer. I started exercising it on my Bowflex machine and within 2 days I felt 50% better. A week of resistant exercise and the pain is almost 100% gone. I'm 41 and starting to feel more body aches than I ever did before - so in my case, exercising my muscles keeps me going.
Hope this helps.

Thanks for the links.
As for my handwriting, I only noticed it in my left hand... Not my right. Have you experienced the pain I have?
 
I probably have no experienced the same pain you have - my pain is simple fatigue when playing for a while and the fulcrum muscle between my thumb and index fingers begins to hurt - that's just muscular and it doesn't happen often - only if I go a while without practice. Is your pain a sharp jabbing pain or is it painful over a larger area?
 
I probably have no experienced the same pain you have - my pain is simple fatigue when playing for a while and the fulcrum muscle between my thumb and index fingers begins to hurt - that's just muscular and it doesn't happen often - only if I go a while without practice. Is your pain a sharp jabbing pain or is it painful over a larger area?

Well, at some times it hurts so much that I have to stop playing. I feel like I have a headache. The pain mostly throbs...

So, I should exercise my fingers, and stretch them or something?
 
If this is you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOgXS_NJwZ8
I would say your left hand (it is hard to tell) may be turned to much. The top of your thumb looks like it is facing the ceiling. Proper match grip says the back of your hand should be facing the ceiling when the stick is in contact with the drumhead (snare). Someone correct me if this is wrong.
I know the hardest thing is to break old habits - but I would try simple basic rudiments using the proper grip and hand positioning. If it feels strange then it is likely you have adapted to the wrong way of playing all this time. Use a simple practice pad and get back to the basics - this doesn't mean you are a basic drummer. I have been playing for 31 years and just this past year I have developed a routine of sitting down with the pad to regain my hand strength and speed with the most basic of rudiments I learned when I was 10 yeas old. It's always good to do for any drummer at any age (imo).
I hope this helps.
of course, if the pain continues in your left hand, and it effects your quality of life and away from the drums, then you must see a doctor.
 
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If this is you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOgXS_NJwZ8
I would say your left hand (it is hard to tell) may be turned to much. The top of your thumb looks like it is facing the ceiling. Proper traditional technique says the back of your hand should be facing the ceiling when the stick is in contact with the drumhead (snare). Someone correct me if this is wrong.
I know the hardest thing is to break old habits - but I would try simple basic rudiments using the proper traditional grip and hand positioning. If it feels strange then it is likely you have adapted to the wrong way of playing all this time. Use a simple practice pad and get back to the basics - this doesn't mean you are a basic drummer. I have been playing for 31 years and just this past year I have developed a routine of sitting down with the pad to regain my hand strength and speed with the most basic of rudiments I learned when I was 10 yeas old. It's always good to do for any drummer at any age (imo).
I hope this helps.
of course, if the pain continues in your left hand, and it effects your quality of life and away from the drums, then you must see a doctor.

It does help. thanks. One question though. When you said that when I strike the snare, the back of my hand should be faced towards the ceiling. Wouldn't that only be if I played match grip? Are you telling me to play matched grip?
 
I should also add, it is possible to break old habits and re-teach yourself a new technique. I played golf for 15 years (self taught) and developed a very poor grip with my left hand - it was a "weak" grip, meaning my hand was turned over way to far to the left. All my shots sliced into the trees.
It wasn't until I went to a golf camp later in life (when I could afford it) and was shown by a pro what I was doing wrong. He told me I would never ever ever improve 1 ounce until I learned and adapted the proper grip. 100% of golfers can be taught the proper way of playing but 99% will almost immediately revert back to their old bad habits. I am the 1% that committed to the change - as bad as it felt, I forced myself to adapt the new grip and work through it. I hit thousands of golf balls that weekend with the new grip and developed blisters in places I never had before. After the camp I continued to play with the new/proper grip and my game went south for a year - but I knew my game was better for it because every 10th ball i hit went much farther and straighter and with less effort. it had the crisp "click" when striking the ball that every golfer strives for. Eventually my game improved dramatically and on average i was hitting all my shots 20-30 yards further and straighter - I even learned to shape shots around trees (left to right and vice-versa).

Ok this is not a golf forum - but the same applies to drum technique and it seemed like a perfect analogy. When learning new drum techniques or simply doing strength exercises, it can hurt a little - but in the end the pain should start to go away.

I just cant tell if your pain is from not having played enough or from playing too much the wrong way.
 
Well, at some times it hurts so much that I have to stop playing. I feel like I have a headache. The pain mostly throbs...

So, I should exercise my fingers, and stretch them or something?

It's a start - I am not saying this will cure you - but it might - we just don't know until we try it - take 3-5 minutes to stretch out your hands and forearms and fingers before playing. See if you notice a difference. How long have you been playing drums?

I have been working with my hands all my life - I was a mechanic once, currently a designer and animator, on computers all day, drawing, playing music - my hands are my life. I try and take care of them as much as possible. When my wife massages them they feel amazing and she comments on how hard they are (muscular). As a result I need to stretch them out as much as possible or they can cramp up. I wonder if you are experiencing cramping.
 
Sad to say, I'm getting a 102% in my English class. Maybe these teachers aren't all that great :)

Got to love that home school curriculum eh.

You never finished explaining to us why taking lessons wouldn't help. With a qualified teacher, you will progress three times as fast. Trust me, it will be worth every penny. If your mom won't pay, get a job! Maybe it's time. Most employers won't be nearly as patient as some drummerworld members with an attitude like your own. Then maybe you'll learn something else.

Not old enough to man a fryer? That's cool. I'm not exactly sure as to the whereabouts of Big Mama's House but around here, a guy your age can make a KILLING plowing driveways.

Sorry to harp on you like everyone else here. It must be frustrating sifting advice from insult. I'm just trying to get one point across here - the same point that came along with the second response of the thread: Find a teacher. You will not regret it.
 
I read everyone's posts on here, just not responding to everyone. I'm sorry I made you feel like you wasted five minutes of your life typing to a stubborn little kid. I thank you, and today I'm going to try out what you told me to do on the kit.

OK dude, I was going to give you the benefit of the doubt, but you're obviously not worth it.
You want advice about a very specific issue from someone with a very specific skillset. You are handed a post that specifically details your problem/solutions, but you would rather address that post as not so important as playing the pity parade with some other guys. Whatever dude.

When he asked me three days ago John Blackwell was cool with what I had to say. I know I shouldn't drop a name to get over on an argument, but sometimes you have no other choice.

I'm actually pretty close to your age so drop the attitude, and this I'm just a kid angle has gotten old. When this forum was set up a few years ago, it was just about the only place on the Internet where 13-17 year old drummers with a clue could come and share our thoughts, without a bunch of angry old guys bothering us. Over the years it has remained that way, and as time passed we've seen some tremendous progress from that crowd. So we've always kept the youth talk on as high a level as we could, although we've admitedly had our interesting moments.

As I'm starting to get older, I see the value in all that, and hope it continues. This forum certainly doesn't need the stereotypical self absorbed young guy pretending to be on an extension of the youtube comments section.
 
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It's a start - I am not saying this will cure you - but it might - we just don't know until we try it - take 3-5 minutes to stretch out your hands and forearms and fingers before playing. See if you notice a difference. How long have you been playing drums?

I have been working with my hands all my life - I was a mechanic once, currently a designer and animator, on computers all day, drawing, playing music - my hands are my life. I try and take care of them as much as possible. When my wife massages them they feel amazing and she comments on how hard they are (muscular). As a result I need to stretch them out as much as possible or they can cramp up. I wonder if you are experiencing cramping.

Will do, sir :)

202020202
 
Got to love that home school curriculum eh.

You never finished explaining to us why taking lessons wouldn't help. With a qualified teacher, you will progress three times as fast. Trust me, it will be worth every penny. If your mom won't pay, get a job! Maybe it's time. Most employers won't be nearly as patient as some drummerworld members with an attitude like your own. Then maybe you'll learn something else.

Not old enough to man a fryer? That's cool. I'm not exactly sure as to the whereabouts of Big Mama's House but around here, a guy your age can make a KILLING plowing driveways.

Sorry to harp on you like everyone else here. It must be frustrating sifting advice from insult. I'm just trying to get one point across here - the same point that came along with the second response of the thread: Find a teacher. You will not regret it.

hahah I know what you're saying with the plow thing. I used to live up north. I now dwell in Florida, sooo... XD

Maybe mowing lawns. But first off I'm going to try stretching before I play and see how it feels.
 
OK dude, I was going to give you the benefit of the doubt, but you're obviously not worth it.
You want advice about a very specific issue from someone with a very specific skillset. You are handed a post that specifically details your problem/solutions, but you would rather address that post as not so important as playing the pity parade with some other guys. Whatever dude.

When he asked me three days ago John Blackwell was cool with what I had to say. I know I shouldn't drop a name to get over on an argument, but sometimes you have no other choice.

I'm actually pretty close to your age so drop the attitude, and this I'm just a kid angle has gotten old. When this forum was set up a few years ago, it was just about the only place on the Internet where 13-17 year old drummers with a clue could come and share our thoughts, without a bunch of angry old guys bothering us. Over the years it has remained that way, and as time passed we've seen some tremendous progress from that crowd. So we've always kept the youth talk on as high a level as we could, although we've admitedly had our interesting moments.

As I'm starting to get older, I see the value in all that, and hope it continues. This forum certainly doesn't need the stereotypical self absorbed young guy pretending to be on an extension of the youtube comments section.

Sorry for giving you an attitude. Honest to God, I don't have an attitude in real life. The only reason I'm giving all the authority figures here a hard time is because I can't see their faces to know that they actually do have authority over me... if that makes any sense. I apologize.
 
I havent been posting on the forum for a good while lately... many things to keep me seriously bogged down at the moment... i had to crawl out of the woodwork for this one though...

Matt, I couldn't agree with you more. I arrived here mid 2005- at the age of 16. I was just starting on my little black PP kit and screwing my own hands up in the process. I had a teacher... and of that i'm glad... and i will hopefully get lessons again after my college course gets less stressful... Drummerworld may have some more mature members but damn hell, we need those guys who can explain what things are...

and by the way fellers (and ladies) thanks Drummerworld...!

But Joshisisi (huh), man... you've already mentioned you can't afford lessons. And that's a pity... however you have Mattsmith (one of the most highly regarded members on this forum) EXPLAINING EVERY LITTLE THING about your hand, and about what your doing, and about what goes down.

I'm not saying you have to turn around and kiss Matts ass, but dear christ- at least stop moaning back at him and others who are really just trying to help you.

Judging by your Youtube video your about (give or take) 15. You are too old to sit and give guff to people (very many of whom are in a similar age group to you - myself being 20 years old) who are trying to help you. If you don't like the atmosphere and general demeanor of the site and the members who've already given you pretty helpful answers, its time to move on. If you want any more help you'll get the same kind of 'lectures' (or what i might describe as helpful, spot-on and particular advice) off the same 'old' folk.

and to add my two cents to the whole question you asked-

you are playing wrong. If you are getting blisters, and your hand is hurting like that, your technique is wrong. You don't get carpal tunnel out of the blue- You get carpal tunnel from busting your hand, day in and day out, over a drumkit with the wrong grip.

I, not to sound like a complete re-hash of the others before me, would recommend you get your grip looked at by an authority in this area- e.g. a teacher, a drum shop worker (or for that matter maybe Mattsmith?)

now to get back to my zimmer frame and prune juice...

I've added your 2 cents. And I have apologized to everyone on here. I am truly sorry for giving them a hard time. I'm really not a punk kid in real life. I have respect for my elders, and I wish to start over with everyone on this forum.
 
I've added your 2 cents. And I have apologized to everyone on here. I am truly sorry for giving them a hard time. I'm really not a punk kid in real life. I have respect for my elders, and I wish to start over with everyone on this forum.

You don't need to start over buddy, just move forward. Do expect some more comments from people who don't read the entire thread and understand where you are at now. Just let it ride for a bit and it will be over.

Glad to see you're comming around Josh :)
 
You don't need to start over buddy, just move forward. Do expect some more comments from people who don't read the entire thread and understand where you are at now. Just, let it ride for a bit and it will be over.

Glad to see you're comming around Josh :)

My apologies "That Guy"

haha :)
 
Sorry for giving you an attitude. Honest to God, I don't have an attitude in real life. The only reason I'm giving all the authority figures here a hard time is because I can't see their faces to know that they actually do have authority over me... if that makes any sense. I apologize.

Dude I'm nobody's authority figure. I'm just another guy like you. As for seeing a face, yeah sure here you go. Click this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I8TqrnVCaQ

Also check out the pad and set videos on my youtube page at the bottom of this page. I play trad grip in very extreme circumstances as well, and I do it with no blisters. Just look at the videos.

As for starting over, sure no problem.
 
Dude I'm nobody's authority figure. I'm just another guy like you. As for seeing a face, yeah sure here you go. Click this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1I8TqrnVCaQ

Also check out the pad and set videos on my youtube page at the bottom of this page. I play trad grip in very extreme circumstances as well, and I do it with no blisters. Just look at the videos.

As for starting over, sure no problem.

That's great playing! :D
 
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