My right hand hurts.

I know. I thought of what I'd reply to that title too!

Anyway. Just in the past couple practices I've notice my right hand really starting to cramp up. I figure it's the one that hurts because it gets most use keeping time on the hat, ride, etc.

At first I thought it was just a complication of starting to play a lot and working muscles that don't normally get worked...

But I'm not entirely sure I'm holding the stick right or swinging it right either. I don't want to end up causing damage.

Can anybody suggest some things to look into, or practice methods to work this out?

Hope I don't sound like a pansy with this, but I figure better safe than sorry.

Jojo Mayer.

...Was in a really cool/moderately annoying youtube video I saw a while ago....

and created a technique bible two years ago. Highly recommended.

I was gonna reccomend that as well. Check out some other videos by Derrick Pop...he's got some really nice hand and finger action exercises to try and utilize...very effective!

here's one of many

[YOUTUBE]A-4s2yN6PIE[/YOUTUBE]

Not by me. Of all the ways to play solid straight ride, JoJo's is like last. Who's that girl used to play with Lenny Kravitz? mMMuch better example. And proof that pro drumming is not for the unprepared.

Here's a good look at it. It's mostly arm, you basically shake the stick in rhythm. What could be simpler?

[YOUTUBE]RuNEHbvC-Ew[/YOUTUBE]

i'm no pro, but i can't see that ^^ doing anything but harm. but, just my opinion. looks pretty stiff, wrist-wise.

grem, just stay loose. concentrate on staying loose. think about shorter stick movements. think about hitting the drums/cymbals in the sweet spots to get the volume you need. most of all, when you feel yourself cramping up, loosen your grip and back off.

Like I said, preparation. Looks stiff but it uses the big muscles and joints instead of those teeny tiny leel knuckles. The force starts at your elbow and flows out the tip of the stick without loading up on your index finger per the "correct" way. It's also a lot steadier, both dynamically and metrically because of the big motion. If you look closely or better yet, try it your self, the hand can be fairly loose as long as you have a firm grasp on the stick.

I'm learning to play traditional grip right now. I'm right handed, and the fundamental technique (as described by Jojo, Derrick Pope and others) is easily attainable with my right hand. I use my right hand in traditional as a model to learn to play correctly with my left. My right playing traditional is fluid and loose. My left on the other hand, is tight and jerky. As a result, I tense when my hand fatigues, and it causes soreness all over my arm. Don't push to hard, and most importantly, relax!

Dude, you just did an 8 hour session, your muscles are tired...you need rest my friend.

Dude, you just did an 8 hour session, your muscles are tired...you need rest my friend.

You took the words right out of my mouth.

Your hands are telling you... you're not quite ready for that length of practice, but you're in the process.

My right hand was locking up on me a while back. Turns out I was holding the stick WAY too tight. I learned you have to hold the stick so all of your fingers stay on when you strike.

Grem, it's kinda hard to make suggestions without really seeing how you hold the sticks or how you play. There may be only minor corrections needed, intead of suggesting a whole new way of playing.

Having said that, and going "blind" into this....

Assuming you play match grip, I would make sure a space is between your thumb and first finger. If this gap is closed, it's like flexing your forearm the whole time you are playing...you don't want to do that. You will get fatiqued faster.

Actually make sure you are holding both sticks the same way. Indentical.. I play traditional grip now but when I used to play matched, I thought both my hands were identical, but they weren't at all. I was wondering "I don't have problems with my left, why is my right acting up??" I made corrections and made sure the grip was the same in both hands.

If you don't use the Moeller technique, I would research it and learn it. It litterally changed everything in my hands and "swing"...how I prepelled the stick. I can write a book on it here...but it would take way too long to explain every little nuance with it. It will save your hands. If your right hand is getting tired, the Moelller technique will help you maximize motion and get more strokes with less fatigue.

Rebound. Use rebound instead of "aiming for the floor". There is so much stress on your hands when you are wailing on your drums. You actually become slower and definitely more tired. Another thing is, you get less sound out your drums the harder you hit them. Think of it this way, instead of you hitting the drum and then you lifting the stick off the drum....think of 50/50. You hitting the drum and then letting the rebound bring the stick back up. Less work. I can vouch for the power using rebound...drums are {censored}ing loud...you really don't need to play them like you want to kill them. I get complaints that I'm too loud. I never put dents in my drumheads, I play traditonal grip for rock music, I don't use any muffling on my toms, I play thin-weight cybmals...so why am I so {censored}ing loud? You can "draw" so much more sound out of an un-muffled drum by using rebound....same with cymbals. I digress...but try to use more rebound.

1001 is right...you have to utilize your big muscles. For slower playing, and back beats The motion comes from your shoulder to your elbow to your wrist.....you don't need to use your fingers for that stuff. The twitch muscles are used for faster playing...like rolls.....big muscles can't propell the kind of speed the smaller ones can. If you are using fingers to prepell say your backbeat.....then you are going to get tired a lot faster and might even do damage. Your fingers can't generate "torque" and power. {censored}, Mike Mangini would even argue that you don't have to use your fingers at all to generate massive speed...he says it comes from the big muscles in your back to his shoulders to his elbow to his wrist. He doesn't use fingers at all for all his speed-records....even tho it looks like it. I am not that far into his whole thing....but it interesting and worth looking into perhaps...

How this helps a little, at least some thing to think about.

I have the same problem Grem. Always in the first set and the pain is between my right index finger and thumb. I started hitting much harder during my warm ups on the practice putty and then stretching my thumb back and that helped a little. I don't grip my sticks tightly at all either. Sucks.

Edit to say that after the first set I'm fine and can play all night.

Also, be aware of other activities in your day to day routine that could be contributing factors.

Old injuries are also a pain in the... er... hand. In my college rugby days, i pulled the tendon on the second knuckle of both thumbs. if i drum too much with even a slightly tight grip, it flares up every time. Spending most of my practice time on horrible Yamaha rubber pads probably does not help this.

and never played any enjoyable music so far, and he is already over 40

lots of good and mixed stuff up there, I'll add hydration.

Hydration is more important than most folk think, I mean come on we're made of the stuff.

Stretch, Relax, Hydrate.

What he was doing with Prohibited Beatz was not only innovative but plenty "enjoyable".

So youtube some more you goofy {censored}. Buy his DVD instead of using the cash on dumb {censored} like drumhead decals.

[YOUTUBE]RfibLdZmMng[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]V3RoaedFu8U[/YOUTUBE]

That's just a tiny taste of what this film covers.

Thanks a lot guys. You've given me a lot to work with.

I really should get a practice pad and start youtubing {censored} more often.

Cindy Blackmon. She is teh sexay!!!!

[YOUTUBE]JdD3Bqr8e78[/YOUTUBE]

sorry just had to post something from this...so so drummer..