stiff right hand

[planktonguy]

Greetings,

Been playing for a while, but just started taking lessons. I really flying away on double stops, but it is made almost painful (at least to the ear!) due to my stiff right hand. Any tips on how one can looses this? I thought about just walking around shaking the daylights out of it, but realize the attention this may draw...

Cheers,

[Bluegrasstjej]

Do you mean it's stiff when you play or afterwards?

[planktonguy]

Ah, good point. While I play. I feel it lacks the "looseness" needed to play smooth, brushy-sounding double stops.

[Bluegrasstjej]

Can you try to concentrate on relaxing the right hand? I have that problem too and if I just try to think of it while playing, and try to relax the hand, it sounds much better. After a while you will probably relax without thinking.

[John Flynn]

Try the stretches on musicianshealth.com. They have worked wonders for me. I can't vouch for anything else on the site one way or another, but the stretches are great.

[planktonguy]

I will try both methods,

Thanks for the replies
Brady

[doublestop]

I've got a stiff right hand too. I've worked on it, but to no avail. I have seen several pros that also have the stiff right hand. Look at Ricky Skaggs....all his movement is from the elbow. Andrew Collins also plays with a stiff right hand. Neither one is too bad on the mando (LOL), but I feel it slows me down. Anyone else notice pros with stiff right hand technique?

[Givensman]

Ever watch the old man's hand when he played?

[Tbone]

From what I can tell, the ol man was loose as a spruce goose in a noose. I've been fighting a stiff RH for a while now too. I've been doing the John Moore picking exercises from comando, which have helped. Once I get to a certain tempo, it just locks up, it feels like. Just gotta concentrate on staying loose, I guess.

[Brian Ray]

I just recently moved and have had to change my practicing habits in my new place (poor neighbor). After a week I was amazed at how much better my right had felt. Trem is smoother than ever!

1. (obvious but here for completeness) Hold that pick LOOSE!
2. Try practicing REALLY quiet. I mean quiet; Feathery; Soft; SHHH! As if you were playing in a room with a sleeping crotchety spouse. I have thin walls in my apartment and this is a necessity in the wee hours. As it turns out, it really helped my right hand technique... go figure.
3. Work on trem PAINFULLY slow (and again, quietly)

Your milage may vary...