raw ring finger

[djbkxr]

Have any of you had a raw ring finger when you were first starting out with traditional grip? I'm noticing that the rubbing from the stick in between my middle and ring finger is causing a bit of friction burn. Any advice or stories would be appreciated [img]graemlins/smarty.gif[/img] .

[ed4644]

GRIP*, not frip

[ed4644]

dbx-

You might be experiencing friction in your ring finger due to the way you frip the stick. Also, what kind of sticks do you use?

keep plugging away

[Derek DeFields]

yeah, I'd say this is normal. Even if you're holding the stick lightly (strive for this) it's still a piece of wood rubbing your skin in a new place.

[FuseU1]

When gigging OTR, if i ever encountered this due to 3-4 sets a day for 12-21 days straight, I'd take a small piece of either black electrical or white first aid bandage tape & wrap it around the sore or raw area so that I could continue to play the gig.

Also, i kept a totable plastic bottle of vitamin E/aloe lotion to keep my hands from drying out & causing cracking or paper cuts due to rubbing, esp on those cold or dry outdoor night gigs. I would apply it b4 each set, esp after the washing of my hands.

Some of the big name-band pro touring guys have their sticks dipped/coated in this kind of gooey, semi-sticky substance, that allows for better grip w/out the chaffing/burning or w/out being TOO sticky...I can't think of its name, though, but it's great stuff...Randy? [img]wink.gif[/img]

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ August 18, 2004 12:03 AM: Message edited by: FuseU1 ]</font>

[likedachuch]

my hand actually bled. [img]rolleyes.gif[/img] kept pinching to the point where it bled. i take off the ring and put it in a key ring prior to playing. (my ring's platinum - pretty tough stuff) so even if i forget to put it back on after the gig, i know exactly where it is when i do remember (that's usually my wife asking me, why i don't have the ring on).

[peter c]

Perfectly natural. Of course, you could
switch to matched-grip but I don't think
you will, if you're here.

[img]wink.gif[/img]

You could try a coating of Nu-Skyn, if
your skin takes to it, without reaction.
Mine bled too. If you don't want to try
that, you can also try Band-Aid's Sport
Strip (Wide). I use these all the time
for my middle and index fingers. They
have a 'stick' to them and the rubber
is very cushiony; not to mention that
they STAY ON.

Good luck.

[img]cool.gif[/img]

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ August 18, 2004 06:01 PM: Message edited by: peter c ]</font>

[djbkxr]

I have been playing matched but I'm noticing that I have to pay too much attention to my left hand to get the sound I want out of it, and when going from snare to hihat with my left hand while using matched I noticed it doesn't feel as comfortable or sound as good as it does with traditional. I've been working on a thumbs up grip with my left hand for awhile to get the sensitivity but it just doesn't seem to be as efficient as traditional grip when it comes to ghost noting, doubles, and crossing. for me atleast!

.. the rawness seems to go away fairly fast. my ring finger and pinky are starting to tuck inwards to avoid the friction. I'm not sure if this is a good thing.

thanks for the replies

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ August 18, 2004 06:46 PM: Message edited by: dbx ]</font>

[Dazzler]

Just keep RELAXED and don't ever think of the word Grip! The fingers should be thought of as sleeves, they GUIDE and SUPPORT the stick but never grip it.

There should be no tension at any time, if there is, then somethigns wrong. Always accept the rebound and LET THE STICK DO THE WORK. Of course we need power sometimes and have to leather the drums but this can all be done without gripping or using unecessary tension... The way we get power without grabbing hold of the stick is to transfer the fulcrum point. In the case of the match grip, loosen the fulcrum point (which is between the pad of the thumb and the 1st crease of the index finger) and transfer if to the little finger and the one adjacent to it. By holding the sick from the back and freeing up the fulcrum, you can have all the power in the world WITHOUT the tension.

This principal can be transfered to the traditional grip too! by freeing up the fulcrum point (in the left hand) from the thumb and first finger to the back 2 fingers - the little finger and the one next door, you again are freeing up the problem area and relieving the tension.

Without wishing to repeat myself, the reason that so many players have problems with pain (see the other recent thread [img]wink.gif[/img] ) and discomfort is because they are gripping the stick and forcing it to work. This is not necessary and one should let the stick do the work. Our fingers are just there to support and guide it...

Think of the way you bounce a ball: Once it starts and you give it the initial push, the ball will want to naturally continue bouncing. Our hand is just continuing the motion the ball wants to do. It's the same for the stick. If we throw the stick at the drum, it will naturally want to rebound. Our fingers are simply there to encourage and guide it.

Just keep relaxed, loose and free at all times and never think that it is necessary to force or grip the stick in order to get it to do what you want. It will do it on it's own accord if you learn STICK CONTROL, accept the rebound and relax!!

[FuseU1]

Dazz's post is spot-on.
Pete's last post was better advice than electrical tape [img]wink.gif[/img] ...

OK, maybe this isnt going to be the wisest admission of advice, but I've used Super Glue at the gig on non-bleeding paper cuts [cuts that occur parallel within the lines of your fingerprints, or across, & that hurt like heck, enough to distract your playing] [img]redface.gif[/img] ...dab some on there, pinch the cut shut for a minute or so [w/oput gluing your pinching fingers to the cut finger!]...even dabbing another little dab over the dry, now-sealed cut to insure the "seal," & blow on it for a minute or so to dry...

I learned this quick-fix-trick from a drummer who toured & recorded with a former member of one of Maynard F's horn-section line-ups...dont know about the accumulation of the small amounts of glue that get into the cut...maybe that's what's wrong ith me... [img]wink.gif[/img]

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ August 18, 2004 08:26 PM: Message edited by: FuseU1 ]</font>