Heartstrings, have you tried using a non-tilted belt hook pedestal? SE sent me one on request for my SG12, which I also wear less vertically than most. It straightened out my wrist enough to avoid problems.

Mad Monk.

That's a good idea, Monk. I don't look at the board much when I play, so maybe this would help. Thanks!

Monk, can you provide more details about that? I emailed Cambria about a belt hook with less angle, and here was her response from yesterday:

" In terms of the belt hook we only have the standard one available."

I used to have one. It is not really the belt hook, but the spacer that has the angle.

The non angled spacer was just an angled spacer, with the angled side sawed off parallel to the base. Looks like someone at SE had just bandsawed it off.

As long as the bolts are tight, the spacer should stay in place.

Lee

Powagoat, you should contact Emmett directly.
I forgot to mention that when I took the hook off of the SG, I found that it had been glued to the pedestal/spacer...luckily I had an extra hook lying around. You may have to get one of those at the same time, unless you are successful in separating the glued pieces somehow.

@heartstrings: There is still enough of an angle that you can see the board. The change in angle is at most 15 degrees, but it was enough to make a considerable difference in comfort, in my case.

Mad Monk.

Numbness, "pins-and-needles" and the hand 'falling asleep' are all fairly classic symptoms of Median Carpal Tunnel Syndrome... could be worth a visit to the quack to check that you don't have it - there's a fairly simple and definitive test he can do by tapping you in a particular place, I think they call it "Tinel's Sign" - don't want to be an alarmist, but if you have it then it's worth knowing that you have it - just a thought.

"The hammering action should come primarily from your fingers--not your wrists. If you get into the habit of using your wrists too much, your fingers may get stiff and you will never develop much speed. "

Stanley Jordan

Thanks Tetrachord,

Jordan gives good advice, if you're relying on primarily on finger motion to get the strings vibrating. The motion I'm talking about involves all the muscles in the arm, with only a little bit of finger motion, and almost no motion of the wrist.

Speed, for me comes, from this combined motion, which resembles motion at the elbow for a variety of instruments including strumming guitar, violin bowing, drumming, etc.

It makes it possible to play very rapid repeated notes, with all of the notes striking the same place (just behind the fret) for consistent tone, and makes position-shifting a very natural and fluid part of playing the instrument. In fact I don't play "in positions" hardly at all anymore. I play in keys instead, with the whole instrument as an easily accessible template.

I realize that I'm in the minority among tappers by relying so much on this technique. Most people seem to rely on finger motion almost exclusively. But the open hand concept really works for me, and my students who are using it also seem so to be making good progress, with a minimum of fatigue and discomfort.

For many years I practiced several hours a day, and played three-hour solo gigs several times a week. The demands on my time these days mean I don't get to do this very often anymore, but on those occasions when I teach a 6 or 7 hour seminar and then play a gig that night are still no cause for discomfort.

You should try it! videos soon...

Hi everyone,

I finally finished my first Stick technique video that deals with this subject, in the context of what makes the inverted 5ths tuning work so well for a multi-faceted tapping accompaniment.

I hope it demonstrates some of the things I've been trying to put into words over the years in an effective way.

Derek, your interest in having a clearer picture of the hand's orientation inspired some of my choices in camera placement. So I hope it's particularly revealing for you.

I'll be doing more of these on various subjects, so any feedback and comments you can provide will help me make them better going forward:




RSS: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TZi0qKzKCM

Greg, this is really great. However, I think it should have it's own thread. Please consider starting a new thread so that more people will see your post. A new thread will be searchable and with the correct post title, will get more attention.

Thanks,

-Eric