right hand cramp

[Chuck Hayes]

I had the day off of work and the house to myself, practiced about 6 hours, my right hand was cramping pretty bad..is this normal for a new steel player???

[Tucker Jackson]

I had the day off of work and the house to myself, practiced about 6 hours, my right hand was cramping pretty bad..is this normal for a new steel player???

Six hours?? Sounds like you're addicted. Like most of us here Yes, I would say that cramping would be normal if you're new to playing steel and doing it for that long in one day.

After you've played a while you'll be able to play for hours on end without cramping. You'll learn to hold the bar with a gentler touch -- and those previously under-used hand muscles will be built up.

[Donny Hinson]

Cramping can be due to physical condition, age, or an improper hand position. New players who start out with a "stressed" hand (sometimes called a "claw" or "flat hand" position) are more susceptible to this kind of problem, since the muscles are working even when the player is not actually picking.

[Jim Bob Sedgwick]

Try relaxing your hand between notes. It sound as if your hand is trying too hard. Very typical for new players.

[Joe Rouse]

I've had hand cramps and foot cramps for about 10 years and tried all the remedies I could find. The best for any type of cramp I have I take a table spoon if mustard and swallow it down and in 3-5 minutes no more cramp. You can find the small packets of mustard in a box of probably 200 at Sam's or Costco.
For the 2 months I have been eating a piece of cheese and a banana before going to bed and have not had a cramp since the third night of the bedtime diet. Some friends say to eat a Tums when you have a cramp..I haven't tried it . Mustard is cheap and works fast so you can get back to your obsession we all share....jr