The Steel Guitar Forum

Could be carpal tunnel related. Anytime you have problems with the thumb to middle finger, it points to carpal tunnel. If it is ring and pinky, it may be a nerve in your elbow. I have the elbow thing going on in my left hand, as I have lost the feeling in my ring and pinky. Once it happens, it usually cannot be fixed. That's why I switched from guitar and bass to pedal steel.

Jan, it might just be muscle tension. Your right hand should be pretty relaxed most of the time while you're playing. Tensing up could cause your problem.

Scott has a good point. I am facing real bad problems with my right hand/arm. My issue is loss of control of my middle finger. I will miss the string I am going after, it will just randomly fall back onto the strings. When I type, that finger will miss the key I am going after by as many as 3 keys away. Also, the tendon going to my thumb hurts like hell. I am waiting for my referral to a nuerologist to come through (been waiting 6 months now), but it looks like I am going to have to go through my 2nd carpal tunnel operation here shortly.

You might want to have it checked out.

I fit the finger picks index and second finger to where the top of the pick stops at the top of the cuticle and does not go up past the top of the cuticle.

I also found that most metal finger picks eventually made my cuticles sore and even got infected with the use of any metal finger pick other that the Pro Piks that I now use and sell on my site.

If your index and second finger experience the soreness and inflammation due to the picks, switch to Pro Piks and that will cease. Something about the construction or the type of metal used in the Pro Piks stops the soreness from developing.

I also feel that bending the picks closer, not real close but bending some helps your playing after you make this small adjustment.

Gary Sill
Sill Music Supply
www.sillmusicsupply.com
217 433 7455
email: sillmusicsupply@gmail.com

I fit the finger picks index and second finger to where the top of the pick stops at the top of the cuticle and does not go up past the top of the cuticle.

I also found that most metal finger picks eventually made my cuticles sore and even got infected with the use of any metal finger pick other that the Pro Piks that I now use and sell on my site.

If your index and second finger experience the soreness and inflammation due to the picks, switch to Pro Piks and that will cease. Something about the construction or the type of metal used in the Pro Piks stops the soreness from developing.

I also feel that bending the picks closer, not real close but bending some helps your playing after you make this small adjustment.

Gary Sill
Sill Music Supply
www.sillmusicsupply.com
217 433 7455
email: sillmusicsupply@gmail.com

Thanks guys.
I don't feel any pain however. My right hand is just like an eagle's talons, clawing. I have to straighten them after every session.
Even while I am typing here, my right hand is bunched up, like I am playing pedal steel.

I repeat, when I play chords my first finger is slower than before and does not play the note clean.
If I look down, I can see the finger does not go down as low as the middle one.
No problem with thumb and middle finger, I can alternate quite fast with them.

If this continues, I shall go see the doctor.
It is very disappointing, as I thought that my game will improve before I get too old, but now it has caught up with me.

I must admit I get gout in my toes sometimes, but this is something different.
Could this be some sort of arthritis?

One can get gout symptoms in other joints too.

Richard Sinkler wrote:Really, I think it's good to bring posts like this back up. It can be very beneficial to new players.

Absolutely! I found it very helpful.

Here is the photo I alluded to in a previous post of a very famous right hand:

Travis Toy gives an in depth tutorial on his training site for how to wear picks and exercises to help you.