Sore fingers

[PhilEdwards]

Background: I've never played the concertina but have decided that I want to learn, the EC specifically - and that I want to learn badly enough to buy an instrument to learn on. A friend has sold me a refurbished Lachenal tutor, which is a thing of great beauty. Now read on...

 

When I first got my concertina I couldn't put it down. Whether I was picking out tunes, playing (slowly) from the dots or working out chords, I had to play it every day.

 

Then, last Sunday, I spent some time practising a chord sequence to sing over; I'm not yet up to doing it live, but I did manage to record five minutes of a simple chord sequence which I could then record myself singing over. (You can hear the result here.) This took a lot of practice and a fair bit of trial and error; it was probably about an hour's playing all told.

 

Afterwards the tips of my forefingers were suffering - really suffering; the tip of my right forefinger was more or less numb for 24 hours, then painful when it came back to life. Five days later it's still tender. Is this a normal side-effect of repeatedly holding down hard, narrow keys, or can I avoid it happening - and if so, how?

 

It's been suggested that I may be pressing the keys down too hard, which opens another can of worms - I think I may be pressing down hard as a way of bracing the instrument, which would otherwise feel dangerously uncontrolled. I play with the lefthand end sitting on my knee. The thumb straps are loose, and I don't feel I can rely on them to stop it escaping - and my little fingers aren't strong enough to take the weight.

 

Any thoughts?

[Johanna]

It sounds like you need to tighten your thumbstraps. They should be snug enough that your thumbs can bear most of the weight of the instrument. Your little fingers should not be bearing all of it (or, ideally, any of it).

 

Make new holes in the thumbstraps if you have to. If that doesn't help, you can stick something (like a pencil or a roll of soft cloth) through the thumbstrap loops to take up part of the space.

[spindizzy]

It sounds like you need to tighten your thumbstraps. They should be snug enough that your thumbs can bear most of the weight of the instrument. Your little fingers should not be bearing all of it (or, ideally, any of it).

 

Make new holes in the thumbstraps if you have to. If that doesn't help, you can stick something (like a pencil or a roll of soft cloth) through the thumbstrap loops to take up part of the space.

 

A Lach. tutor model is fairly light but don't try to play standing up (yet). Even after playing for many years, I can only play for short periods with the entire weight of the concertina on my hands. A neck strap helps if you're going to this. Sit and rest the weight on your lap (opinions vary as to which end, but you can rest one end on your knee/leg/thigh and have the other moving freely.) I rest the left end on my left leg ... usually... pick something that you're comfortable with.

Sore little fingers and thumbs are very common when you're starting to play. I'm not sure about numb finger tips but I expect it's part of the process of getting some unused muscles toned up.

Looking at my hands now, I'm sure that both pinkies are curved in .... I'm sure they were straight 10 years ago!!!

Edited April 27, 2012 by spindizzy

[Johanna]

As for the numb fingertips: What you're describing sounds similar to the beginnings of guitar calluses. (Do you play a fretted instrument, and if so, is it like that?) If that's what it is, then it's probably nothing to be alarmed about, but no, it's not a normal side-effect of playing the concertina, at least not to the extent you're describing.

[PhilEdwards]

I haven't tried to play the guitar for many years, but yes, it is a similar kind of finger-soreness.

 

Thanks for the thumb strap suggestion. I've tightened them, and I think that is going to give me the extra bit of control that will enable me to have a lighter touch on the keys. I certainly notice the difference in terms of weight on my little fingers - the 'finger-rest' actually feels a bit like a rest.

[John Adey]

I haven't tried to play the guitar for many years, but yes, it is a similar kind of finger-soreness.

 

Thanks for the thumb strap suggestion. I've tightened them, and I think that is going to give me the extra bit of control that will enable me to have a lighter touch on the keys. I certainly notice the difference in terms of weight on my little fingers - the 'finger-rest' actually feels a bit like a rest.

 

Phil,

 

I suggest those thumb straps should be snug enough to prevent your thumbs going through beyond the first joint, so that the swell of that joint jams the strap tight and thereby secures the instrument.

You might also like to try with the bellows resting across you thigh - right or left leg, whichever suits - so that the none of the weight is taken by your hands. Some purists would frown on this, arguing that it causes wear on the bellows. I've no doubt it does add some wear to the bellows, but you can't concentrate on playing if you aren't comfortable and/or you feel you might drop the instrument. Rob Harbron holds his instrument this way, arguing that it also gives him the opportunity for more rhythmic bellows action.

 

 

Here he is:

 

 

And, as Rob said in a workshop I attended, it will take years for the bellows to wear and they can always be replaced; it's making music that counts.

 

good luck,

 

John

Edited April 28, 2012 by John Adey