Hey All!

Here these last week, every time I pick up my guitar to play, my hand starts cramping after maybe 3 or 4 minutes, any of y'all have this problem or know what causes it and how to fix it? It's not like I'm playing anything really intense, I'm mostly just playin a few simple chords to get warmed up and my fretting hand starts aching,

Well, Have a great week!
Thanks!
Tessa♥

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"He who hates me hates my Father as well."
John 15:23

Talman Ibanez Inner City-Suizy Q
2002 American-Made Fender Telecaster-Vengence
Fender Hot Rod Deluxe III

Well, it could be any number of things. Hopefully, you're not experiencing tendonitis -- although there is certainly a risk of this if you play guitar on a regular basis.

Make sure you warm-up for at least five minutes or so before getting into the meat of your practice or playing session. I try to do simple fingering exercises starting near the *bottom* of the neck -- closer to the guitar's body -- so my fingers don't have to stretch as much right away.

Make sure to take frequent breaks -- I usually break for 2-5 minutes after 20 straight minutes of playing.

A couple of other things to watch for...do you practice standing up? If so, make sure your guitar isn't hanging too low from its strap. Otherwise, you may be playing with your wrist at too sharp of an angle (which can cause tension and pain).

How high is the action on your guitar? If you haven't done so already, your guitar might benefit for a good 'setup' to bring the strings closer to the fretboard (thus making them easier to press down upon).

If you keep experiencing pain, you might need to take a break from playing or see a doctor. Don't take chances with your health!

Good luck!

my hands cramp all the time. i blame it on hard work and old age. well, maybe just old age.

As most users of this forum know,I have an ongoing neuro-muscular condition with my hands which has wreaked havoc on my playing ability.I have recently discovered Voltaren emulsion with diclofenac diethylamine being the active ingredient.After 2 weeks of using it there is a marked improvement in my hands.My doctor prescribed wrist braces for me to wear at night and they are also a great help and can be bought at most drug stores over the counter.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Glad to hear you're finding some relief...My wife also uses those wrist braces at night for her carpel tunnel syndrome. She says they make a big difference!

Hi Tessa, do you have any videos of yourself playing? It could be a number of things, but without seeing you play it's really hard to take a guess.

I used to get hand cramps when I played 3-8 hours a day on a guitar set up with .12's. Usually the fast licks would be what got me. But then, if you're playing fast on a guitar set up like that for 3+ hours straight, of course your hand will cramp. I downsized my strings to .10's like regular human beings and unfortunately I can't practice for that amount of time anymore because of work and school. I also warm up now, so my hands haven't cramped up on me for a long time.

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