seen ya axe now show us your hands lol!

[Djembe-nerd]

mine 1st surfaced when I was about 32-ish... wrist problems from poor technique on various kinds of hand drums, fwiw.)

e2c

I am seeing this too. specially on my left wrist. It doesn;t pain but gives a sudden pinch when lifting something in a particualar way. It is good when I play, and the second day, then if i don;t drum the 3rd day, or the next ones, then I see this. Is this the muscles just getting used or something else.

[e2c]

it would probably be a good idea for you to do some stretches before and after you play.... i have to, and have for a number of years now. (also helps with being able to play a bit more relaxed.)

this guy has some great ones: http://www.innovativepercussion.com/pag ... rmance.pdf

[Djembe-nerd]

Yes, I do these but not very consistently. I will make it a habit.

Thanks

[e2c]

glad to be of help!

I'm not always consistent about stretching, either, even though I know what the outcome will be. Silly, really!

[michi]

Taylor did some useful stretches for his "Remembering How To Drum" DVD too. Useful stuff!

Cheers,

Michi.

[michi]

I took this shot after my first two or three weeks in Mali two years ago. At the end of the two-month trip, there was a lot more callous than that (but the splits had healed). That was probably the worst my hands have ever been. The callous was so thick that I could no longer completely close my fingers into a fist, and every time I'd pick up a glass or some such, I'd make this "tink" sound. For the first week or so after I came back, every time I shook hands with someone, they'd sort of jump back...

Mali hands

Mali download 2 129.jpg (450.85 KiB) Viewed 107 times

Now things are nowhere near as bad. Sort of in steady state, and it's the humid time of the year, so my hands hold up fine, even without a lot of care. (It's a different story in winter, when it's dry. If I don't apply shea butter regularly, I end up with a royal mess in no time at all--callous hard as glass, and splits within a few minutes of starting to play...)

I pity those guys living in Melbourne--every time I go there, I end up ruining my hands, especially in winter. I'd hate to be djembefola in Wyoming or Colorado...

Cheers,

Michi.

[Djembe-nerd]

Its interesting to see your hands Michi. You have fatter (thicker) fingers than me. Mine are very thin, and I haven't played as long as you guys ave done in a strech, so I don;t know what wil happen when I go to a camp. right now I have no callaouses and I apply shea butter after playing regularly.

So, theotically you have more shock absorbers than me I get the strikes more directly to the bones than you. what happens when there is less fleah between the fingers and bones/joints when you play djembe ?

[michi]

So, theotically you have more shock absorbers than me I get the strikes more directly to the bones than you. what happens when there is less fleah between the fingers and bones/joints when you play djembe ?

I don't think you should let slender fingers stop you. I know quite a few men with small and narrow hands who play brilliantly (Tuza and Mamady, for starters.) And I know lots of women who play brilliantly too, despite their gracile hands. I'd say go and play and don't worry about your hands!

Cheers,

Michi.

[Djembe-nerd]

Oh ! I don't hold back at all. Just put the point as a question.

But I think I generally do play less than the people here (4-7 hours a week), and only twice played for 4-5 hours in a session. And my teacher told me that there are many people who will not get callouses at all.

[ubba]

I have bony fingers, very slender and always wondered if I'd be hurting the bones with no meat on dem der fingers of mine. It was a thought that I'd eventually grow big callous' that would protect my bones but to date nothing, my hands and fingers are soft as ever. I play on average 1 hour daily or more with 2 classes weekly lasting 2 hours each and we play hard. The only thing I can think of that I do daily for my hands is coconut oil and shea butter every night, making sure not to play the drum until all the oil has soaked in. I'm happy to hear that others have never developed some of the huge caloused hands I've seen on others, I thought this was to be a rite of passage, LOL.