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Hula Rider
Lokahi
USA
215 Posts |
 Posted - 02/12/2008 : 6:03:19 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Momi
Leilehua, I think most people just assume motorcycle riders are reckless. I remember hearing that trial lawyers will not seat other motorcycle riders on juries in cases involving motorcycle accidents, because even other motorcycle riders think motorcycle riders are reckless! (I work at a law firm.)
In an effort to bring myself back to the topic, I find the most wear and tear on me is on my fingernails. I strum as much as I fingerpick my `ukulele, and during one mammoth kanikapila last year in Yakima (about 10 hours, but that included kaukau breaks), I wore the same spots on my fingernails down so much that they were brittle for about 6 months until my nails grew out. Luckily, I get fingernails from my dad's side of the family, and our nails are as hard as our heads. My shoulders and forearms also ached.
I've seen Jake Shimabukuro rotate his arms between numbers, like Ichiro winding up to take a pitch at the plate.
A friend of ours who does lomilomi has warned me to massage certain spots on my arms and shoulders after playing to avoid soreness, which will only increase otherwise as I get older.
Mahalo for that background. It's such a sad stereotype. Most of the riders I know, myself included, are commuters who ride to save money. We are environmentally concious, and do not see the sense in hauling hundreds of pounds of sheetmetal about to transport one person to go to work or buy a carton of milk. Motorcycles save space, save fuel, cause less wear and tear on the public roads. Yet we are treated as though we are public enemy #1. How many motorcyclists have run other people off the road and killed them? How many people driving four-wheeled vehicles have done so?
Regarding fingernails, yes, they do take a horrendous beating! I wear artifical nails to play guitar, as my own can only take about a half hour before they have worn through!
Malama pono,
Leilehua |
Edited by - Hula Rider on 02/12/2008 6:22:15 PM |
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Hula Rider
Lokahi
USA
215 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2008 : 6:19:39 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by noeau
Well I might as well chime in too. Leilehua, howzit? was nice meeting you in Hilo. I did'ntknow you was injured. I enjoyed your program. The video said 5 mea no'eau but you only showed one. my wahine and keikamahine left asking who d oddah foa guys? But no matter I went to meet you and I did. Have fun planting!
Interesting to know that others have a hard time holding the barre. I do too so kiho'alu is good cause can use half barre and stuff like that. but to change keys readily I use standard tuning. So sometimes I still have to barre. I met Sonny Lim and he can play many keys and stay in tuning. For him it doesn't matter if he is in Taro patch G or Bb or what ever. He just plays. He must have strong hands since he plays for pleasure at home after a gig. If there is someone to emulate it would be Sonny. I don't have any tricks to offer to protect the hands and stuff but the idea of good position and technique cannot be over stressed. I wonder how rock guys do it when they hang there guitars 6 inches below there belt line. their wrists are like 90 degrees most of the time.
E aloha no!
The video says FIVE!?!?!?!?! Which video was that? I'll have to have them play it for me and find out the answer to that mystery. I can't see or hear the video from backstage, and we rotate through about six different videos, generally playing a different one each week.
I'm glad you could not tell I had injured myself. But that is why the story-telling in the first half of the show went long, and I didn't play any music in the last half. Mahalo so much for coming!
It's a fun little show to do. Each week is different. Different stories, different hula, different music. We try to follow the Hawaiian calendar. Some weeks we have guests. We've had kupuna tell small-kid-time stories, and musicians ranging from Keoki Kahumoku to Aunty Diana Aki join me on-stage. Such a blessing to get to sit at the feet of such wonderful people!
I had wanted to have you folks up to the house for lunch that day, but we had a video shoot right after the show and I had to dig out for that. So I owe you a pipi kaula stir-fry!
Yes, Sonny is simply amazing! He is quite the virtuoso on strings.
A hui hou!
Leilehua |
Edited by - Hula Rider on 02/12/2008 6:20:18 PM |
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noeau
Ha`aha`a
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 02/12/2008 : 10:19:55 PM
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| Shoot. I may be back in May for my daughter's graduation from UH-Hilo. If the dys work out right I'll collect that stir ffry. Sounds so ono. You make your own? |
No'eau, eia au he mea pa'ani wale nō. |
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thumbstruck
Ahonui
USA
2165 Posts |
Posted - 02/13/2008 : 04:45:38 AM
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As a window washer- guitar picker, I,m in line for carpal tunnel. I went to my chiropractor and he's been adjusting my wrists for about 13 years. I've gone in with no grip whatsoever and came out just fine. He said that adjustment can relive the pressure. Noeau and Slipry1 both have seen my left index finger lock. More adjustment. I found that a wrist sweatband worn just below the elbow helps.
Potassium in the diet is good also. More spuds! |
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Hula Rider
Lokahi
USA
215 Posts |
Posted - 02/13/2008 : 07:21:01 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by noeau
Shoot. I may be back in May for my daughter's graduation from UH-Hilo. If the dys work out right I'll collect that stir ffry. Sounds so ono. You make your own?
Once we re-build the old smoker we can do that, but for now my Dad takes pity on us and gives us pipikaula when he makes, or else we get from Keoki. But my Dad DID give me his "secret sauce" recipe! So when the smoker is ready, we'll be good to go! |
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Larry Goldstein
Lokahi
267 Posts |
Posted - 02/13/2008 : 10:00:53 AM
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quote:
I think most people just assume motorcycle riders are reckless.
I ride a 150 cc motor scooter, and my friends just think I'm nuts.
On nails, consider Sally Hanson's "Hard As Nails." Works great.
Larry |
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hapakid
Luna Ho`omalu
USA
1533 Posts |
Posted - 02/13/2008 : 12:52:00 PM
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I love my 150 Honda scooter. It's a rush riding any kind of scooter or motorcycle. It heightens the senses and clears your mind, mainly because you ride in permanent fear of an inattentive driver turning you into an organ donor.
Jesse |
Edited by - hapakid on 02/13/2008 12:52:18 PM |
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noeau
Ha`aha`a
USA
1105 Posts |
Posted - 02/13/2008 : 1:18:28 PM
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| You use a smoker. Cool, I used to sun dry mine but up here is too cloudy and might rain a little most days during winter time. |
No'eau, eia au he mea pa'ani wale nō. |
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wcerto
Ahonui
USA
5052 Posts |
Posted - 02/14/2008 : 05:30:23 AM
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| Paul used to make venison jerky in the oven. Now it is low salt time, I think those days are pau. However, I like pipi kaula better than jerky on account of it is not as dried up and hard as jerky. And it is very good with poi. Ono! |
Me ke aloha
Malama pono,
Wanda |
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rendesvous1840
Ha`aha`a
USA
1055 Posts |
Posted - 02/14/2008 : 4:04:51 PM
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For the record, the hand that had the carpal tunnel repaired now has a bad case of arthritis interfering with my playing. I suppose it could be from the 4 or 5 hours per week of music, but I doubt it. The 8 hours a day of riveting busses together for several years is much more likely. You simply hold a 2 lb piece of steel on the shank of the rivet with one hand, and a pneumatic hammer on the head of the rivet with the other hand. When the steel piece has made a head on the shank of the rivet, you're hand is done. Repeat for ten or twelve years.Mix with bouts of drilling all the holes for the rivets to go in. Now the moving parts of the left hand are shot. Glad they started buying welded and glued busses instead of riveted ones.
The only physical toll I'm likely to see from music is starve -to-death-syndrome. |
"A master banjo player isn't the person who can pick the most notes.It's the person who can touch the most hearts." Patrick Costello |
Edited by - rendesvous1840 on 02/14/2008 4:06:49 PM |
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Doug Fitch
Akahai
USA
80 Posts |
Posted - 07/17/2008 : 1:00:36 PM
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Hi Fellow Slackers,
My right wrist (I play right handed) has been broken, badly sprained, and severely dislocated on 3 separate occasions. In addition, I have very Gumby-like qualities to my musculature. Needless to say, that right wrist goes out of joint all the darn time. This happens when shaking hands, playing guitar (even with good technique), driving, and other normal living activities. Its just scrambled.
Yesterday, I saw an occupational therapist and hand specialist. She said the two options are surgery (no thanks) or continue to brace it. Even strenghtenin it won't help stabilize it she said.
If any of you have the tendency like I do to have your metacarpal bones and wrist bones float out of place like I do, I recommend the "Wrist widget" http://www.wristwidget.com/. This was designed by another friend of mine, also a hand occupational therapy specialst. When used correctly, even my pathetic wrist/hand stays together.
Hope that helps. Doug |
Doug Fitch
fitchdoug @ yahoo.com
www.dougfitchmusic.com
http://youtube.com/user/dougfitchmusic |
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Doug Fitch
Akahai
USA
80 Posts |
Posted - 08/10/2008 : 6:42:20 PM
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Aloha fellow fingerpickers. As you can read from my testimonial on the link below,
http://www.wristwidget.com/testimonials.html
I've found the "wristwidget" to give me really great relief from not one but 3 significant injuries to my right picking hand/wrist. The injuries were not caused by playing but the wristwidget really helps keep my wrist bones in place given that the cartilage is probably all tore up in there. Inventor, Wendy Howard, has also treated some other professional athletes successfully. This is a boon to guitarists. I won't gig without it.
Malama kou kino(especially your hands!)-Doug |
Doug Fitch
fitchdoug @ yahoo.com
www.dougfitchmusic.com
http://youtube.com/user/dougfitchmusic |
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Tonya
Lokahi
USA
177 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2008 : 12:24:16 PM
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| As a non-professional ukulele player who *loves* the instrument, I don't play as much as most of you folks. But I speak from experience that even us "casual" players can hurt ourselves. Last month, at a four-day ukulele event, I worked so intensely (and wrongly, from a healthy ergonomics point of view) on barring that I dislocated my left thumb. Now that's taking my playing too seriously. There was no single "moment" of being aware of having done it, the pain just increased throughout the last day. I really didn't realize what I'd done until, after three weeks of trying to heal it (and no ukulele playing), I accidentally "popped" it back into place--and suddenly, the pain was almost completely gone. My lesson: Don't be stupid about proper ergonomics, even if you're not a pro, and don't be so darned intense--jus' press! |
http://www.uketreasures.com
http://www.ukuleletonya.com |
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marzullo
`Olu`olu
USA
923 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2008 : 12:37:16 PM
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wow! these are interesting devices and stories...
about 12 years ago when i taught myself to finger pick, i gave myself a whomping case of tennis elbow in my right (picking) arm. it was bad - i had to put the guitar down for six months and let the inflammation go down. i think it was because i had gotten into the terrible habit of picking while tensing my arm muscles. i have no idea why i was doing that.
tonya, dislocating your thumb from improper barring - i think we're siblings separated at birth.
aloha,
keith
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Doug Fitch
Akahai
USA
80 Posts |
Posted - 08/11/2008 : 5:03:35 PM
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Despite the benefit I've experienced from the Wristwidget (I had 3 significant traumas to wrist), I'm gonna visit a hand surgeon in 2 days. If he thinks he can wire that sucker back together well, I'll probably go for it after all. Maybe he'll put it in a permanent shaka sign!
Doug |
Doug Fitch
fitchdoug @ yahoo.com
www.dougfitchmusic.com
http://youtube.com/user/dougfitchmusic |
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