Wrist Pain When Playing Standing Up?

[Jak Angelescu]

hey everyone! I got my ESP Horizon II back from the shop and since I had of guitars in the shop, I was only playing on my Gibson. I was practicing my scales standing up and OH... MY... GOD.
The frets feel HUGE, the neck feels thick, and my tiny hands feel overwhelmed now. When I play it standing up, my wrist hurts after only like a minute and I already have my guitar really high. The neck just feels monstrous.

Is this pain something you get use to or is this guitar just no longer the right type for me? I use to play on it all the time but never the type of stuff I'm practicing now.

 

[Rad Synner]

hey everyone! I got my ESP Horizon II back from the shop and since I had of guitars in the shop, I was only playing on my Gibson. I was practicing my scales standing up and OH... MY... GOD.
The frets feel HUGE, the neck feels thick, and my tiny hands feel overwhelmed now. When I play it standing up, my wrist hurts after only like a minute and I already have my guitar really high. The neck just feels monstrous.

Is this pain something you get use to or is this guitar just no longer the right type for me? I use to play on it all the time but never the type of stuff I'm practicing now.

I mean, I use to have this problem where i was always practicing sitting down. Then last june, I wanted to have fun and walk all around my house simulating like if i was playing live (Im so glad no footage exist of me doing that cuz I get quite excited) and I had the realization that I sucked. Couldnt be as fast as I wanted to.

So yeah you already know that its more difficult to play standing up! It was really annoying when I had to learn how to play standing up (Now I only practice that way) but I slowed down all my exercise and relearned them slowly while playing on my feet and I was back at my speed in no time! So to answer your worries, maybe you should just give it a bit of time to get used to it again. Or sometimes, its just not the right guitar for you at the moment but when you'll pick it up in a few weeks or so, its gonna feel perfect. But just go at it slowly first. Reduce to speed of everything you do and just relearn to play on it. its the best way to know if your guitar is still good for you. Of course also check you wrist placements so they are not in a weird position but from my recent experience, playing standing up will always require adjustments! Hope I helped!

 

[Firsty Lasty]

I've never had my hands on that kind of guitar so I don't have an opinion on it. I have had the experience of realizing after a long time that one of my favorite guitars (Ibanez fireman) just isn't a great fit for my hands, so that is a thing which can happen.

The human body doesn't "get used to" ergonomic pain, instead it accumulates problems. Potentially lifelong problems. You can improve relaxation, economy, and stability through practice but only if you go slow and don't hurt yourself. Wrist pain is not like muscular pain, like you might get from lifting weights; it's just bad.

 

[Forgetabull]

Without knowing which gibson you're playing, or looking up anubis's neck profile, the ESP Horizon II appears to be a "Thin U" type, maybe your thumb is sitting in a different position than it would on the others ?

 

[Jak Angelescu]

OMG YOU BOTH WERE SO HELPFUL. Like you have no idea!! Thank you both so much!! I'll give it a couple more weeks off solid, slower practice, maybe even a month.

And yes, you put it well that ergonomic pain is something the body doesn't get use to.

You both literally put my mind at ease. Thank you!

 

[Jak Angelescu]

Without knowing which gibson you're playing, or looking up anubis's neck profile, the ESP Horizon II appears to be a "Thin U" type, maybe your thumb is sitting in a different position than it would on the others ?

Most definitely with the thumb placement. Bonnie (my ESP) just feels like I'm gripping a wide paddle. But Anubis and my Gibson (Les Paul studio) feel great. I'll have to look up the necks of those two. Even my Schecter Demon 6 feels good. But wow.
Bonnie has jazz pickups that she came with. And playing chords on her feels amazing.
Bill has the Horizon II 7 string, and he plays like lightning on it. But his hands are also way bigger than mine

 

[Jak Angelescu]

Without knowing which gibson you're playing, or looking up anubis's neck profile, the ESP Horizon II appears to be a "Thin U" type, maybe your thumb is sitting in a different position than it would on the others ?

My schecter has a Thin C type neck. I'm not sure about Anubis. But they feel similar

 

[Rad Synner]

OMG YOU BOTH WERE SO HELPFUL. Like you have no idea!! Thank you both so much!! I'll give it a couple more weeks off solid, slower practice, maybe even a month.

And yes, you put it well that ergonomic pain is something the body doesn't get use to.

You both literally put my mind at ease. Thank you!

Let us know how it goes! Though I will say that if after one week, the pain still persists, then id try to figure out if the position or whatever it might be is wrong!

 

[Jak Angelescu]

Let us know how it goes! Though I will say that if after one week, the pain still persists, then id try to figure out if the position or whatever it might be is wrong!

OK good idea. I'll do that. Thanks so much man!

 

[Rad Synner]

OK good idea. I'll do that. Thanks so much man!

Anytime!

 

[idssdi]

First things first, I have a hyperflexible wrist(at least people freak out when they see how I can bend it). So I'm not sure how good my personal experience is for you.

I never really struggle from pain regardless if the guitar I'm playing. There are some guitars that are simply not comfortable from me due to neck shape and don't play nicely but have zero issues with regards to pain.

Pain is never something you should get used to. Generally, pain means something's wrong(unless when you're lifting weights in the gym, then it's just progress).

How did you play it before? Did you change your wrist position or something?

 

[Dominik Gräber]

Since a certain Somebody inspired me to Play Standing up I do jam and Play Songs Standing quite a Bit. While I do have Trouble reaching the Higher frets on the lower Strings (everything after the 12th fret IS a pain in the Butt) I don't have any wrist Problems while Standing. As already mentioned, you do have to get used to it though. Eventually you will find a Position that is easy and Natural to you.
And the difference between Gibson and say ESP necks is HUGE. I personally Love to Play Standing with my flying V cause the frets are so huge. Oddly enough big Stretches are still easier on the v than on my Schecter!

 

[Lucas Weiman]

@Jak Angelescu Where is the pain exactly? What type of notes/chords are you playing when you experience the pain? About 2 years ago I had sharp pains in my wrist when playing with my hand stretched out over the lower notes. So painful I couldn't play. It didn't go away with time off (over 2 weeks off.) I was very scared because I couldn't play things that I needed to every day. Long story short I read about things called "trigger points" which are buildups of lactic acid in muscles, specifically to me, me forearm. A couple massages, and implementing of new stretches, as if by magic, the pain suddenly vanished over about 3 days. The pain initially seemed to come out of nowhere, and I did not do anything to initially injure myself that would cause said pain. If this sounds at all like what you are experiencing, I will be more than happy to go into detail about what I did to solve the pain problem

 

[hypertensao]

The position of standing still is quite different of sitting down and it is most noticable on the way the left wrist holds the guitar.
Its important to do some basic stretches. Do not force it or it can do more harm than good. Also, in my opinion to start with the guitar a bit more up (picture Jon Lennon or Paul McCartney holding their guitars/bass in the 60's) and progressively dropping it to Slash levels.

Basic stretches by John Petrucci: