[Black Sheep]

I was sitting with my teacher the other day and half way through the lesson he stopped and hung his left hand by his side and shook the life back into it. He explained that showing someone a chord hurts but playing is easier - you don't have to hold the one position for a long time - that's what hurts...

I was a little taken aback because I assumed pain was simply part of learning to play, yet here I see a guy who plays 5 hours a day for the last xx years (6 I know have been Flamenco) and there is still pain between the knuckles when he stretches for those chords that span 5 frets.

How do you long term players go? Does it still hurt? Is it just part of the deal like ballet and blisters?

And any tips on how to avoid it... training or exercises...?

[Payul]

Hi Black sheep,

Pain is bad.
If you still feel pain when you stopped playing is a serious warning.

Holding down a barre short for a long time gives mostly pain in the big muscles of the hand, that muscles are filling with milk acid ( hope that is the correct english word), that goes away when you stop pressuring the chord.

Pain in the knockels, upper hand, fore arm, be careful with that, that are more likely tendons, if you overdo that you can get tendonitis.

you can do some warm up exersises, or start slowly and easy tp play.
Do difficult things that you are studying not 20 times after each other, take brakes, or even better, look where the mistake/problem is, and try silent study. ( without the guitar, very effective)

But the main thing, Pain is bad, not good.

[Black Sheep]

You're almost right... Milk Acid is kind of correct. More correctly it is 'Lactic Acid'. Lactic Acid is found in milk and also in muscles during exercise. That is the stuff you are trying to remove when you 'warm down' afterwards.

Thanks for the tips.

[Payul]

Thanks for the english lesson!

[Black Sheep]

Payul... can you give me a Spanish lesson in return?

'Lo Bueno y Lo Malo' on Duquende's 'con Tomatito' album... It's on YouTube if you don't have the CD.

Can you give me a basic rundown of the meaning. I think I get it from the feeling of the track and roughly running the words through an on-line translator. But can you give me a better short translation.

I know it's really only a Flamenco song by association... I doesn't fit in to any palo I can figure.

Gracias. En anticipacion...

[Payul]

Hi Black sheep,

My Spanish is even worse than my english, I picked it only up trough my hollidays and stayings over there,but here is a try.
Maybe the spanish talking guys can fill it in better?
Nice song though!

I go through life thinking about the good and the bad
My mind is sad I feel a bit strange
My body run out my soul notices it
Of seeing lies out of other mouths around the world
The envious lunatic that brings the lie
The so false word that goes through my mind
It happens today

My time goes by and the years are tiring me
to see the lie that brings death
My time is in torture I don't know what is happening to me
Lies, words, everything is a farce
I have a moment of worldly desires
I would like to say what I feel in my soul
That life is going by, it happens today

And in me, and in me, and in me,
I carry a new world pulsing with my soul
The adventures that I have been able to live and in me, and that I lived
Ay, ay, ay, ay! I do not bear to hate this way anymore and in me
I go through life thinking that life is passing by, it happens today
etc

[federico]

I'm an old guy of 56 years old that has been playing FLamenco since I was 11 or 12 years old. I have learned that it is like they say: No Pain No Gain". I could not find a more truer saying. When you hold a chord a long time there is always pain. As you learn, you get pain in the hand, arm and even arms. THis is all part of learning. I have also spoken to several guitar playing doctors that have told me that the hands do not get damaged playing guitar. You can however damage them on the computer keyboard with Carpel Tunnel Syndrome. THe position of the left hand is very important as to the pain factor when playing the guitar. If you are having a lot of pain, perhaps the position of your hands could be improved?

I did not know anything about the milk acid. I found that to be interesting and will do some research. Thank You