After 278 hours of Banjo - Do I Have Arthritis?!

The results of the X-Rays are back! Tune in to find out what they show! Also, some channel upgrades for your viewing pleasure.
My Instructor - Mike Leatherman
www.southbayba...

[@BanjoAddict]

another great video. Congrats on the not having arthritis. If I may give one small piece of advice. Once you learn a song well enough to play from memory i would recommend trying to learn backup to that song. Nothing extravagant, just a bottom 3 string pluck with some chord changes. The only reason i say this is I went through about my first five years just learning to play certain songs but never any backup and i feel it was my biggest mistake. Keep on picking!

[@2000HoursofBanjo]

I will absolutely do that. Thanks, Addict.

[@stvnnmnn]

That is terrific news! I didn't want to suggest anything, since I am a newb myself, but have you tried to not to put the top of your thumb behind the neck? Let the neck rest in the nook between your thumb and first finger. Use the big pad at the base of your thumb to push back against your fingers. That will work for everything but the A barre shape. Maybe all that tension in your thumb and first finger is causing the pain. That should put your arm in a more relaxed position. For the A shape, try not opposing your thumb at a 90 degree angle like you are doing and point the thump "up" the neck in the direction of the neck. Use your middle finger to assist by pushing down on the index finger when doing it this way.

[@2000HoursofBanjo]

I will give this a try. Thanks for the advice.

[@stvnnmnn]

​@@2000HoursofBanjo It is how I play. If I close my hand all the way on the neck, it looks like I am gripping a broom handle. The top of my thumb only gets involved for a little bit of support, which makes it use more of my gripping muscles and not my finger pinching muscles. When I press down, the pad of my thumb provides the opposing clamping power. My gripping strength is much greater than my finger pinching strength. I don't have a maple neck and this improves sliding up and down too. Using the top of the thumb makes that hard for me.