Hand Injury

[thomas newton]

I think what we are seeing here is behavior usually seen in a barnyard!

Barnyard is kind of appropriate with all the bull in this thread.

[LunarStandstill]

I think what we are seeing here is behavior usually seen in a barnyard!

And this comment is helpful to a board member exactly how again?

[CongaTick]

The PM function is for "private messages" and messaging. Use it!

[LunarStandstill]

Hi Debra,
I think you've received some good advice here.
Just wanted to say Hi and welcome, I think you've shown incredible courage and determination to strive to remain connected to music, despite injury to your hearing from chemo.

As for the question you asked, and some of the negative comments received – isn't this meant to be a welcoming forum /online community where people with a shared interest can feel free to introduce themselves and ask questions that are related to playing drums? I for one encourage you to ask questions no matter what your skills are in the healing arts.
Drum on.
Pavlo

Hi Pavlo,
Thanks for the warm welcome and understanding. The last few years trying to find my way musically has been so frustrating and I have given up so many times, but I am, first and foremost, a musician...and you know that we must heed the call.
I don't know what to think of these folks who have taken the low road with me and trying not to think about them much, quite honestly. Thankfully there are people here, like you, who have welcomed my inquiry and extended support.
In appreciation,
Debra

[LunarStandstill]

Debra,

Just coming back on piste, you can expect to get calluses on your thumb joints, just ain't no way to avoid them playing congas.
Welcome to the forum and remember 'No question is a dumb question'

Dice

Hi Dice...my hands are callusing up nicely on the fingers but not so much yet on the thumbs. Thanks for the warm welcome and reminder that no question is dumb. I look to all of you for tips, guidance, suggestions and experiences.
Thanks for your time,
Debra

[thomas newton]

I would avoid 'encouraging' the development of callouses if I were you. Have a look. http://www.mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=478&start=0&hilit=callouses

[burke]

Debra,

Just coming back on piste, you can expect to get calluses on your thumb joints, just ain't no way to avoid them playing congas.
Welcome to the forum and remember 'No question is a dumb question'

Dice

Sorry for the totally off topic question - but since you [Diceman] used the term "back on piste" I was wondering if you were a fencer? Never heard the term used outside fencing before.

Darrell

[jorge]

Debra,

Just coming back on piste, you can expect to get calluses on your thumb joints, just ain't no way to avoid them playing congas.

Dice

Dicemanb, I don't agree that all conga players should expect to get calluses on their thumb joints. Most of the good and great experienced conga players I know don't have any calluses on their thumbs, and some don't have calluses on their finger joints either. There are many ways to hit a conga without touching your thumb to the drum. Hitting your thumb on the skin does not add anything to the sound, except possibly for bass hits on a conga and slaps on a tambora playing merengue, where many players prefer to hit the slap with their thumb tucked under the palm. I don't play tambora but have seen enough good tambora players doing it. Hitting a bass on a conga some players hit their thumbs, but generally not hard and definitely not hard enough to give you calluses. Other than that, I don't see any value in hitting your thumb when playing congas, and there is definitely the downside of injury to the thumb joint. Since use of the thumb is one of the (maybe not so many) things that separate humans from other primates, avoiding thumb injury and preserving thumb function is a good thing.

Debra, once your acute injury is better, I strongly suggest you observe your hand motions while playing to see when and how you are hitting your thumb. Then practice tones, slaps, and bass without hitting your thumb on the skin or the rim. In particular, hitting your thumb on the metal rim can be especially painful and is completely unnecessary and has no upside. I don't think you have said where you live, but you may be able to find an experienced conga teacher in your area who can watch you play and help you develop a technique that will not injure your hands or your thumb. If not, you can probably find one in a more distant location you can get to once or a few times. You might even be able to video tape yourself playing and send it to a teacher who can give you pointers (or post it on this website for some of us to give you written feedback) and try to learn from that. Whatever you do, keep on drumming and stop hitting your thumb on the drum.

[LunarStandstill]

Debra,

Just coming back on piste, you can expect to get calluses on your thumb joints, just ain't no way to avoid them playing congas.

Dice

Dicemanb, I don't agree that all conga players should expect to get calluses on their thumb joints. Most of the good and great experienced conga players I know don't have any calluses on their thumbs, and some don't have calluses on their finger joints either. There are many ways to hit a conga without touching your thumb to the drum. Hitting your thumb on the skin does not add anything to the sound, except possibly for bass hits on a conga and slaps on a tambora playing merengue, where many players prefer to hit the slap with their thumb tucked under the palm. I don't play tambora but have seen enough good tambora players doing it. Hitting a bass on a conga some players hit their thumbs, but generally not hard and definitely not hard enough to give you calluses. Other than that, I don't see any value in hitting your thumb when playing congas, and there is definitely the downside of injury to the thumb joint. Since use of the thumb is one of the (maybe not so many) things that separate humans from other primates, avoiding thumb injury and preserving thumb function is a good thing.

Debra, once your acute injury is better, I strongly suggest you observe your hand motions while playing to see when and how you are hitting your thumb. Then practice tones, slaps, and bass without hitting your thumb on the skin or the rim. In particular, hitting your thumb on the metal rim can be especially painful and is completely unnecessary and has no upside. I don't think you have said where you live, but you may be able to find an experienced conga teacher in your area who can watch you play and help you develop a technique that will not injure your hands or your thumb. If not, you can probably find one in a more distant location you can get to once or a few times. You might even be able to video tape yourself playing and send it to a teacher who can give you pointers (or post it on this website for some of us to give you written feedback) and try to learn from that. Whatever you do, keep on drumming and stop hitting your thumb on the drum.

Hi Jorge,
My fingertips are deeply callused anyway from playing bass for many years, and I'm now noticing that the skin is thickening further down my fingers on both hands, though my left hand is further along than my right. The injury was to my right thumb, which is the digit I use to anchor my hand on the bass, so it never really saw much action except in that capacity. I did hit the rim, hard, and I knew better. My teacher does show me tecnique as well as style. He likes to play sitting while I prefer standing to play. Thanks for the suggestions. It may be a really good idea as I move forward to video now and again just to check technique. I play so often during the course of a day that I sometimes do so without warming up or being as cognizant of position than I should be. One thing I learned many years ago was to keep my instruments out in the open, always available to play and never in the case unless gigging, as this allows for practice in many short increments when a few minutes of time open up.
Thank you again for your time and suggestions Jorge.
Warm regards, Debra

[Anonimo]

POST REMOVED BY THE AUTHOR

[buckoh]

Debra, most of the good advice here comes from some folks more experienced than I. Having said that, I've played since 1973 and sort of have a bit of a bump on the bottom side of my right thumb. I try to consciously keep the thumb up but sometimes I just forget. I'm convinced that some people get callouses very easily and others never get them. I shook Mongo's hand back in the '80s and it was like a brick. Giovanni's are very soft, like mine. I work with my hands daily. Even when I played 4-5 nights a week mine never got much in the way of callouses. I sometimes tape my thumb joint, partly as a reminder and partly for padding.
All that having been said, I must say that I really respect you for your drive to play and learn. I had an experience in Portland Maine in 1976 that had a very strong affect on me; a young black man approached me during a break and using his uncle to interpret, asked if he could play my drums a little. His uncle explained that he was deaf from birth but could really feel the effect on the congas physically and wanted to try them out. Of course I let him. Even though he couldn't hear them I could see how much he felt them. I didn't see any problem with it. I hope that he pursued the drumming. I never saw him again and didn't offer lessons because I wasn't qualified. I learned something from him! Good luck, Buck

[roberthelpus]

Well, if were on hand shaking stories I shook Tata Guines hand back during the Batacumbele Thunder Drums tour and it was like shaking a baby's hand. Then there's a local African Djembe player. The only thing that I could think of was the tore up hands of some guys that delivered drywall to a site I was working on. That and those gargoyles that sit on top of some buildings.