Wedding Ring weighing you down?

[Maggiemando]

Not trying to stir up any trouble 😏, just an honest question.....I was practicing today and having trouble with some stretches when it occurred to me that perhaps my wedding ring was too tight and interfering with the flexibility of the fingers on my fretting hand. I never remove it, so had never really given it any consideration. I have a wide, heavy band which gets a little snug at times. Just curious, do others remove rings when playing for that reason?

[Bertram Henze]

That's why my wedding ring is on the pickiņg hand.

[Beanzy]

I never got one when we married as I hate the feeling of watches or rings on my wrists, hands etc. I gave up watches when I started cello as it was just a nuisance on the wrist.

[bratsche]

Mine is wide and kind of tight, but it would be more of a nuisance to take it off in order to play. I kind of forgot it was there until you mentioned it, so I guess I'm used to it (after almost 30 years, I should be!) But I know a lot of other people who wear theirs on the right hand for that reason, though.

bratsche

[Maggiemando]

Thanks for sharing...for those of us who struggle with finding the slightest nuance to enhance playing, it was just something that occurred to me today. I agree that for me it is not something I want to struggle with removing each time I play. I was just surprised that it did make a difference. I might just consider getting it enlarged so that it isn't so tight.

[DavidKOS]

I never can wear my wedding ring when I play guitar, bass or mandolin. It just feels awkward.

[Phil Goodson]

No problem for me with mando or guitar, but on upright bass, the ring always clicks against the fingerboard when I damp the strings.

[woodwizard]

Will be married to my wonderful wife Yuko for 30 years this Sept. I lost my wedding ring within the first 2 or 3 years water skiing and she lost hers I think down the drain several years later. I'm lucky that my wife does not like jewlery or flowers for gifts but she makes it up by liking the best kayaks, paddles, vests, backpacks, downbags, road bikes and anything that's expensive you do outdoors We've always talked about... "Hey we need to get us some rings" then something like a new kayak helmet or bike or something comes up and we pass So I'm not much help for you. All I can say ... it feels good playing without a ring

[MikeEdgerton]

I don't recall it being a problem. Mine had to be cut off my hand before shoulder surgery a few years ago and I haven't yet had it repaired.

[BJ O'Day]

I'm afraid of my wife, er, I mean, I'm afraid to take off my ring.
BJ

[Randi Gormley]

ha! I'm the opposite. I usually put something sparkly on my hand when I play out to catch the light. Of course, my wedding band isn't particularly tight except in the summer (or I need to lose a few pounds) and my-husband-the-guitar-player doesn't seem to have a problem with his band these days ... I remember him taking the band off and putting it on his right hand to play guitar when we were first married but now he just keeps it on. If it really is binding you, though, I'd suggest getting it made a trifle larger.

[John MacPhee]

Just stay single!
John

[k0k0peli]

No problem with the slim gold band on my left (fretting) hand although fingernails can get in the way. And I'll sometimes wear big obvious rings on my right (picking) hand with no ill effects.

[Bernie Daniel]

Thanks for sharing...for those of us who struggle with finding the slightest nuance to enhance playing, it was just something that occurred to me today. I agree that for me it is not something I want to struggle with removing each time I play. I was just surprised that it did make a difference. I might just consider getting it enlarged so that it isn't so tight.

Good thought. My wedding band is normally tight and often gets very tight (like soap and water to remove) when I have more hydration for whatever reason. Never thought of that before but you could have a valid point.

[EdHanrahan]

... within the first 2 or 3 years water skiing ...

Yep, kayaking the Grand Canyon!

These days, mine is fairly wide and tight (need soap to get it off!) but doesn't hinder the playing, that I've noticed. Maybe others have noticed?

[Tobin]

I always take my rings off (wedding ring and university class ring) before playing. They usually go in my pocket or sit next to my phone and keys while I play. I roll up the sleeves on my shirt too, and if I wore a watch or other wrist jewelry, I'd take them off as well. I just like to have my hands and forearms unencumbered.

[John Ritchhart]

What Tobin said. Ditto.

[spufman]

The band itself is maybe doing me no favors when I play, but the accompanying love certainly does! It's more of a problem when playing bass - certain aggressive string stopping movements have me banging it on the board. I hate when that happens.

[Gary Leonard]

It comes off when I play. Haven't lost it *yet*

[Ivan Kelsall]

I've been wearing a ring on my left 'ring finger' since at age 21,when i was given my Grandfather's diamond signet ring to wear. It had been left to me for that 'special birthday'. Don't worry,it didn't have any mega-buck value,we were never a mega-buck family.I was already playing banjo & as it had a slim band,it never bothered me. So when i came to get married,wearing a wedding ring was no problem & i don't even notice it. Possibly i would if i removed it,especially having been reminded of doing so by my wife,
Ivan

[David L]

I usually take mine off when I play Dobro, leave it on for everything else.

[sblock]

I would not DARE take mine off. The consequences would be too dire. I shudder just to contemplate them, in fact...

[kkmm]

The wedding ring does not bother my playing, but the person that gave me that ring does bug me when I play (sometimes).
I heard that married people got 3 rings: engagement ring, wedding ring and ... 'suffer"ring

[allenhopkins]

When Joan and I married in 1969, I picked out a fairly thick, heavy wedding band. After playing a few years, I found it really handicapped me in moving my fretting hand around, and it felt like a weighty encumbrance on the ring finger. So I went without wearing a wedding ring for probably 25 years.

Then I started to miss having the symbol on my finger, so I went to a local jeweler and got the thinnest gold band in their stock. I keep the original, engraved ring in my jewelry box, and find the "replacement" ring doesn't bother me at all when playing. The ring's loose enough so I can readily remove it, so I don't have the feelings of tightness and restriction I had with the larger ring.

[Toni Schula]

That's why my wedding ring is on the pickiņg hand.

In my culture the right hand is the tradtional place for wedding rings. Helps a little bit for the down strokes