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Thread: Stamina

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    Registered User Cochiti Don's Avatar
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    Default Stamina

    As many of you know I just started playing 3 1/2 months ago. I have my first gig coming up in a couple of weeks. The folks I'm playing with have rehearsals every week for an hour and a half. I'm sore and tired after that. They want to play 3 one hour sets during the gig. How am I going to survive that?
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    Default Re: Stamina

    What's sore? If it's your fingers, practice more 'til you get them conditioned. If it's your body, I can only ask, "What are you doing with that mandolin?" I try to pick up the mandolin at least once a day. Sometimes I pick for maybe only 10 minutes but often it's an hour or more.

    As far as stamina, that something you'll have to figure out. I don't know how old you are but a 3-hour gig ain't bad. My band has done that every Saturday night for almost 5 years. (We're doing it tonight.) There have been occasions when we did 3 gigs in one day (one benefit, two paying, the last time). Was I tired at the end of the day? You betcha. On the other hand, I'm 73 years old. We do about 10-12 gigs a month.

    Our band has been together for over 10 years, remaining virtually unchanged in that time. We rehearse once a week. We've played a lot of our repertoire for most of that time and they pose no problems. We spend rehearsal time on new songs or changing the old ones around.

    It boils down to "Practice, man, practice," as the hippie on the street said when asked about the way to get to Carnegie Hall.
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    Default Re: Stamina

    Did a 3 hr gig last night, started early and played longer, we did take one 20 min. break. Shouldn't be a problem. We sometimes play school gigs that start at 7:30 and go till 3:30. They are dances with different kids every hour all day. Play as much as you can every day to get your fingers in shape.
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    Registered User Cochiti Don's Avatar
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    Default Re: Stamina

    Fingers are sore. I'm 72. I try not to whine. That's not what this post is about. I just want to know what other folks do.
    Thanks for your help.
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    Registered User foldedpath's Avatar
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    Default Re: Stamina

    I don't enjoy 3 hour gigs, and would much prefer 2 hours, but I've taken plenty of 3 hour gigs in the past. It can depend on how it's broken up, whether it's more or less continuous with short breaks, or spread out over almost half a day like a wedding gig.

    In a situation where we have some leverage on price, like booking a wedding gig or St. Patrick's Day gig, we'll quote an attractive fee for 2 hours and bump it significantly for 3 hours or more. So at least we get paid more for that last hour. Sometimes you don't have that leverage though, like a typical bar gig where the owner wants 3+ hours from every band. We don't do bars any more, so that takes care of that.

    This is a result of getting into my mid 60's now, I'm sure. Back when I was in my teens playing drums in a rock band, or even in my 40's playing lead guitar in an electric Blues band, we could go all night and not break a sweat.

    It's not just the time spent playing. We almost always use our own PA, so it's the additional schlepping of gear back and forth to the car, and the time spent setting up speakers, monitors, mixer, and running cables. When you run your own PA it puts additional wear and tear on your body. I can play a 3 hour Irish trad session where I'm just bringing my mandolin and playing acoustically, and only come away from it with a little fingertip pain that doesn't last long.

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    Registered User Louise NM's Avatar
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    Default Re: Stamina

    Fingertips, or joints?

    If it's joints, try ibuprofen, aspirin, or another anti-inflammatory before the gig. Stretch your hands before playing, and during breaks. A good one is to first bend the top two joints—but not the joints where the fingers meet the hand—ten times, fully straightening each time. Then bend just the joints at the hand 10 times, so the fingers are straight but at a 90º angle, again straightening all the way between each bend. Finally, bend everything, making a fist, and straighten 10 times. Gets the blood moving, works all the joints.

    How long do you have between sets? Use some of that time to stretch again. Is there a song in the middle of a set that would sound even better without mandolin? It's amazing how refreshing even a small break can be!

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    Default Re: Stamina

    After 3.5 months I certainly would have a hard time getting through a 3 hours gig. Looks by your signature that you came over from guitar. Try to play as light as you would on a guitar. Depending on what kind of music you are playing you can be very light with your hands and percussive with rhythm playing. If you are playing chops less sustain and more just percussive sound as that will give your left hand a break. Unfortunately it just takes time for the buddy to adjust to the new tension of playing a mandolin. It took me years to realize how light I can play and I still struggle with it at times. Try to notice where you are feeling tension and loosen up those areas while you are playing. Start thinking about this during your next practice. Where am I feeling sore and is there a way I can do what I am doing lighter so I do not strain as much? Good luck

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  12. #8
    Registered User Cochiti Don's Avatar
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    Default Re: Stamina

    Quote Originally Posted by Louise NM View Post
    Fingertips, or joints?

    If it's joints, try ibuprofen, aspirin, or another anti-inflammatory before the gig. Stretch your hands before playing, and during breaks. A good one is to first bend the top two joints—but not the joints where the fingers meet the hand—ten times, fully straightening each time. Then bend just the joints at the hand 10 times, so the fingers are straight but at a 90º angle, again straightening all the way between each bend. Finally, bend everything, making a fist, and straighten 10 times. Gets the blood moving, works all the joints.

    How long do you have between sets? Use some of that time to stretch again. Is there a song in the middle of a set that would sound even better without mandolin? It's amazing how refreshing even a small break can be!
    I'm lucky . it might be an hour or so between sets. We're plying for an outdoor art show event.
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    Registered User Trey Young's Avatar
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    Default Re: Stamina

    How well is your mandolin set up? You may be working harder than you have too with a sub par set up...

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    but that's just me Bertram Henze's Avatar
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    Default Re: Stamina

    Fingertips: your skin will take care of that by building callus - Type I temporary callus first (rough and flaky), Type II permanent callus (smooth and tough like leather) after approx. 2 years. You'll grow your own gloves. No more pain whatsoever.

    Joints: Get used to moving your fingers often, wherever you are, like you were playing, to keep the whole apparatus nimble and easy/greasy. Warm up. Don't jump-start playing from cold.

    Mandolin: Listen to that hint about setup!

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    Registered User Ivan Kelsall's Avatar
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    Default Re: Stamina

    Hi Don - I'm 72 as well. Your guys want to play 3 x 1 hour sets ?. I have NOBODY to play with - give me the chance to buy a plane ticket & i'll be over to stand in for you directly !!!.

    Seriously - as long as you know what you're doing & enjoying it,an hour at a time will vanish. A few years after i'd started playing banjo (1963),my band played a Folk Festival over here. We were asked to play 2 x 45 min. sets which we did. After we'd finished,the organiser asked us to play 2 more,we did those as well. It's something that you simply 'get done'.

    Enjoy it - i wish to hades that i could !!,
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    Default Re: Stamina

    For making it through things like that, I use Tylenol or other acetaminophen. Also will do some stretching or range of motion exercise. Like rotating my arm right arm around in circles from the shoulder. It helps fight off some upper arm/shoulder pain I've been experiencing recently. Probably due to my jumping in and playing mandolin an hour or two a day during the week and more on weekends. Besides trying to keep up on my guitar playing. Have three shows to play the next two weekends and need to be ready.

    Spent nearly 7 hours yesterday with my arm over my guitar backing up fiddle players in a contest and jamming afterwards. And the weekend before, spent a number of hours playing with some friends from both nearby (South Dakota and Iowa) and not so near (Denmark). Great time, and the Danes weren't even aware I was now playing mandolin. They were really encouraging, which was nice, as one of them quite literally wrote the book on some of the tunes we were playing.
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    Default Re: Stamina

    For fingertips, good setup and playing a lot to toughen them is about it. Oh, you might try lighter strings for a while, then ramp back up to the ones you like best after your fingers toughen up. You might even find that you like the lighter strings better.
    Might it be possible for you to switch over to guitar for a while during a gig if they get too sore?
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    Default Re: Stamina

    Quote Originally Posted by Trey Young View Post
    How well is your mandolin set up? You may be working harder than you have too with a sub par set up...
    Ain't made 72 yet but pushing mid-sixties and me likey the light-weight strings. Instrument doesn't have the muscle that mid-weight strings bring, but if you're mic'd should not be a problem. Have you tried that--and having a luthier check the set-up? Sometimes little tweaks to set-up can make a big difference in playability.

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    Registered User Cochiti Don's Avatar
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    Default Re: Stamina

    Quote Originally Posted by verbs4us View Post
    Ain't made 72 yet but pushing mid-sixties and me likey the light-weight strings. Instrument doesn't have the muscle that mid-weight strings bring, but if you're mic'd should not be a problem. Have you tried that--and having a luthier check the set-up? Sometimes little tweaks to set-up can make a big difference in playability.
    Well I bought my Collings MTO from the mandolin store not too long ago and trusted them to have set it up properly. Brian checked it at the 12th fret and gave a thumbs up. It feels good. I'm not knowledgeable enough to argue the point.
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    Default Re: Stamina

    Quote Originally Posted by Paul Busman View Post
    For fingertips, good setup and playing a lot to toughen them is about it. Oh, you might try lighter strings for a while, then ramp back up to the ones you like best after your fingers toughen up. You might even find that you like the lighter strings better.
    Might it be possible for you to switch over to guitar for a while during a gig if they get too sore?
    It's funny how switching to guitar now feels like something meant for Paul Bunyan
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    Default Re: Stamina

    Quote Originally Posted by Cochiti Don View Post
    Fingers are sore. I'm 72. I try not to whine. That's not what this post is about. I just want to know what other folks do.
    Thanks for your help.
    Hey, Don,

    I didn't read your message as whining; I'm sure we've all gone through that - and I am now (again) after not playing much for a while.

    I think the whole thing is like any other form of conditioning - i.e., you mildly to moderately stress whatever system is involved, e.g., runners run slow and easy, for a long time, and then pick the pace gradually. Your fingers will hurt for a while - you can put ice or some sort of ointment on them, after you play that is - but keeping playing if you can, just don't hurt yourself. Takes a while, from my experience. And if you get more serious joint issues, like wrist, elbow, shoulder, neck, back, take that seriously. I'd get it checked out if it persists. Oh, yeah - age disclosure: I'm 66, going on 67.

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    Default Re: Stamina

    If I know I'm gonna play a lot somewhere I try not to play too much the day or so before. I feel your pain. My fretting hand can get weak if I seriously over do it. To the point of can't no more.

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    Default Re: Stamina

    Well there are some good suggestions here. A trick you can use if the finger tips get too sore is to put a dot of crazy glue on them. You have to be sure it dries before you touch anything. You will lose some sensativity so be aware. Crazy glue was first developed for the pentagon for emergency field medical use so don't wory about its safety. I wouldn't recomend it as a normal practice but it can get you through a tough gig. Also my hats off to you for taking this gig on after only 3 and 1/2 months.

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    Default Re: Stamina

    I bought a mandolin new once and the maker said he set it up especially low for me. I lowered it when I got it by almost half. Everyone's setup is different. I like 3/64 for the G and slightly less for the E string. As low as it will go and not buzz. At 67 I need a good action, but it means keeping tools in the case to raise and lower it on the spot for changes in the weather.
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    Default Re: Stamina

    From Don - "It's funny how switching to guitar now feels like something meant for Paul Bunyan ." I understand fully - that's why i sold my Dreadnought sized guitar,just too big for me after banjo & mandolin. A friend described playing guitar after playing mandolin as ''like trying to play a wardrobe'' - he got that right !,
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    Default Re: Stamina

    Its funny. I can play a three or four hour jam with no problem. Take a break and I am ready to go again. But a three hour gig exhausts me.

    Performance pressure just weighs me down.
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    Default Re: Stamina

    You're learning what most mando pickers coming from guitar know - the double strung, high tension courses of the mandolin laugh at your guitar calluses as they gleefully grate them off. I don't know of a shortcut to this. I sometimes play a two hour jam with the Old Time Fiddlers on Thursday night, then a two hour farmers market gig on Friday morning, followed by a two hour Friday evening restaurant gig. Sometimes I'll be booked on Saturday, too. No way would I have taken a schedule like that on with only 3.5 months run time, but everyone is a little different. I have spent 1000's of hours doing manual tasks - carpentry, plumbing, electrical wiring, wrenching on all manner of vehicles and engines, operating steam plant equipment, etc. Now half way through my 50's I find my finger, hand and skin toughness is above average. My advice is to play as much as you can to prepare, but don't play through real pain. Don't over do it, but if you can get two to four hours in on the mandolin every day that will help.

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  34. #24
    Registered User Mandobart's Avatar
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    Default Re: Stamina

    Another stamina issue - playing outdoors in the heat. Your name implies you may reside in my home state of NM. I now live in the eastern WA desert. Much hotter, but less dry than most parts of NM. Last Friday I invited some friends from our weekly bluegrass jam club to play with me at the farmers market for a two hour show. We typically jam for two hours every Tuesday evening indoors, seated. Some of my friends were having trouble playing outside, standing up, in the heat. Be sure you all are prepared, with shade, cool beverages, fans, whatever you need for this gig. Definitely go through a "dress rehearsal" where you duplicate actual performance conditions as much as possible. Sore fingers could be the least of the stamina issues.

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