Tendonitis Correction Issues

[Todd Madson <crash@waste.org>]

Here's some things that worked for me:

1.  You're playing guitar, not rowing a boat.  Switch to .009s, not .010s
    from .011s or .12s.  Play with a VERY LIGHT TOUCH and let your amp and
    processors do the work.  If you were used to fighting the instrument 
    to get a sound out of it, stop that approach and use a very light
    touch with light gauge strings and let your gear do the amplification.
    This helped me a lot.   This also allows you to play with controlled
    dynamics more.

2.  Wear your guitar higher on the strap, like a bib almost.  You might
    not get the coveted "junkie swagger" look so many have adopted, but 
    everything is right there and you will not only have a more efficient
    position for both right and left hands, but your playing will be 
    better as a result.

3.  Position your left hand so your thumb is against the back of the
    neck of the instrument.  This lets your left hand fingers make a 
    more efficient position for contact with the fretboard.  Do NOT
    hook your left hand thumb over the low-e string, it makes for a 
    much less efficient position and is actually much more awkward.
    If you're playing certain Jimi chords, though, you will have to 
    switch back and forth.

4.  If you find that you are nervous when playing, you're probably
    clenching your teeth and pressing down on the fretboad with too
    much pressure.  STOP IT.  Find a way to relax, you need to if 
    you are going to play correctly.  

5.  Stop wearing a wristwatch while playing.  If you absolutely must
    know the time of day, put a tiny digital clock on the surface of
    your guitar or add a digital alarm clock to your rack (it will 
    look even more impressive that way).

6.  Make sure you warm up slowly and carefully before playing.

Finally, one thing that really helped me loosen up was washing the 
dishes.  I'm not kidding.  I'd have a basin of warm, soapy water 
and after washing the dishes I'd be all warmed up to play due to 
the heat in the water.  Try it!

Good luck!

-Todd