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Author Topic: ergonomic thoughts on bass side.  (Read 810 times)

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Mark Leue

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ergonomic thoughts on bass side.
« on: March 23, 2019, 07:39:38 PM »

Got my DG back recently from being tuned and repair and playing a bunch.
I'm having a fair amount of muscle strain in the left hand, and Im pretty sure it's the  position of the hand being kept flat under the bass strap while my fingers have to stretch and dance to reach the bass buttons. Ive tried different depths of hand there and so far nothing seems all that easy, which brings me to why I'm posting this under design...
Is there a reason the bass side isn't more like the treble side, sort of a second button actuated "keyboard" arrangement albeit with fewer keys?  The large muscle in the palm just under the thumb is where I feel the pain.  Just from a design point of view why are the bass buttons on the top? simply to provide a place to put a strap around the back of the hand?
Clueless question I'm sure, but there it is.
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Anahata

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Re: ergonomic thoughts on bass side.
« Reply #1 on: March 23, 2019, 07:55:08 PM »

I get that pain in the base of the left thumb sometimes. I suspect nervous tension in the hand, because it doesn't happen all the time.

I think the reason why the bass end is fundamentally different is that you have to be able to exert force to push and pull the bellows.
Having the palm of your left hand pushing against the box to close the bellows and the back of your hand pushing back on the strap to open them frees the left fingers from having to transmit any of that force.

You could have the buttons facing out of the end like an Anglo concertina - the Schwyzerörgeli works that way, but I don't know if it works any better for that.
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Mark Leue

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Re: ergonomic thoughts on bass side.
« Reply #2 on: March 23, 2019, 08:02:53 PM »


You could have the buttons facing out of the end like an Anglo concertina - the Schwyzerörgeli works that way, but I don't know if it works any better for that.

Yes, Just like that. thanks for the answer.
It seems more sensible to me at the moment at least. Surprised there aren't more like that.
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playandteach

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Re: ergonomic thoughts on bass side.
« Reply #3 on: March 23, 2019, 08:30:36 PM »

I take the pressure on the other edge of my hand (the karate edge) which frees up my thumb. It also makes the little fingers in a straighter line with the longer fingers. I also have the bass strap adjusted for the body side of the strap to be on a looser fitting than the button side - mine has a screw plate at each end. The strap has two sets of holes that you can screw through for bigger or smaller hands but I twist my strap a little by using the tight fitting for one edge of the strap, and the loose one for the other.
I think having the buttons mounted like the right hand would be worse: the right hand doesn't have to move the bellows.
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Theo

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Re: ergonomic thoughts on bass side.
« Reply #4 on: March 23, 2019, 08:48:45 PM »

Don’t be inbtoo much of a rush to make modifications.  Give yourself time to try out different ways of positioning your hands and arms, and tighter or looser left hand strap.  If you eventually have to make modifications you then have less chance to use other unmodified instruments.  Playandteach can tell you about that!   Most of us manage fine with the standard setup,  though all if us have taken time to get used to it.
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Dick Rees

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Re: ergonomic thoughts on bass side.
« Reply #5 on: March 23, 2019, 09:17:19 PM »

Mark...

The older I get, the more it hurts...
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george garside

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Re: ergonomic thoughts on bass side.
« Reply #6 on: March 23, 2019, 10:53:33 PM »

I agree very much with what Theo said.  Also for what its worth I find that having the bass strap roughly where a wrist watch strap would be enables the left hand to be effectively above the bass so the fingers naturally curve to hit the buttons on both inside and outside rows of bass buttons end on rather than side on and  generally to move around the bass buttons.

For the  foregoing reasons I wear my wrist watch on my right arm!

george
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Jesse Smith

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Re: ergonomic thoughts on bass side.
« Reply #7 on: March 23, 2019, 10:53:49 PM »

In general I have found that a new instrument or playing technique often hurts for a few days but then the pain goes away. I think this is a combination of strengthening the muscles being used and also my body making small unconscious adjustments to minimize discomfort.

One thing I definitely to try to be aware of is keeping my wrists more or less straight and especially on the Pokerwork not letting the edge bite into my wrist. Carpel tunnel syndrome is no fun.
« Last Edit: March 23, 2019, 11:31:53 PM by Jesse Smith »
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Mark Leue

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Re: ergonomic thoughts on bass side.
« Reply #8 on: March 24, 2019, 12:40:00 PM »

I looked at and assessed the right hand strap this morning. Time to go see my friends art the Button Box and see what options are out there.  This strap is was too tight and inflexible to offer any option of getting my hand position better.

This is an interesting box, Hohner two row from the early to mid 1920's that has been completely re reeded with Italian reeds and dried up a bit.  I think it sounds great. time to make it feel more comfortable.

Thanks for your comments. it didn't occur to me that the option of getting your hand a little more around the corner might help.
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