Mandolin Playing Injury

[stumblin]

I've been on the verge of a breakthrough in my Mandolin playing, just spent almost two solid days practising the Dallas Rag, I can almost run right through the tune without repetition, deviation or hesitation!
Now I have a sore, raised red contusion where my right forearm rests on the body of the instrument.
Looks like I'll have to stop for a couple of hours while the pain subsides! But I don't want to...
Anyone here have a work-around for this type of injury? Little "Mando-edge cushions" or something?

[Bournio]

Could a banjo arm rest be modified to help?

Or maybe a violin rest without any modification could work?

[stumblin]

Could a banjo arm rest be modified to help?

Or maybe a violin rest without any modification could work?

I'm thinking now along the lines of some sort of arrangement of a yellow duster held in place with a couple of ponytail things (which, apparently, have no dedicated English noun, what's the deal with that?).

[Bournio]

A hair bobble?
But that should work!

[stumblin]

A hair bobble?

Not wishing to be pedantic, but...
Surely it's only a "hair bobble" if it has a bobble on it. These are more like "quite fat stretchy fabric bands for ponytails," what the heck are we supposed to call them?

[stumblin]

Incidentally, I recorded the results of my frantic and intense mando session.
The tune is on my MySpace page; Vine Street Drag. This is the first time I've recorded a tune that I didn't write, but I think it's a great little number. I only hope I've done it some justice.

[texas blues]

Purty sure you just call them "stretchies"...but you don't need those...get some dragon pants and a longer strap and get that mando slung low ala Jimmy Page!

[NEONMOONY]

How about the arm guards used in archery to protect the bow holding arm (usually the left arm) from the bowstring.

[Bournio]

Oh fair enough! I call them bobbles anyway!

I quite like Neonmoony's idea, a bracer would be ace, I have one spare at home, I think they only cost a couple of quid, here's a cheap one from the UK: http://www.merlinarcherycentre.co.uk/ac ... guard.html

It would mean needing to remember something extra if you took your mando out with you...

Unfortunately your song isn't working for me :/ I'm sure I'll listen to it and it'll make me want a mandolin more!

[ricochet]

Scrunchies.

[Bournio]

Rico... Scrunchies are the well... Scrunchy ones from what I remember...

Like a bobble/hair tie, but with an extra piece of material.


Like that

[stumblin]

Unfortunately your song isn't working for me :/ I'm sure I'll listen to it and it'll make me want a mandolin more!

Is it some sort of trouble with the MySpace Player? Someone else told me that they couldn't play tunes on MySpace because of the player's flash requirements. PM me with your email address & the tune will arrive in your inbox in due season.

[Bournio]

Oh, I tried it again!

Now I do want a mandolin! That's sounding awesome!

[NEONMOONY]

Eurotard? Sounds derogatory!! Don't let Rush get ahold of that one!!!

[Lo-Fi]

I have only been playing mandolin about a month now but after a few long sessions working out a fingerpicked ( I ain't much for flatpicks) version of Rev. Davis' (with a touch of Jorma) "Hesitation Blues," I ended up with a bad case of tennis elbow in my left arm. I mean it ached to the point I could barely hold a coffee cup. I found what really helped was to simply strap the mando on and play standing up. I am assuming it was the holding and balancing of the rather small instrument while sitting . Couldn't hurt to try though.

I did go visit your site and love the old-timey string band feel to your tunes like you could hear with the Mississippi Shieks and Martin, Bogan and Armstrong.