Elbow Pain

[afrocubarico]

Hola fellow congueros,
I've been playing congas now for a year and currently I'm practicing several two drum tumbaos. Lately I've been practicing listening to music with my headphones.

However, I've noticed that after about 4 or 5 minutes into playing my right elbow starts to get really tight with some light pain. The song I'm practicing with ends with a brief recurso and my elbow gets so tight that I can't finish off with the recurso!

After I stop and relax for a few minutes I can resume playing with almost no discomfort. Have any of you ever encountered this problem before? If so, what is an aspiring conguero to do? As always, thanks!

afrocubarico

[GuruPimpi]

Afrocubarico

Are you comfortable with the playing? Relaxed? If yes, then chill

Warm up your hands before playing, including upper arm area and upper part of you body (shoulders, back, chest,...) Warm and Stretch it good before playing!

I used to have similar 'light pains', now it's always warm up session before play session... No pains anymore!
Hope it helps!

Keep the groove also

Primoz

[GuruPimpi]

If you could find warm and coordination exercises that Gio mentioned in Mano a mano video...
Man, those exercises look simple, but doing them for ten minutes each... Body building, but very very good and effective in short period of time!!! Helps you to play it more softer and firm on the groove and chops...

[Diceman]

Agree with you GP........warm up and play relaxed

suave
Diceman

[Raymond]

First impression is that you might not be playing relaxed. (like everybody is saying). The last possiblity is that in your movements to the other congas you might be doing it in a manner that is hurting your elbow. If you put the other congas in "uncomfortable positions" you arm is going to move in a mannter that is not "correct" to and your elbow could hurt.

Another possiblity, related to hitting the other drums, is that your elbow is moving muscles that it was not accostumed to move. Also, going back to the first point, when you do the move to hit the other congas, your elbow could be not relaxed, hence, the pain.

Need to concentrate and try to do things relaxed, that has a lot to do with it. If you still cannot relax, start practicing slowly concentrating in your breathing and in being relaxed. (Be careful, don't hyperventilate).

I hope this helps!

Saludos!

[Diceman]

Good Point Afrocubarico,

Check the height of the drums, I like the skins just a bit higher than my elbow, and the position, I reckon I should be able to strike the second (or third) drum without moving my elbow which is away from my body ie the forearm pivots around a fairly stationary elbow IYKWIM so I have my drums in a shallow Vee.
What do you guys think?

Suave
Diceman

[Jongo]

I agree with everything that has been said so far but I would add one thing. Since you are already having some pain in your elbow in addition to warming up and playing relaxed you will need to work out some muscle tension and stress that has most likely built up in your forearm area. Stretch and massage that area to work out the tension that exists and stretching and warming up prior to playing will keep those muscles nice and loose and help alleviate the pain in your elbow.

Diceman, I play with my congas the same way. Same configuration and roughly the same height as you mentioned and that has worked for me.

[akdom]

hi all

99% of the time, pain in the body is directly linked to position.

So adjust your drums/seat and one more time, play as relaxed as possible.

Always keep your back straight, head straight, elbows again from your ribs and hit the drums in the more natural way.

B

[Bongorific]

All of the above solutions have value. Your probably not striking the drum correctly. I was once told don't beat a drum pull the sound out of the drum.
if your locking your arm rather than playing with your wrist you will transfere impact to elbow.
I'm a carpenter and learned that you pound a nail like your shaking a hand. don't lock your wrist....if you do the impact will end up at your elbow
Tendonitis(sp) can be painful and may require a wrap.
We've all probably had these symptoms when we first started...ease into more vigorous playing...Good Luck

[JohnnyConga]

Everybody here is "right on" now try some "PUSHUPS" and see how that works for ya....."JC" Johnny Conga...

[Mano Teo]

All of the above suggestions are good.

If the pain and tension are concentrated in a particular point in your elbow, try this to release the "trigger point": press hard on it with your thumb for 30-60 seconds. This should feel uncomfortable, even slightly painful. Keep your breathing relaxed until the trigger point dissolves. It shouldn't be much more than a minute at most. Then stretch. A lot of muscle groups anchor in your elbow, so stretch the triceps, biceps, and the muscles that flex your hands/wrists up and down, side to side, and the ones that rotate your wrist/forarms/hands to the inside and outside. Then warmup on the drum, doing relaxed but exaggerated heel-toe movements -- stretch your fingers up as far as they can go while keeping your muscles relaxed. Don't push to the point that you start tensing up again. The idea is to get rid of the localized tension (the trigger point), increase the muscles range of motion, and get them used to moving in that new range of motion.

Also, can you play at a slower tempo without tensing up? If so, gradually work up to the faster tempo that you're playing along at, always making sure to relax.

Hope it helps.