Left hand grip

NotATrumpet · by **NotATrumpet** » 2025-03-22 5:54 a.m.

I get a slight numbness/ tingling in the tip of my second finger on my left hand. I've tried a couple of grips and straps which have helped a bit. I'm holding the trombone in the traditional way and I try to maintain a relaxed posture etc., etc.. I practice for two hours a day. I still have full function of all my fingers including that second finger. Has anyone experienced the same thing or similar ?

ghmerrill · by **ghmerrill** » 2025-03-22 9:09 a.m.

Think about whether this is happening because you're constantly trying to hold up the front end because the horn is a bit front-heavy. Think of adding a counterweight (assuming it doesn't have one now). I absolutely have to do this with my bass. And if I ever played my Olds Standard very much, I'd do it for that since the slide is relatively heavy on that and inclines the horn to nose dive so I have to "lever it up" with the left hand.

If you try a counterweight you may discover a miraculous result.

NotATrumpet · by **NotATrumpet** » 2025-03-22 10:56 a.m.

Thanks, Gary. I play Bb/F trombones so the option for a counter weight is limited by space available. But I get your point. I'll try an ad-hoc weight and see if that helps. I've no idea why it's such a small area of one finger that's affected.

ghmerrill · by **ghmerrill** » 2025-03-22 11:17 a.m.

[quote="NotATrumpet"]I play Bb/F trombones so the option for a counter weight is limited by space available.[/quote]
:? Surely it can't be any worse than on my double-valve bass. Also, if price is no object there are some fairly "innovative" counterweights nowadays -- though I just use the Hickey's "generic" or "standard" one. :lol: But try it and see. I've always been surprised about the difference that one makes.

NotATrumpet · by **NotATrumpet** » 2025-03-22 1:28 p.m.

I don't think the weight is the problem. I did try putting a weight on the tuning slide to see if the balance was an issue but it didn't improve matters. I suspect it's got something to do with the way I'm holding it but when I compare my grip to those I see around me and on youtube etc I think I'm pretty much text book. I have a Conn 88H and a Rath and the problem is the same on both.

ghmerrill · by **ghmerrill** » 2025-03-22 1:37 p.m.

Maybe try an Axe Handle or Bullet Brace? Those can also relieve stress on the fingers from "gripping" the horn. The Axe Handle is less expensive but of virtually identical design and quality; and the Instrument Innovations people seem to be very good about taking something back if it doesn't work for you ("You may return purchased items that do not work for you within 30 days of delivery for a full purchase price refund.") I have a Bullet Brace on my Chinese bass trombone and an Axe Handle on my Getzen.

ghmerrill · by **ghmerrill** » 2025-03-22 2:15 p.m.

Here's my own ergonomic work in progress with my new horn. You can see the Axe Handle with it's support just below the F trigger. The slide brace directly under the mouthpiece is wrapped with a few layers of Walgreen's "Waterproof Foam Tape" which provides an excellent cushion area where the index finger of left hand kind of "semi" wraps around the front of that base. The Hickey's counterweight (unseen in the picture, attached to the main tuning slide brace) makes the horn neutrally balanced at the Axe Handle cushion bar.

This seems to be working pretty well for me now (with only about a day of testing :roll: ). On my old horn, I'd installed a French Horn (or trumpet?) finger hook on the downward side of that brace as a finger rest and kind of "lever". But I don't think I need that here. Without this wrap, my finger gets punished by that brace, and it gets progressively more painful to play. The triggers are easily used either independently or in tandem. Time will tell.

<ATTACHMENT filename="1052 ergonomics.jpg" index="0">~~[attachment=0]~~1052 ergonomics.jpg</ATTACHMENT>

AtomicClock · by **AtomicClock** » 2025-03-22 2:49 p.m.

You might try changing the angle at which the bell connects to the slide. I had been stubbornly sticking to 90 degrees for decades, but now I'm finding some nice ergonomic benefits with a smaller angle.

Richard3rd · by **Richard3rd** » 2025-03-22 3:04 p.m.

What's your general posture like? That nerve comes from the area where the neck meets the upper back. Without getting too technical, it is a common entrapment area.

muschem · by **muschem** » 2025-03-22 3:38 p.m.

When I played a 42B in college, I had a similar issue. I didn't use a rest or a counterweight, and my grip was such that my middle finger bore a lot of the horn's weight right above the 2nd knuckle. I developed a callous there, and eventually some numbness/tingling.

When I picked things back up, I added Ax Handles to my large tenors and basses, and that was a big step in the right direction. Then I found the Shires rest bar, and for me, that is even more comfortable - I have them on all the larger horns I play regularly. Depending on the setup, I also add a counterweight to help with balance. That combination shifts the weight off of my finger, and I haven't had any problems since.

dbwhitaker · by **dbwhitaker** » 2025-03-22 4:25 p.m.

Which finger is giving you trouble? (According to Wikipedia there are multiple conflicting conventions for identifying fingers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Index_finger)

I slip on foam tubing around the handslide brace and find that it makes things a lot more comfortable. (Although my hand is atypical due to nerve damage.)
<ATTACHMENT filename="IMG_1571.jpg" index="0">~~[attachment=0]~~IMG_1571.jpg</ATTACHMENT>

ghmerrill · by **ghmerrill** » 2025-03-22 7:06 p.m.

[quote="dbwhitaker"]I slip on foam tubing around the handslide brace[/quote]
I was thinking earlier that I might replace my foam tape solution with a tubing one -- maybe a bit more elegant.

So what tubing is it that you're using. Is that just 1/4" or 3/8" pipe insulation? Where are you getting it. I find it can be difficult to get stuff that has the right ID without the OD being excessively large.

dbwhitaker · by **dbwhitaker** » 2025-03-22 10:05 p.m.

I bought it from Amazon. I'm pretty sure it's 1/2 inch inner diameter that works best: <LINK_TEXT text="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BGCH9QQV?re ... tle_1&th=1">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BGCH9QQV?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1&th=1</LINK_TEXT>

I also have some 1/4 and 3/8 inch that is similar, but the 1/2 works best on my horns.

ghmerrill · by **ghmerrill** » 2025-03-22 11:10 p.m.

Thanks. That looks a lot better than the standard foam pipe insulation.

NotATrumpet · by **NotATrumpet** » 2025-03-23 3:19 a.m.

Thank you all for your replies. I am going to investigate Richard's comment regarding posture and nerve entrapment. In the meanwhile I shall look at Ax handles and the like.

Bassbonesso · by **Bassbonesso** » 2025-04-07 12:28 p.m.

Some horns (Bach 42s and 50s for sure) have a wider slide bow necessitating a more stretched left hand position. I had a lot of issues with that and had a finger grip soldered onto the vertical brace just below the leadpipe. (on the 42 it was actually a pinky grip from a trumpet and on the 50 a ring).

Problem solved - for me at least.

ghmerrill · by **ghmerrill** » 2025-04-07 1:44 p.m.

[quote="Bassbonesso"]I had a lot of issues with that and had a finger grip soldered onto the vertical brace just below the leadpipe.[/quote]
This is what I did on my Chinese (Schiller) bass trombone ( a 7B-ish clone). I got a finger hook (for a French horn or trumpet, I can't remember which) from Votaw Tool and soldered it on the front of the hand slide brace as a rest/grip for my left index finger. Together with a Bullet Brace and a counterweight, this solved the grip problem and made holding that horn very comfortable.

I'm now going through a similar process with my Getzen bass -- and am almost happy at this point. But no finger hook this time.

sf105 · by **sf105** » 2025-04-07 4:07 p.m.

I started using a calder grip, which takes the weight off the fingers. Nowadays I get a wobble when just using the fingers from grip instability. It's a low cost experiment.

Quick Links

Instruments

Marketplace

Left hand grip