my poor swollen, bleeding hands...

[holycow77]

Hey guys,

What do you guys to to protect your hands when playing hand drums?

I don't play often, but when I do, I takes a bit toll on my hands. I know part of it is technique, as I hit em pretty hard... but other than that what can I do. I've seen people who look like they've taped up their hands... is there a certain product you can get for this?

Thanks kids!

[fiacovaz]

Good question and I'm pretty sure that Bongo Bro, our resident hand-slapper, will have some excellent advice for you.

[bongobro]

holycow, I thought there was a reason I had to come back to chat tonight!

Seriously, mate, if your hands are bleeding from playing the hand drums, you're hitting them too darn hard! If you have to hit them hard to make them sound good, you need to tune them. Your drumheads should be tuned so that even the lightest tap of a fingertip is enough to produce a cool sound. Check the free lessons section at DrumBum.com or google "tuning conga heads" and you'll find out what to do and what not to do...

Many hand drummers, including yours truly, hit the drums too hard when they first start playing. There were many nights my hands and finger joints hurt like you-know-what when I began studying bongo and conga lessons, but I soon learned you let the wrists do the work. One DrumChatter (whose name has momentarily left my mind! ) compared it to watching a baby wave "bye-bye"; notice how a baby works his fingers open and closed and you'll have the idea how your fingers should touch and snap off the drumheads. The free lessons section will help you on that too, as well as mucho practice.

Shake hands with any dude who's played hand drums regularly for a long time and you're gonna feel some pretty tough skin. If you play only occasionally, your skin will never toughen enough (including calluses) to withstand constant playing. Some hand drummers (notably Pancho Sanchez) tape their fingers, but I find it a nuisance since it comes unstuck as I play and, IMHO, it defeats the purpose of toughening the skin. If you want to try it, just get plain adhesive tape--the kind you use for taping down a gauze bandage on, say, a sore knee. It's found in the first aid section of the drugstore--Johnson and Johnson is the best known brand, but the drugstore brand works okay, too. Don't use adhesive bandages (Band-Aids).

The simplest and least painful way to toughen your skin is just play your hand drums regularly. Even a half-hour every day, over time, will do the trick--and it sharpens your chops on the skins, too...

Good luck, mate!

[Jackstraw]

YES...LISTEN TO BONGOBRO!!!!'

I learned this the hard way!!!
Ended up with a bad case of repetitive stress syndrome/ tendonitis/ or what ever they call it now.

Had to stop golf for a while,(that was heartbreaking), hockey, and Hand percussion once my hand went numb and wrist problems started last year.
I maintained drumming due to physio and proper stretching (had to keep drumming as it's part of my living...)

It's been a long road back to playing the Cajon and congas.
I took the time to really look into proper techniques, and now I can say I can play a night here and there with out causing any tendons to flare up!
I've found that once I hurt myself, it happens again so easily!

SOFTLY is the key. As B B stated...proper tuning and hand technique!!

Good luck man.
Cheers

[Gretschhead]

Some good resposes already, but I'll add my thoughts. Its merely a thing of time Holycow. Technique might have a little play in it too, but mostly your hands are just not used to beating on wood and rawhide for extended periods of time. They are tough materials and until you have worked up some callouses they will continue to hurt/sting/bleed etc. Its like guitar players, if you've ever played before you know your fingertips are going to hurt like hell and probably bleed for a few weeks when you first start playing. Until your fingers build up that callous the steel strings will take a toll on you. So just stick with it and the more you play the less it will hurt. No Pain No Gain!

As far as the taping goes, I can't say that I've ever tried it and probably never will. It just seems like it would get in the way to me, and I can't see how it would have any positive effects on your sound or technique. Skin needs to make contact with the drums, not fabric! Honestly I think Pancho Sanchez goes way over board on his taping, the man is a pro, his callouses should be more than sufficient. Guitar players don't tape their fingertips, I say suck it up and deal with it and it will soon never be a problem.

[fiacovaz]

I may not be correct but it seems to me that the taping of fingers is not so much to protect the finger pads as you play hand drums as much as it would be to support the finger itself against any injury to the bone...fracture, breaking. Thoughts?

[Gretschhead]

Possibly, but a 2mm thick piece of tape isn't going to protect any bones. You're skin and fat offers far more protection than a little piece of tape. Sprains maybe though. I think when we are talking congas it is more about protecting the pads of skin though.

[bongobro]

YES...LISTEN TO BONGOBRO!!!!'

...Ended up with a bad case of repetitive stress syndrome/ tendonitis/ or what ever they call it now...I maintained drumming due to physio and proper stretching (had to keep drumming as it's part of my living...)...I took the time to really look into proper techniques, and now I can say I can play a night here and there with out causing any tendons to flare up!

Thanks for adding that piece of advice, Jackstraw! It applies to all drummers, not just hand drummers...my drum teacher recently underwent carpal tunnel surgery on one of his hands for that very reason...

...Skin needs to make contact with the drums, not fabric!...(g)uitar players don't tape their fingertips...

That's why I call hand drummers "skin slappers!" Skin against skin is the essence of hand drumming, man...

I may not be correct but it seems to me that the taping of fingers is not so much to protect the finger pads as you play hand drums as much as it would be to support the finger itself against any injury to the bone...fracture, breaking. Thoughts?

I understand why some congueros do it, however. Many years ago I was watching a popular local band (many gigs) whose conga player had fingers that looked like Ball Park franks left on the grill too long; they not had only plumped when he cooked 'em (the congas) but they'd split like an overcooked hot dog...

Possibly, but a 2mm thick piece of tape isn't going to protect any bones. You're skin and fat offers far more protection than a little piece of tape. Sprains maybe though. I think when we are talking congas it is more about protecting the pads of skin though.

but like ya said, Gretschhead, tape isn't gonna make that much difference...

[holycow77]

Thanks for your replies guys.
I just remembered today that I started this thread and forgot to come back and check.

My problem is mainly the pain I get in my joints from smacking them on the rims. I don't mind a bit of swelling and even bleeding, but I know that joint pain isn't something to laugh at. I thought maybe tape might cushion this a bit...

Sometimes I've just gotta play real hard to be heard. I guess I'll have to trust the sound guys a bit more... I'll try tightening them somewhat and see if I get a bit more volume and pop out of them.

[Gretschhead]

I had a 3 hour jam session this evening with a drum set player and a guitarist. This was the first time I've played with anyone since I've gotten back into the congas. I had one hell of a time trying to play loud enough to not be drowned out by the drum kit. I had to really lay into them, not like I'm used to playing at home by myself. I wound up with blisters on all my fingers that all split while I was playing (bloody skins), bruised and blistered palms, a bruised right pinky, and now my hands are stuck in a claw position. I definitely need to be mic'd next time. The drummer was good, just very loud for the small place we were playing in. We had a great time though, none of us had met before, and we jammed some pretty cool stuff. My hands will hurt like hell in the morning, but they'll callous up nicely and be better than ever in a few days.

[bassist learning drums]

I had a 3 hour jam session this evening with a drum set player and a guitarist. This was the first time I've played with anyone since I've gotten back into the congas. I had one hell of a time trying to play loud enough to not be drowned out by the drum kit. I had to really lay into them, not like I'm used to playing at home by myself. I wound up with blisters on all my fingers that all split while I was playing (bloody skins), bruised and blistered palms, a bruised right pinky, and now my hands are stuck in a claw position. I definitely need to be mic'd next time. The drummer was good, just very loud for the small place we were playing in. We had a great time though, none of us had met before, and we jammed some pretty cool stuff. My hands will hurt like hell in the morning, but they'll callous up nicely and be better than ever in a few days.

YIKES!

[BongoCajon]

3 hour jam! Wow! I bet you will feel it in the morning.

[bongobro]

...Sometimes I've just gotta play real hard to be heard. I guess I'll have to trust the sound guys a bit more... I'll try tightening them somewhat and see if I get a bit more volume and pop out of them.

Hey, HC, if you have to smack the out of your congas to get more volume out of them, you need to tune your heads. When they're well tuned, you should only have to tap them gently with a finger or two and you'll get a cool sound on them.

You should NOT have to beat your hands to death to keep the beat goin'!

At church, my bongos and congas are miked with a cardiod mic which picks up all five drums very well. It's pointed at and about four or five inches above the bongos, but even playing them fairly quietly you can hear them well...and when I slap them during a lively song, they really crack!

I had a 3 hour jam session this evening with a drum set player and a guitarist. This was the first time I've played with anyone since I've gotten back into the congas. I had one hell of a time trying to play loud enough to not be drowned out by the drum kit. I had to really lay into them, not like I'm used to playing at home by myself. I wound up with blisters on all my fingers that all split while I was playing (bloody skins), bruised and blistered palms, a bruised right pinky, and now my hands are stuck in a claw position. I definitely need to be mic'd next time. The drummer was good, just very loud for the small place we were playing in. We had a great time though, none of us had met before, and we jammed some pretty cool stuff. My hands will hurt like hell in the morning, but they'll callous up nicely and be better than ever in a few days.

Awesome, Gretschhead! You'll get your rough hands and your smooth conga style back in short order, man! And definitely get your skins miced, bro'...

[djembe]

My experience is with playing djembe. It is probably the most aggressive drum towards your hands in my experience, but I guess the principles apply across any hand drum.

Serious djembe players also have very rough hands like Bongobro mentions above. It takes many years of playing to build calouses and adjust technique to allow for serious wackage without injury.

I would say that if your injuries are only skin deep then I wouldn't worry about it and accept that you will have to put some more time in alone to toughen up your hands.

If your pain in on joints of on the bone, then you really need to address your technique to avoid serious injurty in the future.

You mention taping up your hands. This can help a little if you're already injured. Often the finger tip tissue actually splits and you can protect such injuries a little bit with tape...

Where are you hands sore? Is it finger tips of pad or somewhere else?

[luv4congas]

Hurray I can now join the bleeding hand club today. Me and my Bro started off slow, a little bembe, Bomba and a little Tumbao then I started in with the Guagaunco as my bro was doing some easy fill in's. The rhythms began to sound really good (I was feeling it) and the pace began to speed up, I started banging on the congas harder and it began to be a 30 minute Guagaunco, I could feel the the muscles in my arms starting to tighten and pull but we kept on going! It finely ended with my Bro's grand finally and a high five! I had no idea two of my fingers popped like grapes but it was well worth it! A little Neosporin and a couple of band aids my fingers should be like new in a few.
L4C

[Psych1]

My first post here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When I started playing I taped my fingers. Not as much or as many fingers as Pancho but you could sure see it. But it was a style, almost a gang thing. Sure we heard the stories about Candido's cracked fingers but really, it was so others knew we were durmmers - or we could tell them when they asked.

Agree with all the comments above about tuning and striking.

Then again, there sure is something special about blood on the skins!!

[MortalDrumbat]

rub your hands with chalk after you play and skip through the magical forest