Pain in interphalangeal joints of Fretting hand

Question

I'm learning Bass for some months now, and what I noticed is that after practising, I'm having sporadic little events of pain on the sides of my fingers, mostly above and below the proximal interphalangeal joints of the fingers. It's nothing really serious, appears randomly and doesn't last very long. I however don't know what that means, as pain (as little as it may be) is usually a sign that something is bad.

So I'd like to know:

• Is this a usual thing to experience (maybe especially in the beginning)?
• Is it connected to the stretching process, as my fingers do have to stretch away from each other quite a distance on the lower frets?
• Is there any finger injury associated with playing bass, that one should be aware of, and that this could be a sign of?
• Might this be a sign that I fret with too much force, or that I don't keep the non-fretting fingers relaxed?

I'm asking very specific questions here, and the reason for that is that other technique / health related issues, like the straight wrist and its connection to carpal-tunnel syndrome or tendonitis, have been covered extensively in the community - Maybe something similar also applies here?

I've been asked to add some pictures of my posture:

Because the multiple angles that one can talk about are not that visible, the exact same posture is shown 3 times, from the front, the side, and perpendicular to the fretboard.

Some notes regarding the pictures:

• As one can see, I try to maintain a straight wrist in all the positions (at least if it comes to flexion and extension), and to do that, my thumb shows to the side. This has been a suggestion from this stack-exchange answer.
• I don't stretch the hand like this all the time, but instead only if two consecutive notes make it neccessary to do so.
• The 3rd row shows an alternative for fretting at the 5th fret, the hand is slightly less supinated (which feels better), but at the same time, the "crab" doesn't look symmetric anymore now
• In general, pinky and index finger do apply their force into a different direction than the direction they would flex in, they basically act to the side now - I don't know if that is benefitial.

Answer 1

From your pictures you seem to play with the guitar neck in the palm of your hand. This will decrease the mobility of your hand drastically, as you can see here:

Instead you should place your thumb at the back of the neck (make sure to not bend your thumb back). This will give you much more freedom of movement both up and down the fretboard as well as toward the higher and the lower strings, as I demonstrate in the video.

This means that instead of forcing your hand to spread 4 frets you can use a more relaxed position and adapt the angle of your fretting hand depending on your position, somewhat like this:

This is done without shifting (note that the thumb remains in its position all the time).

Note that in your pictures you basically need to use your index finger at an angle, which means you are going to stress the finger joint in a direction it was not build to handle. Making proper use of your thumb will also allow you to press much more straightly, decreasing strain on your finger joints.

Keep in mind: There are two types of pain coming from playing an instrument. One is muscular pain due to lack of strength. This is something you can train. The other one is pain due to strain of joints, tendons, stuff. This is not something that you can train, and it is something you should avoid as much as possible. This requires you to use good technique, a properly setup instrument and the mindset not to say "I have to endure it to get better".

Answer 2

The one finger per fret idea works quite well for guitar, but not so for bass. You may well be stretching to achieve this idea. Don't bother. if needed, move your hand up/down the fingerboard, using your index and pinky at each side of your fretting hand more.

Most players - beginners especially - will use excess pressure when fretting notes. Try to use the minimum needed. And don't curl your thumb over the neck, as some guitarists are wont to do, there's no need! Consider also the angle you hold the neck of the bass at. Pointing upwards often helps fretting, as does not slinging the bass too low on its strap. Ask yourself if the same problem occurs when seated as opposed to standing for that one.

EDIT: thanks for the pics, great help. Couple of things - thumb behind neck will help, but not used as a clamp. Elbow tight to body not a good idea, movement from shoulder will give the whole arm/wrist/hand more flexibility when needed.