domhatch wrote
if you don't mind me asking, what kinds of problems? i've been picking up twinges in my kernuckles, more pronounced in my picking hand than my fretting hand, but on both if i'm honest. and they seem to be less inclined to clench when i make a fist. (my grandmother - piano teacher and player extraordinaire - used to tell me i'd get arthritis if i clicked my knuckles. i'm starting to think mebbe she was right all along...)
From experience I can tell you that difficulty making a fist is an indicator of carpal tunnel syndrome. It's not the only explanation for that problem, but AN explanation.
I'd recommend consulting a good physio. I know (and have worked with) one who specialises in arms and hands. Her rooms are in the Craighall area. If you want her contact details then PM me.
Hybrid picking: I was experimenting with that for a while. I demonstrated the technique to said physio. She said it's a good way to wreck things (though not the knuckles). The reason being that the fingers are meant to oppose the thumb, but when you hybrid pick you can have one finger working with the thumb and the others against (whereas finger picking doesn't have that aspect).
But there's hybrid picking and hybrid picking. Some players throw it in occasionally to play two notes. Other players (Danny Gatton, Jerry Donohue, Richard Thompson) make a LOT of use of hybrid picking and they might be doing themselves some damage.
Generally there's a chance of RSIs with lots of guitar playing (maybe less for classical players with good posture, more relaxed right elbow etc). A lot of the old toppies still rocking wear their guitars lower than they did in the 60s and 70s, and I wonder if there's more to it than just looking cool.
