elbow pain

hey everyone, happy new year! I am a virgin (player) and i have been at the guitar for almost 7-8 months...just finally clueing into a few things (what an aggravating learning curve!)...anyway...NOW i am past the finger-tip pain...NOW my friggin elbow / forearm kills me!...what can i do????
please help

Try playing with only moving your wrist. It sounds like your using your whole arm to strum. I did this for the longest time before I was corrected. :D

are you sitting and playing or standing up?

sitting is much more comfortable and easier.

its all about how you hold it. when you find yourself in PAIN, stop, shake it off, streach it out. once its gone, try again. if you just CANT do it without the pain, your doing something wrong... just try playing in a different position. if you stick with it, you'll find it.

Log on to some medical sites and make sure you don't have 'tennis elbow' or whatever. You'll probably find some good advice on them as well.

A guy goes to the doctor and says Doc my elbow is killing me.The Doc says pee in this cup.The guy says hows that going to tell you what is wrong with my elbow.Doctor replies "I have a new computer that can analyze the urine and tell me everything wrong with a patient.The guy says ok and pee's in the cup.The doc takes it ,pours it into his computer and out comes a piece of paper.The doctor says according to this you have tennis elbow.He gives him some meds and tells him to bring back another urine sample in a week.
Well a week later the guy is still a non believer when it comes to new technology so he spices up the urine sample for the docs new super computer.He has his wife pee in it ,his daughter pees in it,he even got his dog to pee in it.Then he masturbates in it,stirs it all up and takes it to the doc.The doc pours it into his computer.The patient asks,"Whats that super computer say about that."
(Well it says here,Your wifes pregnant,your dog has worms,your daughter has the clap and if you don't stop jacking,your never going to get over that tennis elbow.)

A guy goes to the doctor and says Doc my elbow is killing me.The Doc says pee in this cup.The guy says hows that going to tell you what is wrong with my elbow.Doctor replies "I have a new computer that can analyze the urine and tell me everything wrong with a patient.The guy says ok and pee's in the cup.The doc takes it ,pours it into his computer and out comes a piece of paper.The doctor says according to this you have tennis elbow.He gives him some meds and tells him to bring back another urine sample in a week.
Well a week later the guy is still a non believer when it comes to new technology so he spices up the urine sample for the docs new super computer.He has his wife pee in it ,his daughter pees in it,he even got his dog to pee in it.Then he masturbates in it,stirs it all up and takes it to the doc.The doc pours it into his computer.The patient asks,"Whats that super computer say about that."
(Well it says here,Your wifes pregnant,your dog has worms,your daughter has the clap and if you don't stop jacking,your never going to get over that tennis elbow.)

i was having the same elbow problem a week ago. here's how i solved it.

i usually sit when i practice guitar cause its more comfortable and with my alder guitar its heavy and stuff. so when i would sit down and play, i would anchor my elbow somewhere on the guitar and start playing with the elbow anchored, and that makes me move the elbow around instead of my wrist. i kept trying to use my wrist but i just couldnt.

so then i decided since i just learned star spangled banner hendrix style, i should stand up and see if i can play it. now, i got so used to sitting down that when i stood up i couldnt get my hand to move right. i kept hitting the wrong strings. so then i decided to keep my hand off of the guitar at all times and just move my wrist around and it worked. and those elbow pains went away.

now when i sit down im used to using my wrist it comes natural and i dont have to worry about tendinitis (tennis elbow).





but i dont know if you play standing up or sitting down so im not sure if this will work for you.

Thanks for the replys.....i have tried the peeing in a cup thing...lol.....i play sitting down all of the time..and it's my fretting elbow not my strumming elbow. I was talking to an SRV tribute band guitarist ( who is BAR NONE, the best SRV player i've ever heard....my opinion of course) anyway, he told me same as the first reply...to stretch and shake it off...it's probably because i am too tight at playing..i should be more relaxed...i guess i'm squeezing to tight..i must learn to relax....the "virgin" thing i guess.....thanks guys

if i knew it was your fretting hand then i would have gave the same reply. anyway you're welcome. glad to see your elbow got fixed.. sorta

I only have fret hand pain in my wrist and forearm. That's only playing at a decent tempo for an extended period of time. It's usually the barre chords that do it.