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What’s new at Zystrix? Read on… September 2, 2025 The Guitarist’s Nightmare -- Avoiding and Dealing with Tendinitis In the last issue we looked at improving your guitar sound for free (click here for a refresher). This time we’re going to avoid tendinitis and also do some home remedies if you presently have the affliction. We’re also going to hear and see the latest solo piano tune by Dangerous Neighbors called Trick of Fortune. These new piano tunes are always posted on “Farcebook” in advance of being posted here, but the versions here are a higher audio and video quality. So sit back and relax. Welcome to Zystrix, the heartbeat of the universe. Where creativity and free- thinking have more value than conformity. Background Artwork The colorful artwork that surrounds the edges of this website is invisible to many cell phone users. It’s included here (with others) for your enjoyment. Multiple copies are tiled together for a cohesive and seamless background seen all around this page. Enjoy. Introduction to Tendinitis - The Guitarist’s Nightmare I’ve you’ve been playing guitar for any length of time you may have experienced tendinitis. Tendinitis is basically an inflammation of a tendon. Unfortunately this affliction has sidelined many a guitarist for a while. And if it’s a bad case it can take months to get better. So don’t gamble with your tendon health. Tendons don’t receive nourishment from direct blood flow and must infiltrate nutrients from the surrounding area. That’s why the healing process is so slow. In this issue we’re going to examine what helps, what hurts, and warm-up exercises before you give yourself tendinitis in the first place. This tendinitis information is what I have learned from experience, from being a nurse for twenty years, and is not intended to replace or be substituted for the advice from your doctor. The Nurse is in The House If You’ve Got Tendinitis Now Your tendon burns and hurts and playing guitar is painful. And the more you play the worse it gets. Now what? There are various ways to help yourself. The first thing is to stop playing your damn guitar. At least for now. Give that tendon a rest. Chances are good the affected tendon has micro tears from overuse and this is causing the pain. A wrist brace can be used to immobilize the area (about 9 to 20 dollars USA at Walmart) and this seems to help the most over the long haul. If I had to choose, since I’ve had it so many times, I’d start with a brace. Wear it even when you go to bed. An inexpensive Ace (brand) bandage (tan colored hand wrap seen here to the right) can also be used if you are on a budget. The wrap will cause compression which usually helps with swelling and pain. The problem with this one is it’s easier to put one on if someone is helping. Either way, take the brace off every day or so and GENTLY move the area to loosen it up. Give the area a little break. Then put the brace back on. Don’t play your guitar if it is still burning because you’ll just make it worse. I know it’s a devil’s temptation to push through the pain, but don’t do it. And I know this is an ugly thing to say, but full recovery may take months. Try not to use the affected area at all and give it a chance to heal. Ice packs can also help. Try using a bag of frozen peas -- it saves money, it’s re-usable, and the bag conforms to the shape of your hand. Some people say alternating warm and cold packs helps more. You be the judge. Over-the- counter drugs like aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen sodium help as long as you can tolerate them without side effects. Use them as directed. Acetaminophen is another help for the pain if you cannot tolerate any of the others, however, it does not have the anti- inflammatory properties and may not give as much relief. Some people receive steroid injections, but it’s better to give the area a break than to possibly weaken the tendon with an injection. Oral steroids also work, but it’s still better to avoid systemic steroid use if at all possible. Unfortunately tendon issues take time to heal. Rest the area, rest your hand. Freeze a paper cup of water and massage the area with the frozen cup while holding onto the paper. Sometimes it helps to raise the affected area above your heart level to reduce the swelling. I have found raising my hand for a while (especially while sleeping) to be helpful sometimes. Above all, be good to yourself. Take the time off needed for the tendon to heal and work properly. But don’t deny yourself either because music is supposed to be fun. Invent some new practice routines for when your hand gets better. Or write some new music using tab instead of the instrument. Or expand beyond guitar and write for a keyboard. Just the amount of piano music alone to inspire you can be overwhelming. But at least you’ll have your mind on your music instead of your tendon. As we discussed, do what you can for yourself before a doctor visit is necessary. Common Sense for Avoiding Tendinitis Prevention is much easier than recovery. You may want to repeat that last sentence out loud because it is so true and very important. By far one of the best ways to avoid tendinitis is to warm up your hands and wrists before playing. Play simple things and avoid long finger stretches when starting your playing routine. Avoid holding the weight of your solid body guitar with one hand. Gently put your fingers and wrists through a normal range of motion. Common Sense Rules 1. Ease into guitar playing intensity. Don’t start out with wild chords that require finger spans of several frets or phrases with high note density. 2. Increase your overall fitness, no matter how little, and don’t just concentrate on your hands. Not only will your hands feel better, but so will you. 3. Stretch and massage your hands regularly. Stretch to a place where you are stretching but you are relaxed. So if zero is no stretch and 10 is as far as you can go then stay at about 5 or 6. After your gig, rehearsal, or practice don’t forget to massage out the lactic acid built up in your hands or your hands will become even more stiff. It’s not magic. 4. Pain is not normal so don’t get into the habit of feeling pain is just how your hands are. Small tingling or pain is often a warning sign to slow down before it becomes too late. Once you go beyond where it is uncomfortable the chances are good it will take a long time to heal. 5. Mind your posture as you perform. Make sure your breathing is even. 6. Take care of your mental health. If your mental health is doing well your playing health will most likely also do well. Stretches and Warm-ups There are many hand stretches and warm-ups for the guitarist. Just a cursory look online will show many more than I listed here. However, these are the ones I prefer. Always start with warm hands because the chance for injuries is reduced. If you are in a cold climate and your hands are very cold put your hands and wrists in a tub of warm water until they are warmed and loosened up. Once again, use common sense and use these exercises at your own risk. If you are unsure, check with your doctor before beginning any of these exercises. Hand Shaking Gently shake your hands out to help them warm up and get limber. Wrist Stretch With your arms straight out and bending at the wrist finger tips toward the floor and then slowly toward the ceiling. The Wet Towel Pretend to wring out a wet towel backwards and forwards. Fist to Open Hand Make a tight fist and then open your hands wide. Fingers Apart and Then Together Holding your hand flat stretch the fingers apart and then back together. Tendinitis Conclusion Somehow some lucky guitarists manage to never get tendinitis, while others (like myself) have had it several times. I’ve worn out at least a couple hand braces. Do warm ups and cool down routines and your chances of your hands staying pain free are much better. I hope this information I gathered from my experience and shared here has helped you grow as a musician and as a music lover. Trick of Fortune -- solo piano by Dangerous Neighbors Sometimes someone’s beliefs or expectations about luck, or fate, or faith can be manipulated by a deceptive fraudster, scammer, or religious leader for their own financial gain. The victim is led to believe they have a problem, a curse, or future horrible fate that only the manipulator can resolve. Click here for the MP3 version of Trick of Fortune. Click here for the video version. Enjoy. Don’t touch that dial… Stay tuned next time… If you’re here we’re going to explore re- amping guitar in a DAW (digital audio workstation). And nope, there won’t be any piano tune. Sorry. Maybe I’ll see you at the mosh pit. I spent a lot of time and money childproofing my home, but somehow they got inside anyway.

Zystrix = a source, shaman, or library disseminating secret or lost knowledge, art, or music.

ZYSTRIX POPULAR FREE DOWNLOADS The Best Free Synthesizers of 2024 It’s another epic issue, and there’s lots of FREE downloads here. And the Honorable Mention Synthesizer List might surprise you. This list is long, so prepare yourself. And if it seems like too much to take in, I warned you. Click here for the official list of The Best Free Synthesizers of 2024. The Best Free Mastering Plugins Your DAW (digital audio workstation) will be so happy. And so will you. Here are the best of the best for EQ, compression, limiting, tube and tape emulation, reverb, delay, and honorable mentions. This list is a must have with lots of downloads. Check out The Best FREE Plugins for Mastering 2024. Here’s a free download of almost one and a half hours of original neo-classical solo piano by Dangerous Neighbors. This full length album called Piano Top to Bottom consists of 18 original piano pieces with the final piece in two movements. There is a bonus track making 20 files total. This download comes in three format options: the first option is a single file MP3 containing all the tunes in one chunk similar to tape recordings. The second download option is a folder with all of the separate MP3 piano pieces named and arranged in album order similar to a CD or MP3 player. The third download option is similar to videos found on “ZooTube” with the names and times on the screen. There is also a fourth surprise version made only for “ZooTube” and it is edited down to less than 15 minutes long because of their telephone number required rule. Basically it just guides the listener here. To download any or all of these options simply click here. Enjoy. Free Guitar Cabinet Impulse Responses Introducing the next generation in guitar cabinet impulse responses. Try the new Djammincabs Maxxx 4x12. All of these cab IR files are based on old, new, and boutique 4x12 cab curves. All are recorded in beautiful 24-bit 48K mono and will work on most free and paid digital convolvers. 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Djammincabs for Guitar Free Guitar Impulse Responses This is the original Djammincabs guitar cabinet impulse response collection that started it all. Click here to download over 200 Free Guitar Cabinet Impulse Responses. Djammincabs for Bass Guitar Download Free Bass Impulse Responses Click here to download over 200 Free Bass Guitar Cabinet Impulse Responses. Best Free Guitar Impulses. The Top 11 Best Free Guitar and Bass Cabinet Impulse Responses for 2022 (in alphabetical order…) Find, download, and test the best free guitar cabinet impulse responses for 2022. FREE BASS LOOPS SAMPLES DOWNLOAD ROYALTY FREE BASS LOOP SAMPLES FREE BASS LOOPS Over 200 samples are included in the collection Download the complete collection of 24-bit bass loops here. NOTE: This download size is approximately 369 Megs. 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Download over 50 Reverb Relics from the past including oil cans. Click here to download free reverb impulse responses. Free Drum Samples Only Available from Zystrix Free Gong Samples and Sounds Free Snare Drum Samples and Sounds Free Bass Drum Samples and Sounds Free Oriental Cymbal Samples and Sounds Free Oriental Bells Samples and Sounds The Ultimate Original Drum Sounds List Download over 2000 original slammin’ rock bass drums. Download original Gongs, Cymbals, Broken Cymbals, and Bells. Download Over 200 Free Original Bass Drum Sounds and Samples. Download over 200 Original Free snare drum sounds. Click here to download Drum Kit Sounds. Dangerous Neighbors The SW Michigan Rock Band Power Trio. Free Rockin’ Music Downloads Download tunes from the 80s to today. Use the special codes on the Embalmed for Life page (see the DOWNLOAD FREE AUDIO BOOKS link below) and get free downloads for the complete album and the free horror audio book The Fluid - Embalmed for Life. Click here to download various music from the rock band Dangerous Neighbors. Download Free Synth Samples for Intros, Interludes, and Endings Listen to example #01 by clicking here (MP3 Sample) Download FREE professional quality stereo sample packs that slowly evolve over time. All samples are in 48K 24 bit WAV format and are about 20 seconds long or more. If you like suspense, psycho, outer space, or terror then this collection is for you. These range from paranoia to sci-fi, cinematic gore to strange industrial horror, and creepy creatures to insane laboratories. Click here to download all the synth Intros, Interludes, and Endings. DOWNLOAD FREE AUDIO BOOKS The Fluid, Embalmed for Life There are Free Audio Book codes for Audible downloads (must sign up). There are also free sample downloads of the book reading. There are free downloads of music samples. There is a free “Look Inside” download of the paperback. There is a free glossary of the largest list of mortuary slang in the world. The Free Dangerous Neighbors Album The Fluid, Embalmed for Life comes included as part of the audio book and parts are available here as a free download. The paperback book is available for sale at Amazon dot com. I have no control over these sales; because of the Amazon agreement I cannot offer complete paperback or complete audio books here. And for some reason most book sales go to Japan. Who would have thunk it? Click here for free audio books, book reading samples, music samples, etc. Take me back to the top of the page. Zystrix Privacy Policy THE FINE PRINT: Zystrix is a world leader in personal privacy and we take your privacy very seriously. We do not store, sell, give away, or barter with any of your personal or private information including your email, IP address, links clicked, location, habits, tastes, online activities and behaviors, or anything else considered personal or private information. 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