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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: Baz Bowdidge Date: 18 Dec 11 - 02:08 PM After 20 years as a tech in the music biz, Multiple Sclerosis forced me into early retirement. Early days of this condition I returned to playing an occasional floor spot (guitar, banjo, banjolele). As things worsened, with ability diminishing, I turned to Rob Aylward (in those days based here down south). Rob built me a guitar to my needs. Because I used to capo up 2 frets to play in A (G shape ala Carter) he made me a guitar with a neck 2 frets short (my joke,I tell folk it's 'Two frets short of a guitar). Coincidentally this facilitates two advantages 1. For me - a wider neck 2. Normal tuning requires slacker strings for easy action. A thought for the OP, Alley - if you slacken off your strings, capo up a few, then tune to preference - would that work? (sadly my playing days are over - such is progressive MS) Baz |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: Bobert Date: 18 Dec 11 - 09:41 AM Well, well, well... Seems that that the glucosamine has finally given out for me and my thumb base arthritis has settled back into my left thumb... I play almost exclusively slide so I can still handle that but I'm thinkin' of seeing a doctor... I know... Horrors!!! B~ |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: GUEST,BigBoa Date: 17 Dec 11 - 07:44 PM Several good ideas, but the mighty Boa didn't notice many suggestions including finger exercises. There are a number of good books, including "Guitar Fitness" by Josquin Des Pres. There are also plenty of videos on youtube and other places by Michael Angelo Batio, Paul Gilbert, John Petrucci and others as well as sites dedicated to guitar like guitarlessons365, all of which have plenty of finger exercise examples. Don't worry so much about the speed as just doing the examples cleanly. Pick a few out and ALWAYS use them as a warm-up. The mighty Boa ALWAYS makes sure to do some and though having normally stiff fingers and pain in the left hand at the base of the thumb, these exercises tend to loosen things up well before playing. Lots of other benefits too, syncing up the hands, picking technique, etc. |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: GUEST,guest.gl Date: 20 Sep 11 - 06:10 PM Starting playing about 2 years ago (in my late thirties) and recently started experiencing painful, swollen joints in my fretting hand open C chord being the worst. Whilst I have no suggestions as to what may or may not work, I shall try a combination of the recommendations, I can truly say that some of the comments from those above are very inspiring and brought a lump to my throat. Nice to know that 5 years on from the start of this thread that guitarists all over the world, suffering or not, still have the passion and desire to keep playing and support each other. Rock on (or blues or jazz or whatever) brothers and sisters, rock on ! |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: GUEST,john Date: 08 Sep 11 - 04:32 AM Diet works for some, not others. Methotrexate works for 2/3 of the people. I know someone who swears by the diet - got him out of a wheelchair. Shouldnt' work for OA - that's wear. not immune system based. |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: Genie Date: 06 Sep 11 - 07:59 PM The main nutrient I would eat tomatoes for is lutein, but aside from loving (and growing) tomatoes, eschewing them would mean never eating pizza, red salsa, many salads, minestrone, etc. Lots of other ways to get the other vitamins. And I hardly ever eat oranges (though I do like them). I still don't think diet is a major contributor to my very localized arthritis problems, but I do take glucosamine and fish oils. |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: The Sandman Date: 06 Sep 11 - 04:54 PM Genie, take cod liver oil ,cider vinegar and glucosamine, cut out oranges, dont know about tomatoes, if you wish to cut out tomatoes, do so, just take folic acid and vitamin c tablets instead, but cut out oranges. |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: Genie Date: 05 Sep 11 - 05:58 PM Stringsinger, if I had reason to really suspect that nightshades were causing my arthritis, I might take the (to me) draconian measure of never eating any potatoes, tomatoes, okra, peppers, eggplant, tomatilloes, etc. But I've been diagnosed with osteoarthritis, and the location of my arthritic joints clearly suggests wear-and-tear from heavy use as the culprit. (E.g., the worst nodes are on my my left hand (as is most of the stiffness) and in the location of an old injury to my big toe. I don't seem to have arthritis in my wrists or ankles, or most of the other joints of my body.) Plus my screenings for rheumatoid arthritis keep coming up negative. It may seem a minor thing to eschew nightshades, but though I rarely eat potatoes or eggplant or peppers, giving up tomatoes and tomato products would mean giving up on a number of health benefits that they provide. Plus, so many salads, soups and other dishes contain tomatoes or tomato sauce, that it's not that easy (or desirable) to cut tomatoes out entirely. I'd do it if I were convinced they were a likely source of osteoarthritis. But I just haven't come across any sound evidence to convince me that eating tomatoes contributes to the stiffness and the loss of cartilage in the joints of my chording hand. |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: Brian May Date: 05 Sep 11 - 07:51 AM The best I managed is when I played with Fred Wedlock. What do Arthritis do anyway? Everyone I've asked just said they're were a pain . . . Taking cover ... |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: Stringsinger Date: 04 Sep 11 - 11:48 AM You might dismiss this, but think about your diet (food intake) and its effect on your joints. |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: Genie Date: 03 Sep 11 - 08:42 PM Thanks for the suggestions, Flip. Especially the tip about the C chord. (I've gone back to a non-barre F and non-barre versions of the B minor chord, both of which can be moved up the neck, just without hitting the E and A strings, because of a Bouchard's node on my barre-ing finger that hits the fretboard painfully when I do a barre.) But I didn't think diet had much to do with osteoarthritis, which is what I have (not rheumatoid). Plus, even when I control the pain and stiffness with topical or ingested treatments (e.g., glucosamine, NSAIDS, capsaicin, etc.), my left hand fingers (the first two anyway) won't fully straighten and the distal joint on my left ring finger hardly bends, making it very difficult to play most barre chords except for Fmin. Does changing your diet enable really stiffened arthritic joints to actually bend again? Genie |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: Fl!p Breskin Date: 03 Sep 11 - 08:11 PM Whew! Lots of us are dealing with this. I started by removing Nightshades from my diet completely for 3 full weeks, and then re-introducing it to see what happened. It was unmistakable that for me, removing nightshades removed the arthritis completely. But that's no tomatoes, potatoes, peppers of any kind at all (chilies), and a whole bunch of other stuff. If anyone wants my list, I'm happy to share it. Before I got that sorted out, I learned not to strum every string on every chord. That lets you leave out the index finger on the C chord. These days I also got a guitar with a MUCH shorter scale so I don't have to stretch so far. I teach guitar, and also ergonomics for string players. I'd be happy to talk with you and see what we can figure. I've watched a lot of friends progress from being able to play through being able to play a little, to not being able to play any more. Many of them spent some time on Dobro along the way. Recommend Ursula LeGuin's short story Gwillan's Harp, in her Compass Rose collection. Good luck! /Fl!p |
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Subject: Arthritic nodes on chording hand - treatments From: Genie Date: 03 Sep 11 - 07:04 PM One thing glucosamine and NSAIDs can't really help is the interference with chording caused by Bouchard's nodes and Heberden's nodes at the finger joints. That's why I started that thread to see if anyone has information about successful surgical removal of such nodes. Genie |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: The Sandman Date: 03 Sep 11 - 03:08 PM keith richards plays in [d]gdgbd |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: Clontarf83 Date: 03 Sep 11 - 02:31 PM I'm running into this problem over the last 12 months. Right shoulder sized up, tendonitis in the left elbow, swollen stiff fingers. I have started with glucosamine, and mu GP is getting me xrays and mri for soft tissue The biggest problem is psychological--its no longer a pleasure to pick up my guitar--even picking it up is painful... There are plenty of cures offered in this thread---thanks to those who contributed. I read that Jean Carignan, the quebec fiddle master, used to knit to keep his fingers supple, while he worked as a taxi driver. |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: autoharpbob Date: 03 Sep 11 - 08:10 AM I stopped playing guitar for about five years, and when I came back to it my fingers wouldn't work - osteoarthritis. So I took up the autoharp. With the left hand, one finger=one chord. And not a lot of pressure required, and it comes from the arm not the finger joints. The right hand fingers just need the ability to move fast - no pressure at all. If you want to stick with the guitar, look at Keith Richards hands sometime! It must still be possible. If you have osteoarthritis, once the nodule have fully developed, the pain tends to go. |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: GUEST,john Date: 03 Sep 11 - 07:22 AM I've had it for close to 15 years - am nearly 50. Blood test - only 80% shows up in blood test. Depends if you have osteo or rheumatoid type (in general terms). See a rheumatologist. NSAIDS used to help but long term use put me on the road to gastritis - so beware of them. I now take Methotrexate. As for playing - warming the fingers/wrists/bodies helps. I take a couple of paracetamol (acetaminophen in N/America), and use red tiger balm about 30 - 60 mins before I play. That seems to loosen the hand etc up. Find alternate chords and/or change key (capo). I play more bass now - less stress on the hand. lighter gauge strings then lower the action. I'm teaching myself alt tunings and will likely have to take up slide. I used to fingerpick a lot. Consider a shorter scale guitar (don't have to stretch). As to the width of the fingerboard, I need a narrow one to play lead and a wider one to play chords (classical guitar width). It's very much about finding what suits, looking after the joints, and getting GOOD medical help early before the deterioration gets too advanced. And as MikeL2 did, a friend of mine swapped to piano. Better some music than none!! I did a lot of carpentry today and then tried to play guitar tonight - not a hope! |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: GUEST,baza Date: 12 Feb 11 - 04:39 PM Afraid you're all going to suffer regarding the arthritis in your hands. I have been looking for the cure for twenty years but have now started on Methotrexate tabs, not nice to take but it has to be better than the pain, arthritis is a disease that over the counter treatments will not cure, so get on down to your doctors and let him advise you, it will take a blood test and then the Doc will be able to prescribe a course of treatment.Best of luck to Y'all. |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: GUEST,Durango Guitar Works Date: 31 May 10 - 09:19 PM Try using a short acale 24' guitar..strings bend easy and you use a lighter touch..I have arthritis,,it works for me. Thanks Jimmy Durango Guitar Works |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: GUEST,Johnny Savola Date: 31 May 10 - 08:35 AM Thanks for all the suggestions, many I've not thought of. I've got big pain in the thumbs (osteo arthritis) so my solution is: 1.Scallop your fingerboard. You will then require less pressure to cleanly fret the string - makes a huge difference. 2. Low,low action. Better to sacrifice tone than to not play at all. 3. Thomastic KR116 flat wound stings for classical guitar (can still use a magnetic pickup)- Smooth, low tension, easy to play. 4. Use chords incorporating open strings. 5. Open tunings. 6. Low Stress Diet: eat nothing from the cow and give up wheat; obviously stimulants like tea, coffee, alcohol and cigarettes don't help (if you're like me and can't give them up then try to not be a glutton. reduce your input of these things) 7. Take zinc, magnesium, fish oil and selenium supplements. 8. Attitude: do what you can, while you can, and be grateful that you can. Best wishes and make as much music as you can. |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: VirginiaTam Date: 30 Jan 10 - 12:00 PM My RA must be playing up again. I tend to keep my hands balled into fists and bent inward at wrists when not using them, even in sleep. Wake with ouchies of stiffness and waves of pain in fingers, hands and forearms. Sometimes hot sharp tingly pain. Guitar playing is off. I can get through about one and half songs before they say NO MORE! Most annoying thing is not doing chord changes at right timing. Too soon or too slow. it's a bummer. |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: PoppaGator Date: 30 Jan 10 - 11:49 AM No advice, etc., from me this time. I'm just checking in to report that I'm developing a new problem. Til now, my arthritic pain and stiffness has been concentrated in my four left-hand fingers (especially the pinky and index) and right pinky. Now I've begun to feel it in my left THUMB, and down into the heel of the hand, affecting my whole left-hand grip on the neck of the guitar. Not yet totally crippling ~ I can still play through the pain, which varies in intensity from negligible to very annoying. My main problem is worry over how much longer will it be until I won't be able to continue playing. |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: GUEST,Eric Date: 19 Jan 10 - 09:34 PM switch to lap steel guitar! |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: Gutcher Date: 13 Jan 10 - 06:39 PM The advice from Mikel.2 is very sound. In my own case, 5yrs.back, I would rise in the morning & for up to two hours be unable to touch my porrige spoon or teacup due to the extreme pain. At that time I happened to purchase a 3 row button keyed box [B.C.C"] at a roup[rhymes with pout], not pope as our southern neighbours have it,this being the first time I had ever handled such an instrument.By dint of long & constant practice I mastered the beast & am happy to report that I now only get an occasional twinge of pain. I must stress that long hours at a time were involved.Drove my long suffering wife up the wall. I do not take medication of any kind for the arthritis but prefer to use mind over matter,this in my case works very well. I do not play any other instrument Joe. |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: MikeL2 Date: 13 Jan 10 - 10:13 AM Hi Everyone I play guitar ( right handed ) and some years ago I broke some bones in my left hand when some clumsy 20 stone rugby forward stomped on it. My hand was set in plaster with my fingers bent at the second knuckle for some weeks. When the plaster cast was removed my hand was "stuck" in its bent position. Physiotherapy helped take away the swelling and stiffness. Except for the first knuckle joint which was still swollen and bent downwards. The medics said that they would break and re-set the joint but at that time I couldn't afford to have my hand in plaster again and decided to live with it as it was. I started to play my guitar again but I have always had difficulty since playing a full barre with the first finger. Practise helped me overcome this but now I guess my age iis catching up on me. I now find it impossible to play barres at all and I am having problems with the joints on both hands. I have tried all kinds of things to try to " lubricate" them and none really worked for me. I still wanted to play music so I bought myself an electric keyboard for Christmas. I have not really played piano or keyboards before. I have been learning by playing practice pieces and scales with both hands ( separately at the moment)and I am finding that the different exercise to the hands and fingers is helping me get better mobility in the joints. I am now able to play my guitar more fluently - still not able to barre. But as I don't gig these days I can get around it reasonably well. So guys maybe you should try to play a keyboard.......and no I don't sell em....lol cheers mike |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: leftydee Date: 13 Jan 10 - 09:50 AM Soaking between very hot and very cold water alternately for 20-30 seconds 6 or 7 times then stretching gets my poor old arthritic hands loose enough to play. It's not a cure but gets rid of the stiffness tempararily. See a doctor too, you're young and have along time to use those hands! |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: GUEST,acid black cherry Date: 13 Jan 10 - 01:01 AM i'm 16 and i'm already getting the symptoms of what everyone's talking about!!! both sides of my family are FULL of arthritis, and i just found out that pain in my heals since i was 12, was arthritis! also most of my figures are curved; if that means anything? i play guitar solos lately, and i can feel pain in my figures building. my mom says to put a hot pad on, but from experience from my heals, it doesn't cure in the long run. I heard if you don't warm up your hands before playing, you could get hurt; perhaps related to arthritis. guitar warm ups, such as 'spider walk' or whatever that creepy finger movement exercise, has helped me increase playing spread, and i don't exactly get pain WHILE i play. I think the advice of taking fish oil supplements and those two other kinds are good, because i learned in my health course that those are essential for lubricating joints. |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: GUEST,Marianne Date: 07 Jul 09 - 08:30 AM Thanks for this thread, I googled "Guitarist Arthritis" and found it. I play acoustic since I was 12 (I'm a lot older than that now) but my current love is bass. Recently my hands and fingers have been giving me all kinds of problems, at first I thought it might be related to menopause but doc says I'm not there yet. Tingling, aches, and soreness/inflammation in the joints and knuckles. I've had to abandon "finger style" bass playing for the moment and take up the plectrum instead; maybe I can take it up again later if and when things improve. What I find is my hands and fingers play beautifully when they're "on the job" but it's only afterwards they start complaining! I also work constantly with computers and my left index finger is the one I use for the mouse so I think that is also a factor. I take glucosamine/chondroitin and also fish oils but I am going to take up that suggestion about wheat. Been suspicious about that for a while. I also have an ibuprofen gel to rub on the hands before and after playing and also a glucosamine gel... and I use a wrist support on both wrists now. Mostly just wanted to say it's really encouraging to know that there are other old creaky people out there still playing their axes! When I started with this I thought it was the end of the world, couldn't imagine a life without playing... but turns out I still can so I intend to keep doing so. Thanks everyone for sharing. |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: The Sandman Date: 02 Jun 09 - 02:47 PM I suffer from gout.lemon juice is the job. |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: PoppaGator Date: 02 Jun 09 - 01:44 PM My particular case of arthritis doesn't give me any trouble with the C major chord; for me, it's the first-position A major chord ~ which I used to make easily with one finger ~ that gives me problems. It's almost impossible for me to play this chord without muting the open high-E string. (I believe that this is the same note on the same string that poses problems for other folks with the C chord.) The problem is that my fingers no longer bend backwards at the top knuckle ~ neither the index (with which I used to hold down three strings to play the A) nor the pinky (used for the same three strings in the same "shape" but in barre-chord form, that is, Bb, B, C, and so on up the neck). For the A, I try to "fudge it" by playing the simplest form of the A7 (002020), muting the G string with one finger but being careful NOT to mute the high E. And as far as the barre chords like Bb, I just can't play 'em at all. On the other hand, I'm actually regaining some ability to play the top two strings with my semi-crippled pinky. I can't move it as fluidly as I used to, but I'm learning to adapt and to hit the same notes as before, but in a more stolid and deliberate manner. |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: GUEST,Ihaveasolution Date: 02 Jun 09 - 10:30 AM Guys and Gals- I'm young- 28 years old and I already have arthritis creeping into my left index finger (I first picked up a guitar when I was about 11). Funny, all that talk about difficulty playing "c" chords. That's exactly when it starts to act up- when I play country/blues music on the acoustic guitar and play lots of open chords, particularly "c". I found a solution: Play slide guitar. Tune to open E, pick up Allman Bros. Live at Fillmore East. Devote your life to learning to play like Duane. Hopefully that will keep me playing at full volume and pain free until something else kills me. J |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: GUEST,Tom Walsh Date: 02 May 09 - 08:33 PM I've suffered from chronic Gout for many years. I finally stopped drinking (it's been over a year)changed my diet and take medication (Allopurinal). However, the gout attacks did severe damage to the joints of my fingers. I can hardly move the fingers of my right hand, and have about 75% motion in my left. As a guitarist for 44 years, I'm making due the best that I can. I've had to relearn how to hold a pick. Finger picking is out of the question. Getting back to that C chord, one way to attack the problem is to learn triads in every key every where on the neck. This way you should be able to find a comfortable way to play every chord somewhere on the neck. For major chords, you need the 1st, third, and fifth notes of the major scale. C,E, and G for a C chord. Anywhere that you can play those notes together, you're playing a C Major chord. Learning these triads will also help you in learning your way around the fretboard. For Minor chords, it's the 1st, flatted third, and fifth notes. For myself, I started on a Glucosamine/Chondroitin regimine so far, I haven't noticed any results. I pick up the guitar for at least an hour a day and play the songs that I like using the chord inversions that I can still play. I also try some things that I can't really reach hoping that maybe I'll be able to do it tomorrow. It's almost like learning to play all over again, you know, when your fingers just don't want to reach that note, but eventually they do. Tom Walsh Bronx,NY |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: The Sandman Date: 30 Jan 09 - 09:49 AM someone mentioned on another thread DGDGAE,an interesting tuning.the problem with louieroys, a major shape on 5th fret,is that it is not a very good inversion,youare doubling the weak note[the third],but of course its better than not playing at all. |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: GUEST,Barry Date: 30 Jan 09 - 08:48 AM Hi Guys, I've been playing the guitar for about a year now. Bit late in life as I am 53, still better late than never. I play most days and the joints on my fingers and thumbs have now started to swell and some days I find it too painful to play. Have a copper bracelet and have been looking into Glucosamine/Chondroitan. I am also epileptic so not sure if this will clash with my medication (phenytoin and carbamazepine)? Thanks for the tip about the extra low tension strings. |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: The Sandman Date: 22 Dec 08 - 05:12 PM as well as dadgad,try cgcgcd. |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: GUEST,Two step Date: 22 Dec 08 - 04:16 PM My knuckles have just begun to be painful. I've bought a child's guitar so I don't have to stretch so far, I'm hoping that will help. I'm vegetarian so don't want to take fish oil, but maybe it is something I'll have to consider. I take shellfish free glucosamine, it helps a little. |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: GUEST,Big Elk Date: 16 Nov 08 - 06:13 PM Question 1 Have you diagnosed arthritis or have you assumed that this is the problem. Inflamed ligaments and tendons in the fingers are incredibly painful. Question 2 Have you looked at the set up of your guitar, can you adjust the action, if you play first inversions chords only, you can have less relief and the guitar will require less pressure to hold down a note. If you are not familiar with these terms seek out a good guitar technician. Question 3 What gauge and tension of strings do you use and what is the width of the neck on your guitar. And the scale length of your guitar. Generally, because there is no 100% failsafe rule, as your hands stiffen up, • Find and use a warm up exercise before you play. • Go for a wider neck, that is thick enough to fill the hand but not so thick it's uncomfortable. • Use lighter or low tension strings as they require less effort to finger. If you do have a problem you don't want to make it worse by playing guitar. • Seek out a good guitar technician who can optimise the set up of your guitar to keep you playing. • Complementary medicines are great, but seek advice. • Look at your posture, eliminate all tension, look at Alexander, Classical Guitar and other techniques. • If you have to seek out a new guitar, think about a compact body, balance, and ease of action. Dreadnaughts, Super Jumbos 12 strings and medium gauge strings are out. 12 fret necks pull everything into a compact shape and reduce tension in neck, shoulders and hands. • Play around with tunings, DADGAD gives a fantastic range of options with 2 fingers. • If you cant be technical, live with it and focus on being musical instead I have been plagued with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and chronic tendonitis for years, but I have kept on playing. I can't do big stretches or bar chords, but I am musical and I now have to think about the music and the lyrics of a song and not the technique. This has made me a better musician. Don't Give Up, adapt. Best Wishes |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: olddude Date: 16 Nov 08 - 01:33 PM I did however figure out that I have some feeling under the finger nail on one of the digits :-) I took a banjo 5th string pin under the nail not too long ago. That let me know I was alive. Glucosamine never did much for me but I know people who do swear by it. I hope you feel better and can get it worked out |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: olddude Date: 16 Nov 08 - 01:04 PM Your finger remember where to go, but the arthritis makes it hard to go there, I have a body riddled with it, Lost all feeling in the left hand from a neck injury, absolutely no sense of touch, lost most of the sense of touch in my right hand (my picking hand) with the exception of my thumb and the docs say it will never come back because of the nerve damage. The only thing that works for me is just playing and playing and playing. They will adapt my friend , they will re-tune and figure out how to press the strings. It maybe different from before but they will work. All I can say is I have tried every medication and nothing really works for me The only thing I found was practice through it. |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: Twelvestrum Date: 16 Nov 08 - 11:11 AM I don't have arthitis, but in a recent accident, I severed the nerve for my left hand index and middle fingers. This has resulted in almost no sense of touch in the index finger -- so that 'C' chord is very difficult, as well as many others because I can't feel where the fingertip is being placed. This results in a lot of buzzes or dulled notes. Barre chords are very hard because I can't feel the amount of pressure that is needed. I have managed to adapt my playing style so that I make a lot of use of the other 3 fingers, but my lack of trust in the index finger is a real nuisance. My solution is to look for alternative tunings in which I can use one or two finger chords and drones. DADGAD looks to be a very likely candidate, especially as I prefer folk and Celtic-style music. As far as trying to overcome this type of problem, whether it be arthritis, nerve damage or whatever - a constant source of inspiration has to be Django. Look what he accomplished with just two fingers!!! |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: Aeola Date: 30 Sep 08 - 05:33 PM I have a mate who has suffered from arthritis since 18 years of age and has been on pain killers all the time. He had the fingers straightened ( screws put in, had his toes done at the same time )needless to say it went wrong and one of the screws is still in his right hand and still on painkillers. He plays a mean guitar but has taken to using a plectrum and does play acoustic/electric. Music is his life ( he has had major heart surgery ) and he just puts up with the pain. Not good news but you can continue. He enjoys the gigs every w/e! |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: GUEST,Tom Date: 30 Sep 08 - 03:08 PM Yup, my hands are getting creaky but thank goodness they still perform well. After gigging on acoustic for 7+ years, I've restrung with lights and tune down to C. The guitar sounds huge and the string tension is low enough that it sounds like a funky strat with acoustic tone. My left index finger is the sore one but if I adjust my hand position so it's more of a right angle to the neck, it feels much better on the C and F chords. I also play a Strat in various bands - low action and light guage works wonders. I'm also taking Glucosamine, as it's helped with hip soreness. I sure hope modern medicine can come up with the arthritis killer! |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: Sir Roger de Beverley Date: 28 Sep 08 - 08:17 AM As it turns out, the right hand index finger joint that I'm having trouble with is not suitable for joint replacement due to the high forces generated by the finger/thumb pinch. Apparently the experience is that artificial joints fail or loosen because of this. So, I'm having the joint fused instead - the operation is set for October 16th. I did ask the surgeon about it affecting my playing and he is hopeful that things should be OK, given that I have very little movement in the joint anyway. R |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: PoppaGator Date: 16 Jun 08 - 03:17 PM Jeez, Ernie, I couldn't imagine abandoning my own all-acoustic Martin, even though it is getting increasingly difficult for me to play. It just sounds so good, and it's the only instrument I've owned for the last 39 years, which means that I've developed ways to make it sound its best. I know, of course, that the average electric guitar is much easier on the left hand than just about any steel-string acoustic, and I'm certainly not ready to switch over to electric ~ not completely, anyway. I hadn't given much thought tot he idea of an acoustic-electric, and hadn't imagined that the action would be significantly easier than on a regualr "acoustic-=acoustic" guitar. I'm intrigued by what you're telling us about your Taylor T-5. |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: GUEST,Ernie Date: 16 Jun 08 - 01:36 PM I've got basal joint arthritis (at the base of both thumbs) and arthritis in the first joint of my left index finger. I take Gluecosamine; not sure if it works or not. My hands still hurt, but I suppose it could be worse... Anyway, what I've done is buy a Taylor T-5. It's an electric/acoustic with strings and action of an electric guitar. If I didn't have this guitar (or some kind of electric), I don't think I'd be playing anymore. Every once in a while I pull out the acoustic (Martin 00028EC), but it's very discouraging. I'm actually thinking of selling it because I just can't seem to play it anymore. Anyway, my point is that electric strings/action take a lot of stress off your hands and may extend your playing time by several years. |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: PoppaGator Date: 20 May 08 - 12:56 PM I have not heard of anyone having such surgery, but I look forward to learning about your results. I could use a whole new left pinkie-finger, myself... |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: Sir Roger de Beverley Date: 20 May 08 - 12:32 PM I'm going to see an orthopaedic surgeon tomorrow with a view to having the knuckle joint of my right index finger replaced - similar to hips and knees but smaller and more fiddly. Anyone got any knowledge of anyone having this done? Roger |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: GUEST Date: 09 Apr 08 - 09:00 AM I'll just mention that people shouldn't feel discouraged by the mixed results from glucosamine use. Give it a trial, anyway. I know I tend to prejudge and think "placebo effect" when results are inconsistent (works for some, doesn't work for others). But in the case of glucosamine, I had to rethink because of my vet's advice regarding dog arthritis, and the results for various friends' dogs. Glucosamine really does work for some dogs and not for others, so it is likely the same for humans. I've no idea why; perhaps some component of the user's chemistry affects results. I'm just beginning to feel the early effects of arthritis in my hands, and glucosamine is one thing I intend to try - though it didn't work for my own dog! |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: Louie Roy Date: 08 Apr 08 - 10:22 PM I want to thank both of you PoppGator and mattkeen for your comments. You are both correct in your reply and yes you do have to have your little finger to chord the progression I suggested and I admire both of you for clarifying your comments, Thanks again Louie Roy |
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Subject: RE: Playing Guitar with Arthritis From: Tweed Date: 08 Apr 08 - 04:46 PM Cedell Davis with butter knife slide (pic) Don't give up guitar because of arthritis, cause it could be worse. This is from Robert Palmer's "Deep Blues" regarding Cedell Davis: Cedell Davis was born Ellis Davis on June 9, 1927, in Helena, then a booming river town on the Arkansas bank of the Mississippi. He grew up there and in the upper Mississippi Delta around eight miles south of Tunica, on the E.M. Hood plantation, where his brother lived. Together with one of his childhood friends, Isaiah Ross (future Sun recording artist Dr. Ross the Harmonica Boss), Cedell began playing blues, first harmonica, then some guitar. |
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