deigh
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Jan 13, 2015 14:45:22 GMT -6
Post by deigh on Jan 13, 2015 14:45:22 GMT -6
I am a long in tooth jazz guitarist. I am recovering from a stroke. I cannot hold a plectrum for more than a few seconds. Anybody had a similar problem and can advise help? Deigh
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Jan 13, 2015 17:38:12 GMT -6
Post by hoz on Jan 13, 2015 17:38:12 GMT -6
I have not yet experienced this problem first hand. I'm only going to speculate and maybe try to invent an idea towards a solution.
I do play occasionally with an elderly couple that tape banjo pics to their fingers. Not the same kind of plectrum, and they play folky war type of music, but maybe there is something similar for guitar?
-Chris
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Jan 13, 2015 19:04:20 GMT -6
Post by hoz on Jan 13, 2015 19:04:20 GMT -6
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Deleted
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Jan 13, 2015 21:21:49 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2015 21:21:49 GMT -6
Yes Hoz is on the right track as far as what I was thinking as well. I have seen many ways people come up with was to keep on playing. The link that Hoz shared is a good one.
I played with a guy some years ago that had made a cast, the fit his finger/thumb with the pick stuck in it. It seemed to work for him.
You might also try fake finger nails. You can have them put on, then you can shape the finger nail to how you like. My classic guitar friend do that.
Oh and welcome to the forum!
EB
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Jan 14, 2015 16:05:57 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by latestrummer on Jan 14, 2015 16:05:57 GMT -6
I was thinking of a thumb pick, but gluing a pick to a thumb pick seems like a good idea. Welcome to the forum and God Bless in your recovery, I'm sure it seems like a up hill battle!
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Jan 15, 2015 12:11:00 GMT -6
Post by hoz on Jan 15, 2015 12:11:00 GMT -6
This was part of the before mentioned attachment and like what Latestrummer mentioned. Hope this helps.
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deigh
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Jan 17, 2015 12:36:08 GMT -6
Post by deigh on Jan 17, 2015 12:36:08 GMT -6
www.eigude.de/blog/?tag=tetra-tipps&lang=enScroll down a little bit on this page. This is kinda what I was thinking of. Had a look at that link but it was all in German. Where can I find anything I can use? Deigh
I apologise, I had another look and scrolled down the page till I found the article you mentioned. It is exactly a month since I got hit with the stroke and I now have a benchful of adaptions I have made to make life tolerable! I have every intention of recovering as close to 100% as possible and would like to share some of my gadgets. Will get back to that site and see if I can contribute. Thanks again. Deigh
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Post by antares on Jan 18, 2015 4:04:28 GMT -6
My heart goes out to you. Last week (after a ten year wait / period of consideration) I finally went ahead and purchased a guitar a couple of orders of magnitude more expensive than EB and Dane would find to be without justification (or possibly even offensive.*) By Friday I had managed to shut my right thumb in an aircraft galley under construction at work. (Insert swear word here!) I know I'm going to recover quite rapidly, but what with the new extravagant toy, it's frustrating. I don't even have to work at the recovery, just sit it out glumly. I hope you do make the 100% recovery because my little accident has thrown your situation into stark reality for me. * With no offspring, to whom are you going to leave your estate?
e&oe
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Jan 18, 2015 13:27:30 GMT -6
Post by Deigh1 on Jan 18, 2015 13:27:30 GMT -6
Thanks for reply. I can understand your frustration. I have been playing guitar for 65 years, during that time I have had a few accidents which involved me not playing for sometimes a month or more at a time. This present catastrophe has hit me at a rather bad time though. Doctors chasing cancer cells decided to remove my spleen and I was in recovery mode from that op when the stroke hit me. At the moment music is very important to me, I can't work on my campervan, go fishing or even go out for a night with the boys. Talking is very difficult so I can't go out in public without my wife alongside me acting as an interpreter. Walking is my total exercise. I'm not looking for sympathy here, just explaining the situation!
From a situation one month ago when I couldn't even depress a single note on the keyboard with my right hand, I have progressed to playing with both hands (without any attempt at rhythm!) and a listener with a keen ear for music might be able to recognise the tune. But the guitar (my favourite instument, an Ibanez GB20) has me beat up till now. I will try to include a picture of my latest gadget which is a pair of rubber money counting thumblets, turned inside out to get rid of the roughness and entrapping a superglued plectrum. With this I had twenty minutes of pleasure playing the rhythms for 'Sweet Georgia Brown' and 'Lady is a tramp' before the thumb gave up with exhaustion.
More experiments to continue!
Deigh
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Deleted
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Jan 18, 2015 14:14:52 GMT -6
Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2015 14:14:52 GMT -6
Wow I think I found me a new mentor... I have been playing just over 50 years. I almost lost 2 of my fingers on my left hand just about 2 years ago, and I had thought my playing days were over.But I do believe through prayer and not giving up on playing, I was able to get my fingers working again. I have almost all the feeling back in them now. But the courage you show and your determination in trying to find a way to over come has encouraged me. Keep up the good work! Your story has brought this old man to tears... Thank you so much for sharing... EB
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deigh
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Jan 18, 2015 14:26:11 GMT -6
Post by deigh on Jan 18, 2015 14:26:11 GMT -6
e good work! Your story has brought this old man to tears... Thank you so much for sharing... EB Am having another attempt to add pix of latest pick!OK, think I got it.
Deigh
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Post by antares on Jan 18, 2015 14:45:59 GMT -6
I feel "wet behind the ears" now as I can only cite 43 years. I know that for sure because soon after I started my mum passed (1972) and I was given my first "decent" guitar- a $70 "Hokada classical the previous Christmas. I started off with a plywood box about 1968 and I had a friction peg uke back in 1962. It would be wrong to so include those 10 wilderness years because I couldn't teach myself jack. Any hints and tips received with gratitude!
I take it that you can't just use a thumb pick? All this gluing of picks to rubber seems overkill. The idea of two thumb picks bonded back to back seems a good.I struggle with finger picks because of the discomfort, although I'm assured you get used to it over time. Your determination is an example to me. Stick at it and please post your achievements (as in "keep in touch").
e&oe
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Jan 18, 2015 20:31:30 GMT -6
Post by Deigh1 on Jan 18, 2015 20:31:30 GMT -6
I take it that you can't just use a thumb pick? All this gluing of picks to rubber seems overkill. "). The thumb was quite without life and couldn't even pluck a string. The second finger did have some stiffness, although it was too weak to depress my camera button but there was some strength in the crook of it for me to be able to trigger a battery powered drill, even though the hand couldn't pick the drill up! It seemed the most likely place to start was by glueing the pick to the first finger and using the thumb as a stabiliser. My thumb has improved to the extent that it can do a very weak 'plonk' on a string but strumming is out of the question. I am still putting in about four hours of finger exercises a day. Regards Deigh
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deigh
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Jan 22, 2015 14:50:21 GMT -6
Post by deigh on Jan 22, 2015 14:50:21 GMT -6
Attached latest gadget....bought a pair of cheap washing up gloves from supermarket, cut off thumb and first finger from Rh glove and used them as backing for a superglued plectrum. It worked better than anything previous but was a swine to put on. Next time I will leave a tongue of material on each to give something to get hold of. Deigh
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