I broke my left wrist over a year ago and the cortisone injections had kept it feeling pretty good. It’s no problem at all when I play piano. Last week I had an urge to pick up my acoustic guitar and my left forearm was hurting. I thought it was just strained from lifting weights but whatever it was I had a hard time using my little finger. It really hurt to press it down. I finally realised that I could trace the pain to my wrist. The doctor said if pain came back that would be as much as it would ever heal.
So I realize that that is probably it for guitar and maybe not bass because you stretch less when you’re not making chords. But guitar… wow. So I can’t let it go and thought I’d see what it was like to play with the guitar on my lap. NO PAIN! So I have to learn all over again, but not quite from step one. With minor adjustments I found that I can finger pick just as well as I could and I have more dexterity in my left hand since it’s now more like keyboard. The chord shapes are totally different though. So I’ve tuned to DADGAD since I’m playing with a new technique I thought it best to have no reference to standard playing. It could be too frustrating if I was tempted to play something I would have an easy time with in a standard configuration. I’m on day three now and I like it. New stimulus=new response. It will at least get me out of a rut.
So I thought I should look at Jeff Healey videos to see his technique. Then it struck me. It’s all electric and I’m acoustic. It looks so much easier with less string tension. But it gives me some hope.
