Now I don't want to make this thread seem like i'm bragging or looking for attention, but i do want to hopefully inspire fellow guitarists!
For some reason, I am missing a metatarsal (finger bone) on my ring finger (fourht finger) in my left hand. I don't know why, it's probably the weirdest thing ever, i guess i just was born without it. Consequently, my ring finger is only about a 1/4 of an inch longer than my pinky.
I didn't realise this till after i had been playing guitar for about 2 years (which is weird too!) I think the discovery came when i was having a lot of trouble with barre chords, because my finger is so much shorter, it doesn't have the reach, and it always buzzes against the strings below it. Naturally i try to avoid barre chords as much as possible!
I have considered learning left handed, and maybe in the long run it would be easier, but since i have been playing for about 6 years it feels really comfortable to play right handed. I realise it's not a major problem, it could be worse, i have heard of guitar players with 4 or even 3 fingers still playing, and that really brings me to the point of me sharing my tale with you.
Anyways, the point of this story is to let other players who might be physically disadvantaged (short fingers, maybe arthritis?, a host of other hand problems) realise that you can still rock out no matter what is trying to hold you back! In fact, in the long run, the process becomes more rewarding :D
Peace,
Dom
"We all have always shared a common belief that music is meant to be played as loud as possible, really raw and raunchy, and I'll punch out anyone who doesn't like it the way I do." -Bon Scott
Indeed. I don't suffer from any abnormalities in my digits, but many do.
Django Reinhardt, as I'm sure many know, had his ring and pinky fingers burnt terribly when he was 18, but strove on to become, well, y'know... legendary.
Also, a friend of mine, who used to play guitar and bass right handed had his thumb, index, and middle fingers cut down to nubs. He had a friend make a custom left handed fretless bass and learned things all over again the other way, now plucking with the remaining ring and pinky fingers on his left hand. It took him a while, but, as you said, I'm sure it'sthat much more rewarding for him.
King Harvest has surely come.
Reminds me of Tony Iommi, who lost the ends of 3 of his fingers and still managed to smash out the best riffs ever written.
Anyways, I am proud of you for not giving up and I agree that switching to the other hand would be weird. It would almost be like learning a whole new instrument.
Yeh i do remember reading about him...just shows what you can achieve with a bit of determination.
"We all have always shared a common belief that music is meant to be played as loud as possible, really raw and raunchy, and I'll punch out anyone who doesn't like it the way I do." -Bon Scott
