I had a nasty accident, end of July, severed a tendon in my left hand - just where the knuckle meets the back of my hand on the second fiinger, left hand.....
First pic shows the damage, second one shows wher that finger was stuck.....
Anyway, I was told at the time I had the op to repair the tendon, I'd be lucky to get 50% of the feeling back I had before - but through sheer hard hard work, bloody-mindedness and determination, I'd say I'm back at 90% of wher I was before - with a rider....
If play a song with all barre chords (think - the acoustic version of Layla) I have to rest afterwards - can't play another song straight away....
Same if I play a Status Quo song - all barres, but powerchords....and 6ths and 7ths....
Last night, I played Proud Mary - first time for ages - that Bb chord was murder, I know it's only in the intro and the fills, but my hand was throbbing afterwards.....
Now I've been playing on a Squier tele strung with 9's and an acoustic strung with 9's - I also have another acoustic strung with 11's (plain G) that I use for slide - I played that a lot at first, trying to build hand strength back up.....
I can play maybe three-four songs, then my hand really aches - I'm talking intense pain, I have to put the guitar down and rub my hand....OK, some of this is due to the injury, I keep trying to play through the pain barrier, but there's that nagging throb where the scar tissue is -
There are two things I haven't lost - the ability to bend a note about 3 frets higher than it should be, and the vibrato.....
I tried once changing from 9's to 10's - on acoustic and electric - but soon changed back, I felt better with the 9's - but I'm thinking I should maybe change back, make those fingers work a little harder.....maybe work against the pain?
Marilyn - the Mrs - said to me a couple of weeks ago, "You thought I couldn't see you but I saw you crying and holding your hand - if it hurts that much, leave the bloody guitar alone...."
But I can't......
Anyway, it's a long-winded way of asking a question, but .........
Should I try even lighter strings? I can buy 8's, but I remember way back in the 70's I used to buy 8's, top E used to snap every time I bent a string....
Or.....should I buy heavier strings? Should I try 10's, try and build my hand strength up? And then maybe move on to 11's? Then go back to 9's?
All I know is, I can play guitar again - but I can't play a lot of songs I used to play, my hand isn't strong enough - will putting heavier strings on help build my hand strength up?
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
I think going to heavier strings now sounds like a bad idea, Vic.
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
Stay with the 9s. Hey, if you've got 90% back already, you are probably gonna get 100% back. But you've got to be a little patient. Pain is a natural warning that you are hurting yourself. Just take your time and let your hand heal.
And a barred Bb at the 1st is always going to be tough. Always. I will often jump up and play it with a barred E type at the 6th just 'cause I'm lazy. :D
If you know something better than Rock and Roll, I'd like to hear it - Jerry Lee Lewis
Stay with the 9s. Hey, if you've got 90% back already, you are probably gonna get 100% back. But you've got to be a little patient. Pain is a natural warning that you are hurting yourself. Just take your time and let your hand heal.
And a barred Bb at the 1st is always going to be tough. Always. I will often jump up and play it with a barred E type at the 6th just 'cause I'm lazy. :D
I know what you mean Wes, I can't remember the last time I played a full barred Bb at the 1st, I always jump to the sixth.
Anyway Vic, I'd stay to the nines. Better to get fully recovered then jump in over your head and do some more damage.
Good luck,
Paul
Vacate is the word...Vengance has no place on me or her...Cannot find a comfort in this world.
Vic,
I agree staying with the 9s seems like the best idea.
The progress you have made in a relatively short time is
amazing. Pushing through the pain barrier may not be the
best thing right now. I know the balance is hard to find but
pushing too hard may just cause futher injury. Take it easy
and practice for short intervals giving time for the hand for
rest. The frustration level must be hard but healing takes a
long time.
Hang in there
John
Those pics of your hand are scary...
I am just amazed that at your recovery from that dreaded accident.
Just stick with 9s, as said by all others and we wish you get all your strength and grit back in your fingers.
Rahul
Ask a doctor!
SInce you've switched to the lighter strings have you lowered the action as well? You should be able to lower it at least a bit with the lighter strings and that will make the barres easier
Immature? Of course I'm immature Einstein, I'm 50 and in a Rock and ROll band.
New Band site http://www.myspace.com/guidedbymonkeys
I didn't actually switch to lighter strings - I've pretty much always used 9's, except for a very brief flirtation with 10's, although the second acoustic has been sporting 11's for a while now - I asked about using heavier strings for slide, generally the advice was yes, so I tried 11's with a plain 3rdG, and a higher action....
The Squer Tele and the SPT acoustic have always had 9's, they're both beautifully set up, low action, fast necks - not that I'm any speed merchant! - and a pleasure to play.
I think the main problem is with scar tissue - apparently it never regains the pliability of normal skin, and there's a lot of it around that knuckle - even now, over 3 months later, the knuckle still looks twice the size of all the rest, if I make a clenched fist it protrudes about 1/2 an inch further than the other knuckles.
I've tried playing barres like this.....
E A D G B E
3 5 5 4 3 3
T R P M I I
which is OK for strumming chords, but if you're playing something like this....E|---------|---------|
B|---------|---------|
G|---------|---------|
D|-5-5-5-5-|-5-7-8-7-|
A|-5-7-8-7-|-3-3-3-3-|
E|-3-3-3-3-|-3-3-3-3-|
I need that thumb right in the middle of the neck for leverage, and that's when the real trouble starts....not just on a blues riff like the above, but any barre chord. I just can't see any other way around it other than to keep on playing and hoping every day it'll be a little less painful. I thought maybe using heavier strings might build my hand strength up faster....but at the same time, I don't want to make things any worse....
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
I can understand about the scar tissue. I had to have emergency surgery to remove my spleen years ago. They weren't very neat about cutting me open due to the need to get in fast. To this day I can still feel the scar tissue in my stomach pull when I do sit ups or move in certain ways. The pain does lessen with time though.
Since I play with 14's I was assuming that the 11's were your normal "Light" string :oops: and that you had dropped down to the 9's
Immature? Of course I'm immature Einstein, I'm 50 and in a Rock and ROll band.
New Band site http://www.myspace.com/guidedbymonkeys
14's? Last time I saw wires that thick, they were holding London Bridge up.........
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
Vics got a good point there.and after the accident is a bad time to go to heavier strrings. just seems smarter to go to lighter strings for recovering.
where do you find 14s?
Oopps my bad, they are actually 13's
D'Addario EHR360 Half Round Jazz Medium Electric
Immature? Of course I'm immature Einstein, I'm 50 and in a Rock and ROll band.
New Band site http://www.myspace.com/guidedbymonkeys
Vic, I admire your determination. You are doing awsome. Just continue with your patience and hard work. I remember when you (or maybe it was others) thought you wouldnt get this far but you did.. Your doing something right.
Jim
“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn” - David Russell (Scottish classical Guitarist. b.1942)
