Ok, now what?

[Bob Spumoni]

I have multiple problems with my hands: Gout , osteoarthtritis, a serious autoimmune disease, De Puytren's contracture, carpal tunnel, and just plain wear-and-tear from years of tree work and general jackassery.

Fine. Not looking for sympathy: the deal is what the deal is.

Anyway, in anticipation of losing function in both hands - there are already techniques I can no longer do - I have been fiddling with alternative ways of manipulating the instrument, right hand and and left. I tried a cheap lap steel - hated it. Strings boinging buzzing jangling all over the place. I'm sort of a control freak, a twinkly quick note sorta fella, and that felt way out of control. It's in the closet now, where it belongs, awaiting greater desperation or patience on my part.

I just bought an ebow. (Lost nearly all use of my right hand for a few days last week, decided to throw money at the problem: it's the American Way.)

My question is, "Now what?" If you've tried the thing and hated it, can you say why? If you had some sort of Eureka moment as you mastered it, what was that revelation? Any tricks? I'm a big pre-thinker, haven't even put a battery into it yet. Now what?

I read there's blue light involved. What's that for?

 

[Bob Spumoni]

Alrighty then. I guess I'l just put the battery in and just waggle it around. Presumably something will happen, lol.

I was thinking about the blue light business and thought of one of my favoritre German films, Das Blaue Licht (The Blue Light), made by and starring Leni Riefenstahl. Yep, that Leni Riefenstahl, Hitler's gal propagandist, she of Triumph of the Will fame/infamy.

It's about the most deeply strange film I know, makes David Lynch look like some high school filmstrip on oral hygeine or the dangers of communism.

Jonesing for a weird moment? Here ya go:

 

[Stratafied]

Wow , sounds like you have quite a bit going on , hopefully the warmer weather might help.

 

[SonOfLerome]

Maybe take up the theremin?

 

[RobZ69]

If I am not mistaken, the intro on this was done with an ebow.

 

[AntStrat]

Just thinking out loud, have you had any physical therapy for your hands?

 

[AncientAx]

Open g like this guy .

 

[Stratbats]

Alrighty then. I guess I'l just put the battery in and just waggle it around. Presumably something will happen, lol.

I was thinking about the blue light business and thought of one of my favoritre German films, Das Blaue Licht (The Blue Light), made by and starring Leni Riefenstahl. Yep, that Leni Riefenstahl, Hitler's gal propagandist, she of Triumph of the Will fame/infamy.

It's about the most deeply strange film I know, makes David Lynch look like some high school filmstrip on oral hygeine or the dangers of communism.

Jonesing for a weird moment? Here ya go:

Dear Leni! "Ah... To be 98 again..." Sigh.

 

[Bob Spumoni]

Yep. Lot's. I ha

Just thinking out loud, have you had any physical therapy for your hands?

Yep, lots. I have to work at it every day to stay even. Not complaining. My mother is 100; my problems are nothing compared to hers.

I was in the cardiac unit for a week earlier this month and copped a wicked flair behind the stresses of that, so now I have a new series of PT to try to repair the damage. If I work at it, I can usually back to where I was, but there is a degree of cumulative damage.

I'm pretty sure, however, none of us is getting out this thing alive and in perfect condition. It is what it is. (And I'm still a pretty d-----d good guitar player, so there's that.)

Carry on!

 

[Bob Spumoni]

Dear Leni! "Ah... To be 98 again..." Sigh.

LOL. My mother, age 100, is actually in a position to say that w/o facetiousness. Kinda cool. (She still lives independently, in her own house. So there's an actual hero for ya.)

 

[Bob Spumoni]

Open g like this guy . View attachment 464862

Yep. I've got wall-to-wall options.

 

[knh555]

Can you play slide? Not on your lap since you didn't like that.

 

[Roca81]

Open g like this guy . View attachment 464862

This photo was taken in 1876.

 

[Baelzebub]

 

[Baelzebub]

 

[circles]

Have you considered the Theremin?

 

[Paperback Rocker]

Consider drums if you're up to that.

 

[fos1]

I have carpal tunnel mostly in my right hand and trigger finger (tendonitis) on my left and arthritis in both.

Minimize typing and other repetitive use and wear braces at night. I also used ice gel packs in the morning.

I can usually play late morning and the afternoons. Barre chords will probably never happen again.

 

[Tone Deaf]

Can you play slide? Not on your lap since you didn't like that.

second this.

Important that you get a slide that fits your finger of choice.
I like these guys.

https://rockymountainslides.com/

I have a Dunlop glass slide for pinky
AND
I have an original Coricidin bottle from the 70s too.
Wish that I had more time to play....retirement is busier than when I worked.

 

[Bob Spumoni]

Can you play slide? Not on your lap since you didn't like that.

I'll get to it again. Every time I fool around with it, I'm kinda horrified at all those notes clanging all over the joint. It has to do with muting, I know. I think I'll need to pass through a period of sounding awful until I can get the control I'm used to. Or maybe I need to learn to live with a little mayhem. Either way, there's a threshold I'm too lazy to pass for the time being.

This'll seem odd, but I sometimes think teaching for 35 years has turned me into a bit of a control freak. You have to have some of that to herd a classroomful of adolescent cats (love 'em) into some sort of productive order, after all. My sister taught for over 40 years. She's even more of an aggro fusspot than I am. You wipe yer g-----n feet before strolling into her space, Mister.

I'm not gonna change, of course. When I turned 70, I sort of transitioned from trying to improve myself to getting to know myself, so it's unlikely I'll be making any great Oprahesque leaps in "personal growth" (yuck) going forward. The chips are all swept away now: I am what I am, for both good and ill.