Coping With One Less Finger - It's Been A While How's It Going?

[@neal750ss]

I smashed my left wrist many years ago. Stopped me playing for years, back at it now but still cant bridge my hand properly so have had to adapt my style. Keep at it!!

[@berrykrautboy5368]

So glad you are doing better, John... limitations are challenges... From Germany with best regards...

[@bluepedalsrock9271]

I jammed my fretting finger recently and it’s taking an eternity to heal. I learned that jams and fractures can be very similar. I can’t wait until the darn swelling goes away. I’m very glad to hear that your finger is doing better and you’ve been able to adapt. 😊

[@garyshaw8169]

Kudos for reinventing yourself!

[@TheTimeProphet]

Hope your finger gets better over time.

[@jrchanning]

Glad it's gone OK in the end John, terrific perseverance in overcoming that major obstacle !! 👍🎸😃

[@derekclacton]

Imho, your response to the incident has been admirable from the start, John. Props appears to be the word to use now, in recognition. I must admit, you can do more with three fingers than I can with four! Although, having said that - you could still do more with two 👍 🎸🍻

[@BrentAdams]

You're doing a remarkable job with your new limitations John. Keep on...keeping on!

[@sajisguitar]

You will get better John! Best wishes to you! Keep on using that finger for your short licks and who knows one day you'll just forget that it was your injured finger!!! God heals every wound!!! Take care man!!

[@calbrockocat8728]

The Friday Livestreamhas been a big help to me, too. I think I began watching near March 2021 and haven't missed many since.

[@UkeofCarl]

Great to hear that you're staying positive about this.

[@joeydancer]

All the best, learning a lot from you. Theory, joy of playing and will power. Thank you! Keep on pushing through, I´ll keep on watching. I may even practice...

[@grahamjames9610]

Good video, I have same problem same finger has taken me a while but I'm getting there, I can play even if not as well but thank god I can . Good to see you are doing so well. 👍

[@Robemmet49]

I hope the function of your finger gets better over time. Years ago I broke the same finger and it required surgery and a pin to hold the bones together. It took a year before I could play again. Have faith and keep playing!

[@PaulCooksStuff]

Adapt and overcome 👍 Glad to hear theres progress.

[@joemccarthy641]

I can empathize John. It took a year for me to recover from hand/wrist injuries after an incident with my German Shepherd. Now I'm dealing with arthritis and have to massage a topical gel into my wrists and thumb daily. I sold a few premium guitars because the neck profiles ended up hurting my wrist (and I did like my Tom Anderson guitars). But, I continue to persevere and I'm playing again, albeit with guitars with bigger necks (I like Deep Cs now, but can't play modern C necks -- too thin). Fender Professional Deep C's are great; and, Fender's soft-V necks are even better. Seems like there are always compromises and work-arounds that seem to work. Thanks for the update. Cheers John

[@JRobsonGuitar]

Cheers Joe. Nice to hear from you 👍

[@calogeroavanzato398]

You still sound as good as ever

[@johnmac8084]

You're doing fantastically well John. Don't forget our hero, Gary Moore, played some of his fastest licks with just his first & second fingers, like in this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/j3-kqoGrnrWUers

[@gregb6387]

Hi John, you have done an amazing job adapting your playing. I hope your finger becomes a little more usable as time goes on.

[@JonnyDee123]

I'm fairly new to your channel, John. I'd heard you mentioning the finger but didn't know the story. It's the nightmare scenario for guitarists and indeed all playing musicians. Great to see you're adapting and there's continuous ongoing improvement. Hopefully, your surgeon's prognosis of an all but 100% recovery comes to pass. Keep up the great work on the channel.

[@JRobsonGuitar]

Cheers mate 👍

[@jimmyjames2022]

You really adapted well, playing better than ever! (Good thing sciatica is 'legs' only.) As you've mentioned a few times, it's important to see a "Disability" as more of an "Opportunity". With my progressive neurological issues I've lost some coordination (keeping tempo is more difficult) but I've improved fingering such as pick attack and mute fretting (pinch harmonics improving) while adapting to slower tempo (more blues). Plus I'm more into buying (affordable) gear than I've been for over 20 years. It's all still tons of fun!

[@bernesepuppy]

Good luck John. I always appreciate your videos.

[@tokairic3925]

About 18 months into learning to play guitar, and enthusiastically buying a few guitars, I had an accident similar to yours. I was using a drill with a 3mm drill, which broke very close to me left hand. The spinning broken end of the drill bit went in the inside of the last joint of the second finger of my fretting hand. Hand went up like a balloon, second finger wouldn't move at all and the third finger was reluctant to move. The drill had fetched out a bit of tendon. First thoughts were "thats that then, sell the guitars". After a while I decided to have a go at slide. For months I couldn't put any pressure or move the damaged finger. After 13 months I managed to get back to playing chords carefully with light pressure. A few years later I have full strength and very near full movement in the bad finger. When I first saw the doctor with a badly swollen hand and no movement, she said "it'll be fine". No op, nothing done.

[@Louizalass]

John, I'm so sorry to hear of your injury. Have you considered really light gauge strings? I suffer from peripheral neuropathy (diabetes related nerve damage,) and find it really painful using strings heavier than "8's." It takes a bit of getting used to though! Also your "dead meat" could be used to hold a slide. Keep thinking positively and the glass will remain half full.

[@mauricetoirkens6455]

glad you're doing better. I was wondering whether you considered using a slide much more

[@ranman58635]

I can't feel the last 2 fingers on my strumming hand. Been that way since I was a kid. Adapt! Yup! That's what we do.

[@grene1955]

A number of years ago I dislocated the little finger on my fretting hand. It took a long time to learn how to compensate for it but it can be done. It still not strong, but I think my playing has been progressed in spite of it!

[@Techo1329]

Mate, this exact injury happened to me 35 years ago (tendon snapped ring finger, end digit totally floppy, no control). I made all the same adjustments substituting the pinkie with the same results you're getting. 2 years later I went and saw an orthopaedic surgeon, with my guitar, to ask if he could do anything to help with using the ring finger for power chords and bending. He did surgery to stiffen the joint, it still won't bend down and tuck in when you make a fist, but it no longer bends backwards, it's rock solid. This was a miracle, that finger is mega strong and is awesome for playing power chords and bending. It's much better stiffened so that it won't bend back than being left floppy, not just for guitar, but for everyday life.

[@russellmorgan5611]

Lost the tip of my index finger in a joinery shop accident. The injury did heal and hardened over time but now my nail prevents me making solid contact with the fretboard whilst playing first position chords no matter how short i trim it. It's a problem.

[@bustedfender]

One finger fewer. I’m not a pedant, I’m a stickler 🤣 Hope you recover well man, it was good enough for Django 🤘

[@bandsbikesandboozereviews]

I've never played barre chords correctly and always use my first and pinky fingers to fret the root, fifth and octave. never really had any bother sound-wise at all and have found that I can fly up an down the neck quicker than a conventional barre chord with the high third fretted.

[@RF944]

I remember seeing a movie about a 50's guitarist and his girlfriend traveling, when they got a flat tire and she was the one that changed it out. I thought it was a little weird but it made sense.

[@philjobbins2325]

SRV used his 2nd finger unsupported to bend, so you’re in good company

[@Sankara561]

I'm trying to combine Brazilian Ju Jitsu with guitar and it's absolutely murdering my fingers. I think I broke one 18 months ago and it's only recently back up to full strength although it bends sideways now. Still, my fretting hand is largely unaffected I just have some general swelling and soreness from time to time. This is life though, inactivity also hammers us as we get older, and walking the dog is a net benefit to your health physical and mental.

[@michaelpond6386]

Try some Billy Gibbons Strings. Wear your slide in that finger. You still sound far better than most.

[@petelong3333]

🤟

[@johnmac8084]

I'm guessing you are continuing to get more movement in that finger joint over time John, albeit slowly. Are you finding that?

[@JRobsonGuitar]

No movement at all. Less sensitivity when touching the strings so I can use it a tiny bit without it hurting, but it's basically frozen at the top joint.

[@johnmac8084]

@@JRobsonGuitar Oh well, good job you've got around it John. If eventually you do get more use, that's a bonus

[@michaelbelliveau8755]

You lucked out man..could of been way worse...dexterity for the win..

[@zuperdee]

Jeff Beck is another example of a guitarist who had to adapt a bit after accidentally slicing his finger in the kitchen. He apparently insured his fingers for $10 million after that.

[@666armarda]

One fewer finger.