Loved listening & watching that. It’s a fantastic way of relaying your story.
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Hi Peter, that is truly an inspirational achievement. Thank you very much for sharing. I am not a pro musician but music was and still is an important part of my life. When I was in hospital the one thing I wanted to do most was return to playing and performing with my friends. I thought at that stage I would be able to use my guitar as therapy for my hands. I didn’t realise then the enormity of what had happened to me. It was a big reality shock when I finally got home and found that even getting my left hand around my instrument is a dot on the far horizon. However, it isn’t just a dot, it’s a friendly little light shining and calling to me from the end of the tunnel. Well done my friend.
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I am also a guitarist and getting back to playing was my first goal. I am more fortunate that you because it was my right hand hit by the stroke and was initially quite dead. My body strength also went down by 50% but it meant that my left hand was able to hold a guitar neck. My stroke was about nine years ago but in the second year I was able to start serious attempts to play.
Holding a plectrum was my biggest problem so the first few months was walking around the block carrying a milk bottle by gripping the neck between my first finger and thumb. When I could do this I would add a little water to the bottle. It was some months before I could so this with a full bottle of water.
Next I built a leather strap with a thumb hole in it glued to a pick. This worked excellently, it is almost impossible to drop.
and has now become my standard for playing.
Deigh Davies
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Amazing pick invention, well done! Yes, my problem is firstly to hold the neck then I have to work on placing and pressing my fingers. My brain knows perfectly well where they need to go but the fingers are not listening yet. My right hand is good and I play mainly fingerstyle so I’ve already tried open tunings but of course it’s rather limiting when I can’t even bar a fret. I’ve been told about a local guy who is a fiddler and had a stroke about 2 years ago, but now he is back to playing well, which is great motivation. My music friends and band mates have also been really supportive which also spurs me on.
Thanks for your reply, much appreciated!!
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