krock Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 Hi all, I've recently taken on a new student and I've just had my 3rd lesson with him yesterday. He's 60 years of age and suffers from fairly severe arthritis in his hands and struggles to form chord shapes. I've thought about teaching him alternate chord voicing's to see if it makes it any easier for him. I also previously advised him to get one of those finger trainers like planet waves make and he seems to find that helpful. Does anyone have any advise for these issues? What else can I do to help him through the difficulties? Thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 I had a friend and excellent guitar player who cut off some fingers on his left hand. The fingers were reattached but not functioning well enough to play. He now plays slide, and he's very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 Arthritis in the hands has ended the "playing days" of several of my friends who played guitar for years or at best vastly limited to what they can now do. Arthritis sucks, it's one of those afflictions that little can be done once it advances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 In his last few years, Les Paul had to soak his hands in warm water for 20-30 mins before he played. That might help. Over 20 years ago I had an older student whose LH middle and ring fingers - I think one was completely missing and the other just a stub. He expected me to come up with ways of enabling him to play - which I couldn't, as pretty much everything I tried to get him to do was immediately met with "no - can't do that". Of course I suggested using a tuning but no, he didn't want to do that either. I'll never forget it. The guy thought I should have a solution to his problem, as I was the teacher. He was angry. Trying to play just made him unhappy. You can only do your best, and you can only do so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pin Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 I am close knocking 70 years of age and yes I have arthritis too (right wrist is the worst bit) but although I know it is in my fingers it hasn't quite done for them yet. But a couple of things come to mind. Does he have to be a chord player? For example, B.B. King to his backing band: "Gentlemen, I do not play chords" Django Reinhardt: need anything else be said? And lastly, I once read that the great session guitarist Barry Galbraith was often shown convoluted and difficult chord shapes dreamed up by his students and Galbraith would retort, "Nah, too hard - keep it simple and easy". Joe Pass also said to "keep it simple". Basie's guitarist Freddie Green would "extract" chords and only play the minimum strings needed to "make the point" within the rhythm section. I suppose what I'm saying is to tailor the teaching programme to the student (presupposing the student is willing to follow the line proposed). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 Piano. Or try this method...never seen anything like it. Hot water works for me, but maybe he'd have an easier ride with nylon strings as classical guitars have wider string spacing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merciful-evans Posted February 28, 2018 Share Posted February 28, 2018 I have osteoarthritis in both thumbs. Its made me play differently. The difference is that I've been playing for 45 years. The change in playing has been guided by the pain. I've made little concious effort to improve things. It just happens. My doctor tells me to keep using the thumbs as much as possible; but... It makes the pain worse and then it lasts long after playing. The last thing I would want is a hand exerciser because the pain would stop me playing even more. I suggest finding alternative chord shapes to minimise the pain. You need to explain that you are a music teacher, not a physiotherapist. That you will work with him to find the best way forward, and to expect progress to be slower. Its not your fault. Its the fault of the condition. Thats reasonable. BTW, one thing I've noticed is that I can play without thumb support behind the neck. It works mostly by supporting the guitar firmly using the right arm to steady the body. That will stop the neck being pushed back by your fretting fingers. It works pretty well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krock Posted March 1, 2018 Author Share Posted March 1, 2018 Thanks for the tips all, I'll suggest he tries them out before our next lesson. Last night I sent him some alternate chord examples like bar chords and power chords to try out as well. Unfortunately all of the music he enjoys is all chord based and thats what inspired him to get in touch with me for lessons. He knows I'm happy to with him on trying to overcoming the issue to some degree, Im sure we'll find a compromise eventually. As I say, its only been 3 lessons so far. He's not aiming to be the best player but he wants a hobby to keep him busy in his retirement Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted March 1, 2018 Share Posted March 1, 2018 Hope he has a nice easy to fret instrument to learn on. I give him credit for trying to work through a condition that only gets worse with time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krock Posted March 1, 2018 Author Share Posted March 1, 2018 Hope he has a nice easy to fret instrument to learn on. I give him credit for trying to work through a condition that only gets worse with time. The action on his guitar is much higher than i would recommend for the style of playing he's learning. I've advised him to take it to his local luthier to get it set up correctly (he's learning on an acoustic). When I teach him I also have him try on my guitar as well which has fairly low-medium action so he understands the difference it makes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted March 1, 2018 Share Posted March 1, 2018 Maybe a capo up on 3 would change that drastically. Even if you have healthy strong hands many new students give up before ever having known guitars (especially electric) can have strings so low it takes little effort to play. I always recommend new students shoot for that guitar until their basic skills (and callouses) get past those first fumbly months. It might blow his mind to try out something like a cheap Fender Squire or Epi LP copy, though they're a little heavy hanging for us geezers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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