-
Welcome to the light of participation @BigMoge . It might be uncomfortable, but I hope you don’t go back into the shadows of spectating. We get much more out of the community when we participate, as you have done here.
I don’t know much about your condition, but it sounds like you have enough understanding to function. I’m sorry that you can’t play guitar as long as you would like. It turns out, no one can play for very long periods of time at the beginning. That increases, but it takes time.
In the meantime, there are other ways to be involved in your guitar journey. Music and guitar is a very large world.
You can practice strumming, finger picking and flat picking without ever using your left hand. The right hand has a lot to learn to get proficient at just one of these techniques. And there are “sub-categories” of these 3 general techniques. Folk finger picking isn’t the same as classical finger picking or flamenco finger picking. Then there are mixed techniques. Can you strum and pick together? Yes, but it’s a whole different technique. You could spend hours each day teaching your right hand various techniques.
How about music theory? There is a very large field there, and for me, it is very fascinating. I have learned a ton in the last 2 1/2 years and there is still much I don’t know or understand. And there is music theory as it specifically applies to the guitar fretboard. That’s a very cool study.
Speaking of the fretboard, maybe it would cause less pain if you were just fretting a single string at a time as is more common in lead guitar. There is another very large area that you could explore.
You talked about the community supporting and encouraging each other, and it’s true. However, all I can do is throw words at you. You must participate, which is what you have done here. I congratulate you for doing that. The sharing of knowledge and supporting each other through our respective challenges is another way to further your guitar journey without actually using you left hand. It turns out, playing the guitar is more and more challenging as we grow older. And if you started late in life, it is even more challenging. So you can help us as much as we can help you. Helping others on their guitar path helps keep our guitar desire burning bright.
I can’t thank you enough for putting yourself out there, BigMoge. Others will come by and give more support. If you will continue asking questions and contributing to other peoples challenges, you will find the strength to continue your own guitar journey no matter how hard it may be. And in time, you will realize it gets better. It may never be what you wanted or hoped for. But it can be a wonderful journey none the less.
And I forgot to mention another area of our guitar journey that you could explore that won’t tax your left hand. How about song writing. That’s a huge field that involves several other things I’ve already mentioned, like music theory. But it is so much more. It involves writing your thoughts and feelings. But putting them to music instead of just here on the forum.
Anyway, I wish you success and joy on your guitar journey and I hope you continue to participate. You are welcome, also, to come join the community over at justmusicgeeks.com. Most of the members there are current of former TAC members.
MG 😀