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GMC Forum _ Introduce Yourself ! _ Nikeman64 Introduction

Posted by: nikeman64 Jun 18 2011, 07:16 PM

Hey guys out there in GMC Land.
Been with the site now for a month and want to take a moment to introduce myself. I’m 46 years old and live in Belgium.There is 1 thing that I especially want to tell about me. Anybody who looks at my video posts will notice that sometimes I use strange looking handpositions and movements. 30 years ago I fell out of a window 2nd floor and seriously broke my hand. As a result I can only bend my index finger (fretting hand, third joint, the one that connects to the palm) for 40 % and move it sideways for 70 %. Obviously this is a big handicap for playing the guitar. I have always been very much into music, was a drummer when I was a kid, went to music school and played a little keyboard. When I was 27, after seeing the Use Your Ilussion concert (GNR) in Paris, I bought my first guitar. I’m always very enthusiastic about things that I like and wanted to become like Slash, Vai, SRV ...Hendrix. But soon I discovered that not only the question of talent but primarily the injury would be a serious obstacle. I definitely have big problems with wide stretch runs and difficult bar chords (because it’s difficult to lay my index across all strings). Also, I don’t have the same control, power and feel as in my other index finger. After years of exercise this has become better and better but it was a disillusionment from the start and I threw the guitar away. Picked it back up, threw it away again. I wanted to learn to play so much that I went to rockschool in Antwerp and even went to a Big Hotshot surgeon. But he wouldn’t operate me because there was a big chance that it would be even worse afterwords. And yep,... down to the bin it was again. But the love for music in general and the outrageous desire to play that damn thing was a big draw that always brought me back to it. As I grew older,...and wiser, I found peace with it and said to myself :”Stop nagging about this, idiot! If you want to play guitar, start focussing on the things that you are personally, physically capable of. Forget the rest ! Stop being frustrated for not having a healthy hand and just try to become the best guitarplayer that you can be. And that’s it ! That’s my goal!
Joining GMC is probably the best move I did in all these years. What a great environment this is to be part of, between all these people, sharing the same love. The lessons are awesome and the REC concept is very challenging. I really feel confident that I will push my playing here to a higher level and actually, I’ve learned allready because after posting 3 videos it is very clear that I first need to work on vibrato and bendings. So that’s what I’m doing and I notice the difference. Man , I’m so curious how far this is gonna get me, but I realise that setting reachable goals in small steps are the key.
Congratulations and thanks to everybody at GMC who make this site possible and to my fellow students. I am very excited to be here !!
All the best and see(hear) you around !!!
Nico

Posted by: dark dude Jun 18 2011, 09:11 PM

Hey man, welcome to GMC

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Jun 19 2011, 08:53 PM

Wow, that's a great story man, it really puts things into perspective! Welcome aboard, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask around on the forum, everybody will help!

Posted by: Sinisa Cekic Jun 19 2011, 10:50 PM

Nice introduction, welcome to GMC !!

Posted by: Todd Simpson Jun 22 2011, 05:20 PM

Welcome to GMC! I think I missed this post the first time around. I"m Todd Simpson and I do our Saturday Video Chat Lesson Series so I"d like to invite you to join us We meet every Sat @ 10PM GMT. I'm sorry to hear about your issues with your wrist. I had carpal tunnel syndrome a while back and it was awful so I understand how frustrating it can be.

The good news is that this is IMHO the best guitar site around with a killer community and staff. Your gonna love it here I'm sure you will see massive gains in your playing as you move forward.

Welcome!
Todd

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Jun 25 2011, 06:41 PM

Hey man! Nice introduction! You are very brave and an example of life! It's so great to have people like you here at the community. I think that GMC has the most friendly and warm community that I ever knew in the web and it's great that you feel the same.
I also decided to start playing guitar after seing Slash.
Enjoy the site! See you at the forum!

Posted by: Azzaboi Jun 25 2011, 09:47 PM

Overcoming your so-called limits or handicap makes you that much stronger!

Check out Tony Iommi from Black Sabbath, sounds a bit like you when growing up. Wanted to start with the drums, but picked up the guitar when a teenager. He plays guitar left-handed. In an industrial accident at the age of 17 on his last day of work in a sheet metal factory, he lost the tips of the middle and ring finger of his right hand. After attempting to learn to play right-handed, Iommi instead strung his guitars with lighter strings and made thimbles to extend his fingers.

Never give up, never surrender, never say die! Rock on!

Posted by: Bogdan Radovic Jun 26 2011, 01:29 PM

Wow awesome introduction Nico!

I'm sure you'll be able to push your playing to any you level you aspire - hard work always pays off!

Posted by: nikeman64 Jun 26 2011, 05:29 PM

Thanks to everybody for the warm welcome, musicians are beautiful people ......... well,.... at least in their hearts

Nico

Posted by: Stephane Lucarelli Jun 26 2011, 08:45 PM

Hi Nico, welcome to GMC !

Posted by: Bossie Jul 11 2011, 12:58 AM

Hello Nico,

Since you're from Belgium surely you must known about Django Reinhardt....the greatest Belgian (jazz)guitarist
He had an awful accident too resulting in a heavily disfigured hand and fingers..guitarplaying was impossible
but after 2 years he knocked everybody KO on the guitar ! The impossible made possible....you'll do the same !!!

Succes

Danny ....an another Belgian

Posted by: nikeman64 Jul 11 2011, 08:09 PM

Hey Danny

Thanks mate !! Nice to see another Belgian around here (en dan is het heeeeel tof dat het een Vlaming is !!! ). I know Django indeed and admire is persistence. There are other examples too, Jeff Healey for example. The spirit is a very powerful weapon, I guess. If you really want something and you do your best you will always get something in return.
Hope to see you around the REC Program too

All the best, tot ziens
Nico

Posted by: JaxN4 Jul 12 2011, 02:10 PM

Welcome mate.....Great story too.
Where there is a will there is a way

Good Luck

Posted by: nikeman64 Jul 13 2011, 12:05 PM

Thanks JaxN4 !!!

Posted by: Adrian Figallo Jul 22 2011, 03:21 AM

welcome to the site mate

Posted by: nikeman64 Jul 23 2011, 08:19 AM

Thanks Adrian,

Keep posting lessons man, I really like them !!

Nico