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Posted by: hickstir Jan 30 2015, 11:46 AM

Hi all, hope everyone is doing well. I'll try to be short, ha ha. I'm around 55 yo, don't really remember (that's for any young people that think once you hit 50 you're somehow different) Anyways; always wanted to learn the guitar and finally got around to it a few years ago. Well I was about a year into learning when I took a full shot from a framing hammer to my fret hand middle finger tip. Won't go into details but suffice it to say, around six months or so of healing I still could not press on strings with that finger. I eventually just gave up and decided to get into the piano. Fast forward to around 3 or so months ago and I was crying, I started getting out all of my guitar stuff to sell it when I sat down to give it one more try... WHAT... No pain!! Talk about a happy camper! So I started playing/learning again, but guess what, the pain came back. I'm sure you can all understand how 'sick to my stomach' that makes me. Anyways; I have an appointment with a hand specialist, and I'm also beginning my quest in rubber/plastic materials to make something I can wear on that finger. Yes I know that "xxxxxxx" has the finger tip products for sale and they sound good, but I'm not going to pay $100 to 'try' them out. It is really amazing how much pain in one finger will effect the entire way you play a guitar!
I live in Maryland east coast US. I go to bed fairly early because I get up when the London and Euro markets open
Equipment:
Just got a Taylor 110 E/A (love it)
Yamaha FG700
Schecter Damien 6
Casio Privia PX-350
Vox Valv vt 120
Fender mini
I guess I'll leave it here.
I would like to leave with something I think may help some, and since I can't really help anyone out with the guitar yet, let's try a life experience lesson... Yes; this is for the young.
When I was 'younger', I was very good at quite a few things. Somewhere along the line with each of these "things", I quit and went on to something else, and so on throughout my life. Whether it was money, lost interest, family didn't back me(the biggest), whatever it was I never 'went for it'. Do Not Do This! If you have a dream, go for it while you can!! If you want to some day be playing at Wembly or Madison Square Garden, go for it. Practice, learn, practice some more, learn some more, you get the idea. Do what it takes to get there and don't let ANYONE tell you that you can't!!!!! So, for my lesson of the day for those with dreams: Next time you're trying to decide whether to practice or play a video game, or hang out with the gang, take a couple of minutes and lay down and close your eyes. Now picture yourself in 20, 30, or 40 years... You'll be thinking one of few different things. 1. "Man, if I only would have tried" 2. "At least I gave it my all". 3. "Man, what a life I have, I'm sure glad I did what it takes". Author Vince Flynn went through a whole lot of publishers before he finally found one that said 'yes'. He didn't give up!

Posted by: Kristofer Dahl Jan 30 2015, 02:49 PM

Welcome to GMC hickstir - and thanks for a great introduction!

I personally think that if you would like to play Wembly or Madison Square Garden - a handicap like yours will probably serve you well.

To play the big stages you need to develop a style of your own, and with one finger less on your fretting hand, it will be harder for you to blindly clone other guitarists.

The above is probably the #1 mistake I see among pro guitarists, they keep cloning other guitarists through their entire career - whereas I think this should just be the very first starting point. As soon as possible, you should try to find your own, original, solutions to "musical problems".

Again - with a handicap, you will be forced to do this much earlier. So if you don't give up when you encounter a problem related to you injured finger (or any other problem for that matter) - you will be able to turn this into an advantage.

Here is a video I recorded on this topic:



Please let me know what you think of this? And perhaps you have got more specific musical goals you would like to share with us?

I can't wait to follow you musical journey, welcome!

Posted by: Blavod Jan 30 2015, 02:56 PM

Hi Hickstir, welcome!
I really like your story and its definitely an example that one should follow: never give up and live up your dreams!

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Jan 30 2015, 04:22 PM

Hi hickstir! Welcome to GMC! This is a very nice introduction, very inspiring and personal. To continue with you life experience lesson, I can say that this can even be applied to you, so why wouldn't you go for your dreams. Limitations can be used as an advantage to develop our own style, to increase our uniqueness.

The other day, the luthier who sets my guitars told me the story behind this guy (he also has set his one string guitar for the next album):




Here we are ready to help you and guide you on this journey, so please let's set some short and long term goals and let's go for them. Ok?

Posted by: hickstir Feb 1 2015, 10:00 PM

Thank you all very much!!

My music goals are varied, which also my be why I can't seem to stick to one thing very long before I realize I'm off working on something else. I can't tell you how many intro's or 'beginning of songs I've learned. How many have I completed, that's right, none! I know it's partly self-discipline and partly not seeing an instructor every week knowing you have to show what you were assigned to work on. Of course they are both one in the same.

My long term goal (maybe a few years or so) is to be able to know and understand fretboard theory (or just plain theory) and put together my own music. I would like to feel comfortable if I met someone and the said "hey, come on over with your guitar and we'll mess around. I would like to learn a few songs along the way, but I kind of look at that as a sub-accomplishment kind of thing.

Short term goals are the problem for me, I realized that I don't have any. The issue is that my long term goals keep getting in the way. My thinking goes kind of like this, and I'm guessing I'm not alone out there. My short term (daily) thinking kind of goes like this; "Let's see, I want to learn theory so I better just concentrate on that, but I want to learn the notes on the fretboard so I'll work on that, but I really need to learn the pentatonic scale so..., but I really want to learn some Scorpions, Slash, Pink Floyd, so on..., but I really need to learn the major and minor scales, but I would really like to learn some country for my father in law, but, but, but..." There's pretty much my daily thinking, it's always "well if I work on this, I'm not working on that".

Anyways; I'll leave it at that as I'm guessing anyone interested can get a good picture of where I am. I did forget to mention that I just recently got a Zoom R-8 for my birthday and love it! I was also an eye opener the first time I tried to play a simple solo while listening to the rhythm. It blew my mind at how different it was to play that once easy solo over other music!!! I can see why 'they say' you need to play with others, or at least backing tracks.
Thanks again all,
hickstir

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Feb 1 2015, 11:36 PM

Hi hickstir! I can see clearly what you need... you need to join my mentoring program in which I will give you weekly assignments based on your goals. I'll be there at the end of the week to see your progress and to suggest new tasks...

What do you think?

Posted by: Bogdan Radovic Feb 2 2015, 12:19 AM

Hi hickstir - welcome to the community!

I must say that I was blown away by your intro - thanks! The experience of not being able to play comfortably really opens up the eyes as we often forget to appreciate what we have. I also found your life lesson extremely inspiring and it really hits the nail. Hope more people would stop and think about it and try to get the most out of their lives. I'm too young to feel comfortable giving any life lessons, but I know that I always regretted not trying, especially when the challenge looks scary or impossible and it was always so rewarding for me when I did just "go for it". I'm a dreamer, always was always will be Music has always a been a big dream for me and it feels so good to work making it true.
I'll end this post with this song:

Posted by: Todd Simpson Feb 2 2015, 02:12 AM

WELCOME TO GMC!!! Playing with backing tracks is a great way to work on soloing and practice in general! It's much more fun than just using the metronome Jump in to the LICK OF THE DAY section and keep playing over backing tracks!

Todd

Posted by: Monica Gheorghevici Feb 2 2015, 09:21 AM

Hi Hickstir and welcome to GMC! See you around the forum

Posted by: hickstir Feb 2 2015, 03:58 PM

QUOTE (Gabriel Leopardi @ Feb 1 2015, 10:36 PM)

Hi hickstir! I can see clearly what you need... you need to join my mentoring program in which I will give you weekly assignments based on your goals. I'll be there at the end of the week to see your progress and to suggest new tasks...

What do you think?

QUOTE (Bogdan Radovic @ Feb 1 2015, 11:19 PM)

Hi hickstir - welcome to the community!

I must say that I was blown away by your intro - thanks! The experience of not being able to play comfortably really opens up the eyes as we often forget to appreciate what we have. I also found your life lesson extremely inspiring and it really hits the nail. Hope more people would stop and think about it and try to get the most out of their lives. I'm too young to feel comfortable giving any life lessons, but I know that I always regretted not trying, especially when the challenge looks scary or impossible and it was always so rewarding for me when I did just "go for it". I'm a dreamer, always was always will be Music has always a been a big dream for me and it feels so good to work making it true.
I'll end this post with this song:

QUOTE (Todd Simpson @ Feb 2 2015, 01:12 AM)

WELCOME TO GMC!!! Playing with backing tracks is a great way to work on soloing and practice in general! It's much more fun than just using the metronome Jump in to the LICK OF THE DAY section and keep playing over backing tracks!

Todd

Posted by: Fran Feb 2 2015, 08:31 PM

Welcome aboard!

Posted by: hickstir Feb 2 2015, 09:28 PM

QUOTE (Fran @ Feb 2 2015, 07:31 PM)

Welcome aboard!

Posted by: Gabriel Leopardi Feb 3 2015, 12:15 AM

QUOTE (hickstir @ Feb 2 2015, 11:58 AM)

Posted by: Caelumamittendum Feb 6 2015, 06:36 PM

Welcome to the forum, Hickstir. Hope to see you around Be sure to join in on collabs!.