Every year, I look forward to the Christmas holiday season. I love decorating a large, beautiful tree, baking delicious, seasonal desserts, going to holiday parties, and spending time with my parents at their farm. Because I’m a singer and a musician, I also like to listen to Christmas music. Sometimes, I listen to holiday tunes for several hours at the time. Whether I’m cleaning my home, driving down the road, or cooking dinner, my mood instantly improves after listening to some of my favorite holiday songs. On this blog, I hope you will gain an appreciation for holiday music. Enjoy!
Playing a stringed instrument requires a great deal of fluid movement in your fingers and your hands. If you have arthritis, then playing a guitar, harp, etc., is often more pain than pleasure. If you want to keep playing your stringed instrument of choice, you will need to find ways or products that help you deal with the pain and stiffness you feel. The following products can help you continue your hobby or career.
Ergonomic Guitar Picks
Guitar picks, as a general rule, are flat, triangular pieces of plastic that need to be held between thumb and forefinger. For a musician with arthritis, using this pincer grasp can cause intense pain in these fingers and in the tendons that control the movement of these two fingers. An ergonomic guitar pick is just what the doctor ordered. The body of these picks is enlarged and has a u-shaped component which rests on the stretchy, fleshy part of your hand between the thumb and index finger. Rather than force your hand into a slightly awkward, sideways position (which can cause intense pain your wrist), the pick has a metal component that runs perpendicular to its body. All your wrist and fingers have to do is hold the pick and move your hand in an upward/downward motion in relation to the strings. Talk with a professional, like DG Inc, for more information about ergonomic picks.
Ergonomic Finger Pads
When your strumming or plucking hand is busy working with the ergonomic pick, your other fingers may need a break too. Ergonomic finger pads are worn on the fingers of the hand that compresses the strings and holds them down on the neck of your instrument. They help you apply pressure while at the same time relieving the strain on your fingers and wrist. They are usually hard rubber and may resemble rubber washers when you wear them; but it means that you do not have to work quite so hard to hold the strings down when you play.
Handles for Your Instrument
The final product you may want to look for and attach to your instrument is a handle. For lack of a better word, these "handles" attach to the neck and to the sides of the body of the instrument. They are most helpful and effective for those times when you attempt to pick your instrument up and the pain suddenly shoots through your wrists, hands, and fingers such that you drop your instrument. If you have a handle or two on the instrument, you do not have to worry about dropping it. Additionally, you can pick the instrument up with a flat, open palm and never even have to curl your fingers in uncomfortable positions.
Share12 May 2016
