Trouble correctly positioning my left pointer-finger

Hey all,

I am a newbie at the guitar and am learning the simple chords. I have a very unusual question - I have an issue that I was wondering if anyone else had experienced before... When I was younger, I had an accident that has rendered half of my left pointer-finger kind of unusable - more specifically, from the very top joint to the tip of my finger does not bend on it's own, so I am unable to make a "hook" with my finger and this makes it hard to only touch one string at a time with this finger. Learning to play the guitar has been a long-time dream of mine and I am trying to figure out how to get around this little obstacle. So far, I have tried taping the top part of my finger to the bottom part to make a hook but this makes it hard to move my finger from one string to the other in a nice, flowing-type motion. I have also tried growing out my nail to use it instead of the tip of my finger but my nail ends up not being strong enough and it breaks or bends. Does anyone else have less-than-perfect fingers that have created an issue in the past? If so, how did you get around it? Or, does anyone have any creative solution ideas that they would care to share?

Like I said, an unusual question but it never hurts to ask!

Thanks!
blue.lish

Here's a famous guy with partially paralyzed fingers, and he did pretty damn good: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoIJ4W7kXiQ&feature=related

Django!

Just for you to get inspired :).

It's hard for me to tell exactly what you can and can't do with your finger, but I'm positive that with enough time you will automatically develop workarounds that will work well for you.

Since it's your index finger I think it's not too bad, since you use that so much for barring anyway. It doesn't interfere with anything behind it (lower frets). If it had been your middle finger it might have been worse.

/Ben

Tony Iomi had zome of his fingers choped off.

you could try learning to play reverse, i'm left handed but i learned righty cause its the only guitars i had, and the people i borrowed them from would not allow me to do any lefty modifications.

Well, I have a different sort of problem. I spent 10 years of my career as a guitarist playing right handed. Last year, I somehow managed to essentially render my left hand useless....


So now, I'm a left-handed player! :D

You could do the same. I think you'll like it better... :)

Originally Posted by: blue.lish[U]Hey all,

I am a newbie at the guitar and am learning the simple chords. I have a very unusual question - I have an issue that I was wondering if anyone else had experienced before... When I was younger, I had an accident that has rendered half of my left pointer-finger kind of unusable - more specifically, from the very top joint to the tip of my finger does not bend on it's own, so I am unable to make a "hook" with my finger and this makes it hard to only touch one string at a time with this finger. Learn how to play guitar has been a long-time dream of mine and I am trying to figure out how to get around this little obstacle. So far, I have tried taping the top part of my finger to the bottom part to make a hook but this makes it hard to move my finger from one string to the other in a nice, flowing-type motion. I have also tried growing out my nail to use it instead of the tip of my finger but my nail ends up not being strong enough and it breaks or bends. Does anyone else have less-than-perfect fingers that have created an issue in the past? If so, how did you get around it? Or, does anyone have any creative solution ideas that they would care to share?

Like I said, an unusual question but it never hurts to ask!

Thanks!
blue.lish[/U]

I guess the best suggestion I could give you is to try to learn to play guitar as a left handed. There are a lot of guitar players that are left-handed and plays right-handed as well. Best of luck bud.

Barre chords / power chords. For a lot of beginning musicians, it is hte fastest way to start making music. http://www.guitartricks.com/lesson.php?input=11253&c_id=2&ch_id=17&s_id=450