Hi Mark. Welcome to the list. I would also like to encourage you to come to the OTW festival and if you are interested you should register and ask for a loaner asap. Mike Gilpin will be teaching the beginners again this year and he is a really nice guy and a very good teacher.
I am also a guitar player. I played back up guitar in a contra dance band for several years and developed an inflammation at the base of my thumbs called de quarvain's syndrome (I'm not sure of the spelling) but our mandolin player was a physical therapist and she confirmed that it was that. I also was doing a lot of gardening at the time. I struggled with it for quite a while and part of my rationale for taking up the hurdy gurdy was to find another instrument that wouldn't aggravate this px. I have found that the hurdy gurdy doesn't require the pressure that playing the guitar does. I also found that using alternating cool and hot water baths helps the thumb problem a lot. This method was suggested by Mike Seeger's wife who is also a physical therapist and very well versed in the physical complaints of musicians who are reaching a point in life when these issues come up more frequently. The alternating temperature baths helps with pain and also sets up a pumping action that helps with swelling and inflammation. As long as the water isn't to hot or too cold (I just used tap water) it can't do any damage so even if it doesn't help it can't harm. I rarely have any problem now although I don't play guitar much and play a little uke which doesn't require as much pressure. The hurdy gurdy is a great instrument that is so different from anything else I have played (I also play recorders and used to play clarinet and sax). I love French dance music and other music associated with the instrument but it is also fun to try other music to see what works. Joanna Chesnut ----- Original Message ----- From: "Mark" <[email protected]> To: "hurdygurdy" <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 6:34:25 AM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific Subject: [HG-new] HG ergonomics Hi all. I’m new to the list, and curious about the HG as I’m looking for a new instrument to learn. I have played guitar for many years but, in the last decade, the basal joint at the base of my left thumb has become increasingly arthritic. Consequently, I can no longer finger a fretboard without a lot of attendant pain. Watching the HG played, it doesn’t look as if it would stress the basal joint as the heel of the palm seems to rest on the keybox and the thumb doesn’t play a particularly active role in fingering the keys. Any thoughts on this? I guess the real test will be to find someone who owns an HG and try it before investing in an instrument. If there is anyone on the list in the Minneapolis/St.Paul area that would be willing to let me try it out, I’d be appreciative. Mark --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "hurdygurdy" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/hurdygurdy The rules of posting, courtesy, and other list information may be found at http://hurdygurdy.com/mailinglist/index.htm. To reduce spam, posts from new subscribers are held pending approval by the webmaster. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
