Guess I'm back to the middle finger pluck

BellBottomBlues · #1 03-21-2007, 07:44 PM

Hey all, on Christmas eve I got my right forefinger (I play righty) had its tip severed and never got reattached. So I ended up playing with my middle finger for a long while, while I waited for it to heal. It never did fully heal and I kinda had an accident today

I got my finger caught while I was fixing my cars engine yesterday. I was in the hospital most of the day yesterday and went home to sleep. I just woke up and here I am.

Guess I'm back to playing with my middle finger again.

doctorjazz · #2 03-21-2007, 07:45 PM

Damn dude, that sucks. Finger injuries are probably my greatest fear of all.

BellBottomBlues · #3 03-21-2007, 07:58 PM

And here I was thinking youre a doctor

I severed the finger twice in one go. I should be more careful. I took a pic with my sisters camera while I was cleaning it. Unfortunately, I can't figure how to get it to focus close up so you can see all the pretty details.

IAmTheDood · #4 03-22-2007, 08:15 AM

well .. better than a saw blade

left index finger I mitered with a table saw about 4 years ago. whole finger grew back thankfully and didn't hit any tendons ... now it's just a teeny scar that keeps going away more.

mlbarlow · #5 03-24-2007, 04:56 AM

ever think about using your ring finger with your middle? i've been doing that recently anyway ... no so much as the guys who do i-m-r or the other way around, but more circumstancially. (kinda like gary willis, not that I play like gary willis) I bet you could train yourself to alternate to good affect.

Nitto · #6 03-25-2007, 12:16 AM

That sucks dude, but i suppose the challenge is finding ways to weave your music around the injury and not see it as an obstacle.. i myself have crap thumbs and they get painful after a while but It's a damn good thing groove comes from the soul and not the fingers, or we (and many others) would be screwed.

machine gewehr · #7 03-27-2007, 01:54 PM

There is a sticky at the top called "A (Somewhat) Definitive Guide To The Matthew Garrison Technique And Playing Ramps" Check it out.Brian explains it very good.

If you work hard enough I'm sure you can do it thumb-ring-middle or any other variation.Good luck!

K2000 · #8 03-27-2007, 01:56 PM

There's always the pick, at the end of the day.

But guys, please be careful. Retain all your parts.

BellBottomBlues · #9 04-02-2007, 05:31 PM

I hate the tone I get with a pick. As of today, I'm still only using the middle. Sometimes I use my index and I tear the stitches.

dvs20 · #10 04-07-2007, 09:00 AM

I'm a mechanic and I crushed my finger last week and had to get some stitcheroos, it's was on the middle finger of my fretting hand and now I find myself not using it at all, maybe cause it's still a wee bit tender. ok really tender! fingers heal fast though I was surprised

**Freddels** · #11 04-07-2007, 09:44 AM

You could always cut the middle finger down to the size of your current index finger.

But that would probably hurt.

I'd suggest a combination of using your middle finger with you ring finger (you'll have to build up strength in it) and using your thumb to pluck.

hbarcat · #12 04-10-2007, 10:53 AM

Maybe you could do the Tony Iommi technique and put a short piece of stiff tubing on the finger that's missing the tip.

BellBottomBlues · #13 04-16-2007, 07:40 PM

the rubber tubing wouldnt work so well as I'm plucking not fretting.

Still only using the middle
*le sigh*

Pilgrim · #14 04-17-2007, 09:26 AM

If you start using your ring finger extensively, pay attention to any discomfort or tendon pain. It's normally not as strong as the first or second fingers, and you don't need to create tendon problems.