Playing with cerebral palsy

STYXfan1000 · #1 11-20-2011, 06:53 PM

Title says it all. I've had it ever since I was born. Mine makes it to where the left side of my body doesn't function as well as my right.
Naturally I play right handed the only problem is that i have a hard time playing the neck of any basses with my left hand not being able to do the finger techniques other bass players basically when u listen to me play every other note is an open string because I can't go up and down the neck.

Any Suggestions guys I really wanna get better as a bass player and drummer for that matter?

Psycho · #2 11-20-2011, 10:12 PM

Do you do physical therapy? I know I wouldn't function nearly as well as I do in everyday life, much less bass playing if I hadn't done it at a young age.

I understand your struggles, though mine is with motor skill damage and other mental struggles due to a stroke after being born 15 and a 1/2 weeks early.

I'd suggest trying to do some sort of physical therapy, get really down with the basics of your body and the issues. Start small, and once you're applying the results to everyday life try applying them to bass playing. Something like bass playing involves a lot of hand-eye coordination, muscle memory and somewhat sharp reflexes.

Good luck, and don't give up!

El Tostito · #3 11-20-2011, 10:19 PM

I know a guy who plays some gnarly mean metal bass with CP. He uses lots of legato. Maybe you could learn to play with your strong hand on the fretboard and employ lots of legato? I've seen that it's doable well, so don't give up man, I wish I had that kind of dedication.

john grey · #4 11-21-2011, 08:16 AM

I really can't put into words how much I admire your guts, nerve, & tenacity. However, not being a doctor I'm damn limited in what I could offer aside from prayers and admiration.

That being said, IF you are taking any medication, then you may want to time your practice with your meds. That might make a difference. Visualization also may help as would any time-keeping tools anyone else would use (metronome,drum machine, etc). You realize that except from that challenge (the CP) you are the same as anyone else, so you need to apply those same techniques.
You may find some methods of left-hand exercises work better for you than others therefore your better "pay-off" would be to experiment with as many as possible until you find some that get better results. But we all can take that to an extreme.

A good example is the use of ring finger and pinky on the same fret to get a better pressure element. There are some who would say it's poor form; others would disagree. Remember first of all you are making music. If you lost a finger on a band saw, there's no reason not to compromise. In the same context if you have less control over that left side, you should experiment with what works for YOU.
It's only my opinion but I make music for myself. Not to achieve a competitive agenda with anyone else. Many people have heard the one armed Bassist (see thread above), he found a technique that worked for him; so can you.

Enjoying a challenge is a very internal agenda. But very often we do our best at things we love. Playing music is good for a great many things; it's also a continual process of discovery.
Getting "positive" with things is no small chore. Replacing the word "can't" with "yet" is a good first step.

armybass · #5 11-21-2011, 02:25 PM

My step daughter has CP...good on you man for challenging yourself. Have you ever trid basses with very thin necks? Do you think that would help. I recently picked up a Ibanex SB 900. The neck is ridiculously thin and easy to play. I wonder if that would benefit your left hand technique.

redcloud · #6 11-21-2011, 04:18 PM

My 26 yo Son has CP. He started playing guitar about 11/2 y ago. His progress has been slower than some but he is able to manage the open chords and is nearly there in terms of changing in rhythm. He has also started to finger pick using his own approach and it sounds pretty cool. It has taken perseverance, but he loves it.

I am gonna give him a SS bass for Xmas and see if he
likes that too.

Keep plugging along.

atomicdog · #7 11-25-2011, 02:06 PM

There's a lot to be said for shaping your own style despite any physical limitations. The great guitarist Django Reinhardt lost the pinky and ring finger on his left hand in a fire when he was a teen, but he went on to become one of the greatest guitarists of all time (using his thumb, index and middle fingers--though films show him tossing the nub of his missing ring finger up onto the E-string to form a seventh!).

Mark Sandman, the bassist and frontman for the indie-rock band Morphine, eliminated the E and G strings altogether, playing a bass with just two strings to help foster the minimalist sound he wanted. I'm not trying to dissuade you from striving to do as much as possible, just saying that sometimes it's possible to do more with less. I had a hand operation on my left hand last year and was supposed to lay off guitar and bass during recovery. Couldn't wait though, so I found a way to play a very sparse style in which I was only hitting every second or third note. It made for really interesting phrasing.

GreggBummer · #8 11-25-2011, 02:25 PM

Lots of folks out there overcome a lot of different disabilities:

WHO IS THIS GUY??? Anyone? Please? - YouTube

(That has been posted on TB before)

It can be done. My suggestion to the OP: Seek out a good teacher who is willing to help learn to adapt. In this video, Mr. Clemmens has not made any special modifications to his bass. He routs his guitar strap under the top horn to add some stability. He uses his right "arm" to pinch the bass against his body.. again for stability. He also uses what appears to be a hankerchef on the neck the bass. This helps to mute the strings he isn't playing. Victor Wooten does the same thing with a hair band. Lastly, and I'm guessing on this, Mr. Clemmens has the gain and volume on his amp turned up pretty far. He probably is using a ton of compression and limiting in order to even out his playing.

The way I understand your CP, it effects only one side. You may be able to adapt this players technique to help you.

So, in summery, it CAN be done. It really can.

If you are local to Philadelphia, contact me by PM.

JimmyM · #9 11-26-2011, 12:17 AM

Hey man, salute to you for going for it! Hope you can get with someone who can help you figure it out...but the fun is in the journey...every day you practice and hopefully get a little better...some days you might not improve as quickly as others but that's OK because you're having fun. Good luck with it!

grendle · #10 11-26-2011, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Hey man, salute to you for going for it! Hope you can get with someone who can help you figure it out...but the fun is in the journey...every day you practice and hopefully get a little better...some days you might not improve as quickly as others but that's OK because you're having fun. Good luck with it!

+1

Find your own technique, whatever it is, whatever works for you is the important thing. Hats off to you!

Zooberwerx · #11 11-26-2011, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by STYXfan1000

Title says it all. I've had it ever since I was born. Mine makes it to where the left side of my body doesn't function as well as my right.
Naturally I play right handed the only problem is that i have a hard time playing the neck of any basses with my left hand not being able to do the finger techniques other bass players basically when u listen to me play every other note is an open string because I can't go up and down the neck.
Any Suggestions guys I really wanna get better as a bass player and drummer for that matter?

This may be way out in left field but...

If this proves to be a consistent limitation despite practice, PT, and adaptations, you may want to consider developing your strengths, specifically your right hand dexterity. I'm thinking in terms of of tapping & touch-type techniques a la Chapman Stick or the like.

Riis