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broken finger

#4
i broke my ring finger on my fretting hand two years in a row, it was rather difficult to play bass. but i made it through. just played a lot more with my index finger.

if you can't play, take this opportunity to do some learning. maybe learn about theory if you havn't, or different scales. something like that.

the only thing worse than free time is wasted time.
 
#5
Bob Clayton said:
i broke my ring finger on my fretting hand two years in a row, it was rather difficult to play bass. but i made it through. just played a lot more with my index finger.

if you can't play, take this opportunity to do some learning. maybe learn about theory if you havn't, or different scales. something like that.

the only thing worse than free time is wasted time.
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+1!
Wow! that's really cruel! I can't imagine breaking something and staying out of my job for a while, but not playing BASS! Good luck and spend the time wisely, like Bob Clayton suggests! Take care!:)
 
#9
I broke my right hand in a fight before a gig in the 80's. Played that whole night. Got it X rayed the following day(Sunday) because it swelled up to three or four times it's normal size. I shoved the small finger knucle back about a 1/2". I had to learn how to pick with just 2 fingers. I tried a pick but it wasn't happening. For some reason John Cougars Authority song was the toughest thing I had playing. Moral of the story... Kick the son of a gun if you don't know how to hit someone with your fist.
 
#12
the important thing is to make sure your singer announces your ailment at some point during the show. this takes the pressure off of you to be perfect, and you might even get some sympathy from the girls after the show.

i broke my finger the night before a gig several years ago. it was the ring finger of my right hand, which fortunately i don't use, but i still kept getting the splint stuck in the strings.

my singer did NOT remember to make the sympathy announcement. grrrrrr.
 
#17
I broke the pointer finger on my fretting hand 1 year ago. when it happened i was pretty angry thinking i was going to have to cancel gigs and not play for a few months (the doctor told me i could play on it for 3 months, i broke the first bone in the finger in half, right under the fingernail). rather than not play i relearned how to play only using 3 fingers, it was difficult at first, especially without the first finger! but i did it and i actually think i got better because of it, it strengthened my other fingers. now i'm not saying that if you want to get better you should break a finger but.....if you should happen to break one it is possible to learn to play with 3. it was actually pretty cool at shows when everyone realized i was playing 3 fingered, they were inpressed!
 
#18
My friend (stupidly) got bitten on his left (fretting) index finger by a copperhead snake last year. He nearly lost the finger, had skin grafts, etc. All is well now, but he spent all last year gigging with three fingers. His pinky is SUPER-BAD after all that new usage.

Here's to fast healing!
 
#20
I broke the index finger on my fretting hand in three places right over the middle joint playing football in high school (still have a steel pin in it below the joint). The joint still "pops" every time I bend it.

I broke my ring finger on my fretting hand playing softball three years ago, and it never healed properly. The finger bends forward (toward my palm about 5 degrees at the base knuckle, backwards about 10 degrees at the middle joint, and forward at about 20 degrees at the top joint. :eek: After that happened, I figured I'd better learn to play the upright (heh) :)

My hand looks pretty messed up, but I can still play! :bassist:
 

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