Will Fingers Have To Weaken With Age? (Full Version)

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Ruphus -> Will Fingers Have To Weaken With Age? (Dec. 21 2010 11:51:36)

Many a times now have I read of older players who switched to softer string tension.
Something I wouldn´t understand, as being used to dismiss anything less than high or super high tension, for medium let alone low tension to me having felt much too sluggish.
There have been times that I would play flamenco technique even on steelers, which even PdL, when he tried such out at one time, experienced as butchering fingers.
Something I´d certainly quickly regret if doing nowadays.

For, as of late I notice to have periods in between when high tension suddenly feels hard, or like last night, my finger tips feeling a bit like pounded steak meat.
( Possibly, just as it seams to get gradually harder to maintain a belly six pack that used to stay in place so easily until some years ago.)

What do you think?
Is it that, despite of in general pretty firm hand grip, with age finger tissue getting squashy nonetheless?

Ruphus



Chiste de Gales -> RE: Will Fingers Have To Weaken With Age? (Dec. 21 2010 15:13:26)

My guitar teacher in music school told us he thought that lifetime/career players reached their peak in their late 50's. Its after that age that he thought agility and strength began to diminish.



Ron.M -> RE: Will Fingers Have To Weaken With Age? (Dec. 21 2010 15:25:54)

quote:

despite of in general pretty firm hand grip, with age finger tissue getting squashy nonetheless?



What you need is Finger Viagra. [:D]

cheers,

Ron



Ruphus -> RE: Will Fingers Have To Weaken With Age? (Dec. 21 2010 17:27:57)

Or maybe soak in onion juice?
[8D]

Ruphus



mark indigo -> RE: Will Fingers Have To Weaken With Age? (Dec. 22 2010 12:27:50)

quote:

What do you think?
Is it that, despite of in general pretty firm hand grip, with age finger tissue getting squashy nonetheless?


you should ask this guy,



Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px



Ron.M -> RE: Will Fingers Have To Weaken With Age? (Dec. 22 2010 17:55:12)

quote:

you should ask this guy,




Jeez! He looks like a skid row loonie there!

(Blocked out of his skull on Methylated Spirits)

Honestly, if if went outside for a smoke at the interval in a concert hall, I can see Security barring him from getting back inside and calling the Police...

I can just see it...

"But I'm Paco de Lucia...I'm playing here tonight!......
Sure, Bud....and I'm Frank Sinatra back from the dead for a final concert.. now let's go quietly" [:D]

cheers,

Ron



mark indigo -> RE: Will Fingers Have To Weaken With Age? (Dec. 22 2010 19:50:49)

[:D][:D][:D][:D]



marduk -> RE: Will Fingers Have To Weaken With Age? (Dec. 23 2010 0:28:24)

hey at least he trimmed his beard earlier in the year [8D]



Paul Magnussen -> RE: Will Fingers Have To Weaken With Age? (Dec. 23 2010 0:48:29)

quote:

"But I'm Paco de Lucia...I'm playing here tonight!......
Sure, Bud....and I'm Frank Sinatra back from the dead for a final concert.. now let's go quietly"


If it can happen to Bob Dylan, it can happen to anyone.

http://www.thefader.com/2009/08/17/bob-dylan-mistaken-for-vagrant-detained-by-police-in-nj/



Anders Eliasson -> RE: Will Fingers Have To Weaken With Age? (Dec. 24 2010 8:32:27)

Back on topic.

Whats the english word for this deaease that weakens you joints. (fingers, knees, whatever)
It comes with age.



lowden -> RE: Will Fingers Have To Weaken With Age? (Dec. 24 2010 9:15:27)

I think you mean arthritis Anders



johnguitars -> RE: Will Fingers Have To Weaken With Age? (Dec. 24 2010 9:16:54)

It is called "arthritus".



mark indigo -> RE: Will Fingers Have To Weaken With Age? (Dec. 24 2010 9:18:53)

arthritis? (2 types, osteo- and rheumatiod-)?

osteoporosis?

these conditions are not inevitable with age.

the point about posting the pic of paco is that he seems to be doing ok with his age.



Ruphus -> RE: Will Fingers Have To Weaken With Age? (Dec. 24 2010 11:12:25)

I was questioning about tissue.
Tissue hypothetically getting slack / soft and with that sensibility for high tension strings.

Wile some responses here seem to beforehand neglect such physical development of the body, in forums for classical guitar posts can be found in which people mention that they switched to lower tension strings with age.

And I have the feeling as if there was an encreasing sensibility going on with myself.
Only that I am not sure whether the phenomenon might be bound to personal side-effects, which is that my fingers used to be toughened up by working as dental technician ( where you regularly grab hot and edgy work pieces, hit milling heads etc. ), as well as through practicing Wing Tsun kung fu full time ( where your hands and arms are being strained as well ).

So, as my case differes in so far that anyway there is a change supposed to happen from times when a pot of boiling water could spill over lower arms and hands without injury occuring, while meanwhile ( without dental work and only little WT ) becoming sensitive to even just the heat of holding a hot glassful of tea, I wondered in how far there is a general change of sensitivity and because of age.

For one, I don´t think to be suffering under arthritis, and likely neither the other players mentioned.

Besides, who thinks an indiviudal player like Paco de Lucia should serve as general indicator, is probably at least informed about this artist´s chronological choice of string tension, I guess.

Ruphus



edguerin -> RE: Will Fingers Have To Weaken With Age? (Dec. 24 2010 12:58:18)

quote:

Whats the english word for this deaease that weakens you joints. (fingers, knees, whatever)


Old age?



Anders Eliasson -> RE: Will Fingers Have To Weaken With Age? (Dec. 25 2010 9:25:16)

so has anyone here had problems with osteoarthritis in the fingers and what did they do about it?



johnguitars -> RE: Will Fingers Have To Weaken With Age? (Dec. 25 2010 12:27:08)

Yes, I have problems. It is actually painful to play especially the thumbs but all of the hands hurt. I have tried everything except not playing (2-5 hours a day every day for years). There is no cure but you can take glucosamine and chondroitin/MSM. These can actually lubricate and rebuild lost cartilidge (so I am told by the doctors). Other than that you are stuck except for anti-inflamitories like ibuprofen and the like. BTW, the hands do not weaken (at least in my case) they just hurt and lose flexibility. If I had know this I would have done things differently. I would have been more careful of injuries to my hands (I have had many) i.e. not so much martial arts. I would also have taken the above suppliments even though I had no symptoms. I think I might not have practiced as much either. It would be better to play at a lesser level well than to play at a higher level poorly.



jshelton5040 -> RE: Will Fingers Have To Weaken With Age? (Dec. 25 2010 14:40:13)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Anders Eliasson

so has anyone here had problems with osteoarthritis in the fingers and what did they do about it?

I have osteoarthritis in the fingers. After playing actively for over 40 years I had to give it up since the left hand fingers won't bend tight enough to hold chords. I'm now playing classical piano which doesn't require the tight bend. The odd thing is that there doesn't seem to be any loss of facility. Fast trills and scales are still possible. In another twenty years I may be able to play piano as well as I once played guitar.



a_arnold -> RE: Will Fingers Have To Weaken With Age? (Dec. 25 2010 18:53:21)

I'm 62 and still play a clean picado at about 12 or 13 notes per second. In fact, I think I've gotten cleaner and faster over the last few years since I retired and began concentrating more on guitar.

The only change I have noticed in my hands is at the site of an old injury (a knuckle where I had a cut to the bone, exposing tendons etc. when I was a young teenager). That knuckle has begun to ache. I take a lot of herbal anti-inflammatory stuff, and so far haven't experienced any other pains -- maybe occasional transitory aches in wrists and ankles, but nothing that affects my playing.

I find my biggest age-related problem (other than dying) is in learning new music. It takes longer to memorize it than it used to.



Ruphus -> RE: Will Fingers Have To Weaken With Age? (Dec. 25 2010 22:10:31)

quote:

ORIGINAL: a_arnold

I find my biggest age-related problem (other than dying) is in learning new music. It takes longer to memorize it than it used to.


Though ten years younger, I face such problem with languages.
Before, taking language challenges on the fly, meanhwile things seem to have changed considerably.
Currently, for over three years now in a new place I am still struggling for the right words. Let alone the black-outs in between when several languages vocabulary collide inside the head while seeking for an individual idiom of the language currently mainly in use. Especially right after switches from a language to another.

Something that wouldn´t occure until some years back, when jumping back and forth used to be seamless.
Not to mention of times long ago when there was the ability to learn a complete language including pronounciation in upwards from 4 months.
Impossible today.

There seems a change in that operating the grey lumpy obviously is getting slower ( since age of between 18 to 23 speed wise descending anyway ), while superordinate cognition and associative connecting still progressing. ... Until maybe another two decades ( if earth still be reeling then ) at the most, when probably things start going down the hill alltogether.
( Sure, do there happen to be exceptions with the one or other individual, but I don´t count with myself being all to synaptic with over ~ 70 or such.)

Even though latest survey shown a bit sobering in regard of in how far agility and brain work could effectively be prolonging functional status, aside of some distinct supports like e.g. omega3 or mnemonic practicing, to my understaning one healthy thing should be of first priority:

Passion.
Being curious, as best thing one could do.
Keeness and aesthete being leading factors in nous maintenance.

Ruphus



Anders Eliasson -> RE: Will Fingers Have To Weaken With Age? (Dec. 26 2010 9:05:55)

Thanks about the posts about osteoarthritis. Something is happening to my left hand. But I love Classical piano, so there´s hope[;)]



jshelton5040 -> RE: Will Fingers Have To Weaken With Age? (Dec. 26 2010 14:33:47)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Anders Eliasson

Thanks about the posts about osteoarthritis. Something is happening to my left hand. But I love Classical piano, so there´s hope[;)]

Anders,
I always assumed the piano would seem easy compared to the hopelessly difficult classic and flamenco guitar. I suppose it is easier to achieve a level where you can actually play something but to play the master works at this point seems totally out of reach. Playing any instrument is a humbling experience. Take glucosamine and enjoy the guitar while you still can.



Richard Jernigan -> RE: Will Fingers Have To Weaken With Age? (Dec. 26 2010 15:33:22)

Edward Freeman, the English flamenco guitarist, transcriber and teacher was prevented from playing by arthritis for many years. After numerous unsuccessful trials, eventually a medication was found that enabled his return to playing. This was thirty-odd years ago, so it's not some new advance. Of course, it might not work for everybody.

RNJ



a_arnold -> RE: Will Fingers Have To Weaken With Age? (Dec. 26 2010 17:01:40)

quote:

Thanks about the posts about osteoarthritis. Something is happening to my left hand. But I love Classical piano, so there´s hope


My doctor says he treats a lot of older patients, and he says that osteoarthritis is very common in their hands, BUT he has noticed that among his patients who are musicians who exercise their hands constantly (piano, guitar, harp, etc) there is almost no osteoarthritis in their hands. His theory is that the exercise keeps arthritis at bay. Possibly they have stronger hands that are less prone to injury, or because they are musicians they have taken more care to avoid injury to the hands (old injuries tend to be the starting point for inflammation).

So yes, there is hope.

I was at a juerga recently where Juan Serrano played. He is getting on in years, (I think he is 75) but his speed is undiminished.



Ricardo -> RE: Will Fingers Have To Weaken With Age? (Dec. 26 2010 17:52:23)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Richard Jernigan

Edward Freeman, the English flamenco guitarist, transcriber and teacher was prevented from playing by arthritis for many years. After numerous unsuccessful trials, eventually a medication was found that enabled his return to playing. This was thirty-odd years ago, so it's not some new advance. Of course, it might not work for everybody.

RNJ


Interesting. By any chance do you know Tom Cotton? A student of Freeman's?



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