How would you cope with having to give up guitar

[Larry Mal]

Very sorry about your terrible health crisis.

I have given some thought to this kind of situation, and I would miss guitar, but I can make music in other ways and so can you. Maybe it's time to explore those.

Two years is not a lot of time. I would certainly not make any decisions until it is well known that you will not recover use of your left arm beyond any doubt.

I wish you the best of luck regardless, brother.

[vindibona1]

I don't know what to say except that I am truly sorry that you're going through this. I don't know that anyone can advise you on how to deal with giving up something that is part of your soul and possibly defines who you are. I think, for right now, you just have to stay strong mentally and keep on plugging.

Wishing you a speedy recovery.

[dwasifar]

I have a woodshop full of dangerous power tools, and a garage full of dangerous mechanic tools. My constant worry is that I will someday be trying to figure out how to continue to play guitar with one or more fingers missing.

A friend's uncle had that experience. He lost some fingers in an industrial accident, and bitterly gave away his guitars to his nephew, who has learned to make sure they're stowed out of sight when his uncle visits.

As to what I would do in OP's situation? Keep trying unless it became obvious that it was hopeless, I suppose, and then find a deserving young player to give away my instruments to. Those are the practical actions. As far as the emotional recovery from the loss, I don't know how I would handle it. Probably not well. My heart goes out to OP for this, and I'm hoping he can recover and not have to face that loss.

[AndrewG]

Originally Posted by CoffeeFan

I used to play guitar more than anyone I knew. I played in a band and in an acoustic trio.

As time went on, the band broke up. My wife and I split up in 2012 and I moved away. I got more and more into photography to the point where it's what I now do for a living.

Before making a living with photography, though, it became a hobby, and one I grew quite passionate about. I almost didn't notice the first time I'd gone a complete month without playing guitar. In the last year I've picked my guitar up six times.

And it's been a completely natural transition...

Photography (purely analogue and old Nikon SLR), is another of my hobbies-as well as model railways-so if some awful affliction prevented me from playing, much as I would miss it, I have other things to occupy myself with.

[Edgar Poe]

Those guitars are your motivation to recuperate.
If you have nothing to look forward too, you will consign yourself to the fact that you don't NEED to get better.
I have heard a saying that even though it may be harsh, or a bit over the top for this situation, but it goes like this.

" If you give up your dreams you die."

I would NEVER be out of sight of my guitars for one second.
Put a strap on your favorite guitar, and hang it around your neck whenever the chance affords itself.

Ed

[frankmcr]

Take up harmonica? Serious suggestion. Lotta music in those little things.

[Sponserv]

Holy crap.

I am bookmarking this thread and will reference all these stories whenever I don't feel like practicing or for whatever reason feeling sorry for myself. This is definitely an attitude of gratitude thread.

I agree with the posters who say just take it easy for awhile and see where you net out. As some have attested to horrible original prognosis and then being pleasantly surprised you just never know.

Hang in there buddy.

[MC5C]

I'm going through this, I fell and broke my neck 8 weeks ago and after the surgery I have nerve damage in my left arm, hand, fingers, that makes it impossible to play. I'm going to try to play slide dobro, lap steel, but it's a big question mark if I get to ever play my guitars again. I used to be a luthier too, probably not going to do that again either. Thankfully that nerve damage is the lasting extent of my injuries - all the broken ribs, dislocated fingers, subdural hematoma, are well on the way to healing.

I honestly have no idea what I will do with my guitars. Currently they are all out on display, as I always have them, and are kind of mocking me.

[coldshot]

Thank you to everyone who posted, I think I needed to hear other guitarist situations.
I have tried to stay positive throughout the last 8 months, it's just sometimes when I go downstairs into my studio I see all my guitars and think "what's the use".
On the day I left rehab I walked out, I wouldn't use the wheelchair provided.
All the nurses and physio staff were standing at the exit door and cheered me, the nurse who washed and fed me most mornings said to me "she wished all patients had an attitude like mine".
It brought tears to my eyes.
I played slide guitar before surgery, and that is my first goal as you don't require as much pressure on the strings. I've also purchased a decent keyboard which I'm learning.
Guitar was such a big part of my life, if I do decide to move a few it wont be all of them.
Roger, I was deeply saddened when I missed the mcjam this year. I don't know if I'll be up to travelling for 2020, but 2021 is not out of the equation.
Thanks again all who posted positive thoughts.
To all of you who are facing playing difficulties also, I hope this thread has helped in some way.
Cheers.

[srick]

I had to face this possibility several years. My fingers had sores and blisters that were not healing well. Since I am in a health profession, this was unacceptable. When I didn't play the guitars, I would get healing. It turns out I had a nickle allergy which is found in most frets and many strings. Once I figured this out and fitted my guitars with low nickle strings and EVO frets, the problem was solved.

But to answer your question, if it continued, I was considering taking up piano\keyboard or drums. The instrument is just a tool to express yourself. Guitars are an awfully nice way to express yourself: they are portable and polyphonic, but there are many other ways of making music!

[Bear Davis]

I can't even begin to imagine the array of thoughts and emotions you must have experienced throughout this situation. I will hope for the best and can't wait to see your comeback post!

Bear

[Doug MacPherson]

Cold shot - thanks for the great topic. Looks like we are not the only ones. I had cervical, shoulder and hand issues - surgeries. For awhile I just played harmonica with my folk group, but gradually got back to playing nylon string guitar, harmonica with holder and i't been an ongoing process for years, but I'm still playing. I now have to hold the guitar a certain way and strum with my index finger without moving my arm. It takes what it takes, harmonica is my fall back, everyone is looking for a harmonica player. Hang in there.

[Earl49]

Coldshot, don't give up - ever! You will have depression and setbacks as well as triumphs, so hang on tightly to the triumphs, no matter how minor. Savor the peaks and let them carry you through the valleys. I pondered selling off all my guitars more than once, as I could not bear the pain of looking at them while unable to play. But surrender is not in my stubborn nature, until absolutely necessary. What carried me through the PT and hard work was the unofficial motto of the US Navy SEALS: "the only easy day.... was yesterday".

Halloween a few days ago marks my 7th "birthday". Seven years ago I woke up that morning barely able to stand and needed help to get dressed to go to the ER. I collapsed in the emergency room, and got an immediate head CT. There was a 3 cm mass in my brain and it shut off motor control of the entire left side of my body. Instead of handing out candy to trick-or-treaters I spent the night in the ICU battling for my life. Words cannot express just how scary it is staring up at the hospital ceiling unable to move half of your body. Would I ever walk, be able to work, or even use the bathroom independently again? Would I ever play music again? Would life be worth living without guitar?

They removed the mass (non-cancerous, thank God) but I still did not get any better for a week, and no one knew why. Once they eventually started a course of high does intravenous antibiotics, the rare infection began to subside along with the swelling and pressure on my nerves. I slowly regained the ability to move my left foot and then my left arm. It was months of healing and PT before I could play ukulele again and then it took several more months to move back to nylon string guitar, and longer still to develop any skill or stamina and move to steel strings. After about 18 months I was back to about 90% of my prior ability. It could have been so much worse.....

Someone gave me a dobro style square-necked resonator, just in case. I could always tape a steel to my compromised left hand and play to some degree in an open tuning. Fortunately, it did not come to that. There is still some loss in fretting hand dexterity and strength (barre chords that never gave me any trouble before have become a challenge) but I'm now at about 95% of my pre-op skill level.

[SuperB23]

I feel for your situation too and I'll be praying you make a full recovery.

One options might be to consider other instruments that can be played with just one hand. Trumpet, Piano, and Harmonica all come to mind, there are probably more I'm not thinking of right now. At least you wouldn't have to give up playing music all together. Sometimes learning a new instrument can be a fun distraction while you continue to recover.

[ricfreak]

Coldshot, stay strong! We are praying for your recovery.

Jason Becker is a huge inspiration to me.
www.jasonbecker.com