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  #16  
Old 05-16-2021, 01:10 PM
D-Guitar D-Guitar is offline
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After cataract surgery and using "readers" comfortably for several years , in my middle 70's, I now have been prescribed bifocal vision correction. I made what is turning out to be a mistake by getting bifocals rather than progressive lenses. My glasses do not like the 18-20" distance from my music without tilting my head back. Years ago before cataract surgery I wore progressive lenses and never noticed distance changes, it was seamless. Just another senior moment mistake in shopping judgement. Ha!
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  #17  
Old 05-16-2021, 02:28 PM
nightflight nightflight is offline
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I am extremely nearsighted, and bifocals have too much distortion to be usable. I gave up keeping different pairs of glasses - too expensive. So the bottom line is I cannot see my fret board or the strings (right hand) very well. So I play without looking as much as I possibly can. It would be nicer if I could see things better, but it is what it is.

Last edited by nightflight; 05-23-2021 at 10:43 PM.
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  #18  
Old 05-16-2021, 03:06 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by perttime View Post
Don't do it in your lap. There must be a table or counter top in your home. Put a towel there and the guitar on the towel.

I use my bed for changing strings and such. I'm still nimble ennough to kneel next to the bed.
Hi perttime
Thanks for the advice. I've been changing strings my way for over 57 years now, and it's not a matter of space.

I can SAFELY change a set of strings in under 5 minutes if I have to, but usually take my time and do it in about 10 minutes.

The guitar doesn't stay in my lap…just long enough to remove the existing set.

Then it's alternating between sitting on the tail, hanging in a stand, and strings (after wound) being tensioned in normal playing position.



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  #19  
Old 05-16-2021, 03:30 PM
Rosewood99 Rosewood99 is offline
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Originally Posted by 89bruin View Post
I had early-onset cataracts (probably from extensive UV exposure in the cockpit). The corrective implants work great for mid to far distance but I need some correction for reading and near to mid distance tasks. I had a pair of progressives made specifically for my studio … makes reading music, using the computer and seeing the fretboard easy. I just have to remember to take them off when I’m done or everything beyond arms length is fuzzy!
I’m nearsighted and more and more I’m having to take my glasses off when I play. Fortunately I’m not at the point where I need reading glasses to play.
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  #20  
Old 05-16-2021, 04:01 PM
musicman1951 musicman1951 is offline
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I had computer glasses made (I think about 32") and they work fine with the music stand. I could get a bit closer with the guitar, but not the trumpet.

Once in a blue moon I play at a table and my regular reading glasses work fine for that.

I don't play on soft furniture, so I'm no help there.
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  #21  
Old 05-16-2021, 04:29 PM
whvick whvick is offline
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This is all helpful to give me questions to ask about patient needs. It looks like you and your doctors have solved most of them.
And you are giving good advice.
I did not think, but for me to give much advice I would need to know your distance glasses Rx.
And I will be glad to PM with any specific questions
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  #22  
Old 05-17-2021, 12:48 AM
ssynhorst ssynhorst is offline
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Place a good music stand you can see just over your fretting hand and not much further away. Make it easy on your eyes. Aim where you intend your fingers to go. Memorize your music so you rarely need to look away from where you are aiming, but strive to hit there accurately when you do look away.

Do some practice with closed eyes. Some great guitarists were blind, many rarely need to look.

I hardly ever look at my plucking hand.

Vision is not all that important in making music. - Stevo
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  #23  
Old 05-17-2021, 03:35 AM
AndrewG AndrewG is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by whvick View Post
Most of you know from the guitar pick stories that I am an optometrist.
Help me be prepared to answer questions my patients may have about guitar playing and their eyes / vision.
Piano players frequently ask me to help them focus the music rack which is usually 30 to 36 inches from their eyes. With progressive addition lenses which cover a range of near Vision as well as far, I get special requests less often.
As guitarists we have special vision needs also. I get a crick in my neck when playing in my recliner with music laying on my left leg. I should make myself a pair of glasses for that, if I played longer, but I hardly ever go for an hour. Still I might try leaving a pair of +1.75 readers by my chair.
So what situations frustrate you the most? Let me know so I can think to ask my guitar playing patients if they have similar problems. And tell me how you have addressed the problem...special glasses or music stands or larger print on your tablet.
And if I have an answer to help you I will throw that out also.
Thanks
whvick
Sit on an upright chair and buy a music stand. Trying to play on a recliner is not a great idea-as your neck has told you. I'm very short-sighted and have been referred for cataract surgery. I wear varifocals.
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  #24  
Old 05-17-2021, 03:47 AM
Black-n-Nan Black-n-Nan is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ljguitar View Post
Hi whvick

Stringing guitars. I do not have a workbench (nor will I), and string guitars in my lap.



I used to do exactly the same. Later I found that my wife’s ironing table is just fine for restringing, cleaning etc Soft padded top and adjustable height is what I need
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  #25  
Old 05-17-2021, 03:58 AM
EZYPIKINS EZYPIKINS is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Black-n-Nan View Post
I used to do exactly the same. Later I found that my wife’s ironing table is just fine for restringing, cleaning etc Soft padded top and adjustable height is what I need
Wow, now that's a good idea.

Ironically, as I'm reading this post, I'm having trouble focusing on the screen.

When playing, I more interested in how it feels and sounds.

Muscle memory will put your hands in the right place. Just takes a bit of practice.

Ever see Jose Faliciano ?

Talking to my dad the other day. Said he was having trouble seeing his words on his music stand.

I said, you've been playing the same songs for decades. He's in his 80's

Don't you know the words by now?
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  #26  
Old 05-17-2021, 10:10 AM
ohiopicker ohiopicker is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by whvick View Post
Most of you know from the guitar pick stories that I am an optometrist.
Help me be prepared to answer questions my patients may have about guitar playing and their eyes / vision.
Piano players frequently ask me to help them focus the music rack which is usually 30 to 36 inches from their eyes. With progressive addition lenses which cover a range of near Vision as well as far, I get special requests less often.
As guitarists we have special vision needs also. I get a crick in my neck when playing in my recliner with music laying on my left leg. I should make myself a pair of glasses for that, if I played longer, but I hardly ever go for an hour. Still I might try leaving a pair of +1.75 readers by my chair.
So what situations frustrate you the most? Let me know so I can think to ask my guitar playing patients if they have similar problems. And tell me how you have addressed the problem...special glasses or music stands or larger print on your tablet.
And if I have an answer to help you I will throw that out also.
Thanks
whvick
I can help you if you help me! I am a 70 year old male, six weeks post pneumatic retinopexy and vitrectomy. While I am happy to have some vision return, I have waviness which I suspect is a macular wrinkle. I have several questions that I can’t find the answers to: 1) What exactly causes vision to slowly improve over weeks/months? 2) when I play guitar and look at the fretboard, I see a wavy 12 string. I am considering playing with an eyepatch. Have you ever had a patient want to do that? Thanks in adavance for any help you can give me. At this point since I am about half blind, should I switch to all blues?(lol).
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  #27  
Old 05-17-2021, 10:36 AM
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Now people may understand my forum name. A tribute from Blind Boy Fuller to Jimi Hendrix. I posted earlier that I couldn’t see the fretboard with my progressives so I frequently play with my eyes closed to get into the music more and get into the groove.
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  #28  
Old 05-17-2021, 10:53 AM
redir redir is offline
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As for sheet music, in my studio I have a very large monitor on my PC so I have music in PDFs that I can enlarge. That seems like the best option to me. To have an accessible device that you can manipulate to your needs.
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  #29  
Old 05-17-2021, 11:07 AM
mawmow mawmow is offline
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I am in the sixties. I already had mild myopia when hypermetropia hit me.

I also play golf. I am used to wear progressive glasses since I used to read,
write both with hand and on computer with a screen at some eighteen inches :
The "intermediate" focus allwed me to read the PC screen.

I began to have a second pair of glasses to be done for reading only a few years ago.
As my hypermetropia progressed, my reading glasses became just perfect for music reading !
So, when I get new glasses, I keep the older "reading" ones to read... music.
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  #30  
Old 05-17-2021, 09:22 PM
whvick whvick is offline
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Default Vision and guitar playing

Hello Ohiopicker
Is your other eye ok?
The distortion(metamorphopsia) is coming because your good eye is not completely suppressing the image from the bad eye. I have experienced this myself years ago. I had bleeding behind my right eye and thus distortion even though my left was my dominant eye. Square signs and such would just warp a little for a minute and then my dominant eye would take back over.
An eyepatch would work if your other eye is good. Another temporary fix is to tape scotch tape (green-plaid) to the inside surface of the lens you want to occlude. Then take a sharp point knife and trim off the edges. It is not too bad cosmetically to try while the wrinkle to the macula fades.
Do ask your retinal specialist if it is ok. He might want that eye stimulated more. If so, ask if it would be ok for short periods of guitar.
The work the retinal surgeons do is miraculous.
Praying that your final result is good.
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