friend lost fingers, need ideas to help him start playing again

[HTH AMPS]

ok, a good friend of mine I've known since we were kids in primary school lost his first two fingers on his right hand in an industrial accident about 5 years ago.  he's a fingerstyle acoustic player primarily and he wants to get back playing with fingerstyle and not just strumming.

Anyone got ideas on how he might be able to get back playing fingerstyle?

My thoughts were:

* adapt playing style using thumb + third and fourth fingers (would get easier as time went on I'm sure)
* look into prosthetic extensions for first and second fingers as they're cut off from the middle of each finger.

[nfe]

I'm a long way from an accomplished fingerstyle player but I instinctively hold my pick in the crook of my index finger and pick with my thumb and other three, I'd have though the fist option would probably be the easiest.

[tomjackson]

Do you mean he's lost half of his thumb and index finger?

If that's the case he could use a thumb pick so that his thumb is parallel to the strings and the pick at right angles to the thumb.  You don't need that much dexterity in your thumb for bass duties with a pick.  I would then say he needs to try and develop his little finger so that basically the IMA fingers move accross one.  Flamenco guitarists use their little fingers a lot and that might be something he could study to develop the pinky.

Some country pickers youse their little finger as well so it might be worth checking some of the hybrid picking styles on youtube. 

[MDV]

One of those clip on thumb picks and 3rd and 4th is the best I got.

[HTH AMPS]

he has his thumb in tact plus his third and fourth fingers - his first and second fingers were minced down to the first knuckle in a wood chipper.

I personally think adapting his style with the 3rd and 4th fingers plus his thumb (myabe with a thumb-pick) is the best option.

[Philly Q]

Is he keen to get playing again, or is he a bit down on himself thinking he'll never get back to where he was?

If he's keen, I'm sure he'll adapt well to thumb plus 3rd and 4th fingers. 

If he's doubtful, there's always the inspirational example of that guy who has no picking hand but has a special pick attachment for the stump of his wrist.  And of course Django Reinhardt and Tony Iommi, although their "issues" were on their fretting hands.

[AndyR]

I was thinking same as Philly.

God forbid that something like this would happen to me, but I think I'd have been on the guitar already in a "ok, all bets off, how can I play it now?"

Are you saying in your original post that he has been playing, but just strumming?

I think I'm with you HTH - the thumb and 3rd/4th method would seem to be the most workable. But that's partly based on I can't get comfortable using finger picks myself anyway, so the concept of controlling an attachment that goes from the 1st joint seems completely off the map for me. If I had thumb and two fingers, and could balance/control the hand, I'd be looking at that.

EDIT: Just had a thought afterwards, if it's a few years down the line, he must be able to use his 3rd and 4th more proficiently than most of us anyway by now? Just with general day to day stuff like tying up shoe-laces or whatever? Or am I making daft assumptions here... not something most of us tend to think about (or even want to think about) most of the time :(

[38thBeatle]

Whatever happens I hope your mate finds an outcome.

[AndyR]

Whatever happens I hope your mate finds an outcome.

Yeah, I didn't say that, but I was thinking it.

I didn't play guitar for years, but now I've started again, I can't imagine not being able to :(

Hope you're able to help him find a way to do it.

[HTH AMPS]

The accident happened over 5 years ago, but he has been playing a little; just strumming. 

I'm gonna try to get him into the fingerpicking thing as thats what he likes - I'm sure its doable, I tried it myself.

I couldn't play guitar at all for most of last year when my arthritis was bad and it did my head in, I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like for him having to adapt to this degree.

[jibidy]

Could try doing andy mckee sort of stuff.

Using different tuning to make chords easie and using the other hand to fret.

[Rob Stobbs]

Don't forget that predominantly Gordon Giltrap uses Thumb and Pinky!!

For prosthetics, I'd suggest either www.dorsetorthopaedic.co.uk or speak to The Rehabilitation Clinic at The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital Stanmore. There are other centres obviously, but these are the Centres of Excellence and are really on top of their respective games.

The developments in prosthesis are coming thick and fast nowadays and as a user myself, I am stunned at what is now available, This year has seen me finally having moving ankles on Prosthetic Legs..... sounds pretty unexciting to the able bodied no doubt, but it has completely transformed my life. :D

I wish him all the very best with his playing........ Just about anything is possible you know. :D