31
votes
Ideas for a musical instrument to learn that is easier on the fingers
What about the trombone - a "real" orchestral instrument, should you wish to play with community orchestras, but just as at home with bands, etc, and doesn't depend on the fingertips to the same ...
- 526
30
votes
Ideas for a musical instrument to learn that is easier on the fingers
I would like to suggest a theremin.
It is an electronic music instrument that is played without physical contact.
I personally like the sound, see here for example a performance of Over the rainbow.
...
- 1,187
20
votes
Guitar for a patient with a spinal injury
summary: five-string banjo, open G, barre chords, light strings
I jammed with a musician at a folk festival who had suffered a stroke and could no longer make proper chords, but he was able to use a ...
- 1,460
18
votes
Guitar for a patient with a spinal injury
I wanted to add this alternative invented by a music teacher in Sweden to help students with disabilities be able to play the guitar.
Depending on the way the lever is pressed (left/right/upright) ...
- 281
17
votes
How to use Piano pedals without using the foot?
Can't use feet well, but if you could move a knee to one side, it would be a simple lever attachment to the pedal, maybe from your wheelchair. Look at knee levers that pedal steel players use. You ...
- 188k
17
votes
Accepted
Learning an instrument with visual impairment
The type of music you intend to play and whether single or in ensemble/band has an influence, but in general sight is important for (in increasing order):
Monitoring, what your hands do. This is a ...
- 10.9k
15
votes
Instruments that are easy on left pinkie fingers
The obvious ones are -trumpet - no use for pinkie at all, and slide trombone - no use for fingers separately. Followed closely by xylophone/marimba/glock/vibraphone and drums.
- 188k
15
votes
Playing guitar with only three fingers
Of course you are likely not going to be able to play songs written by others exactly the same way they play them. Here are some ideas for adjusting your playing and/or the guitar to help you at least ...
- 55.8k
15
votes
How did baroque music sound at the time?
In many respects technological progress in music has been less about the very best sounding better than about it becoming more and more feasible to produce "good" sounds at lower and lower cost.
In ...
- 17.8k
15
votes
Accepted
How did baroque music sound at the time?
There are numerous groups such as The Academy of Ancient Music who perform baroque music using instruments constructed in the same way as baroque instruments (or in a few cases with genuine baroque ...
- 4,742
15
votes
Ideas for a musical instrument to learn that is easier on the fingers
A harmonica might work for you. Diatonic harmonicas are very cheap, so there's no real problem if you don't like it. Chromatic harmonicas extend the range and keys available, if you decide you do ...
- 4,742
15
votes
Genetic limitations to learn certain instruments
Playing any instrument (save possibly the theremin) requires a physical interface between the instrument and the performer. If you happen to have an ideal physique for the instrument things will be ...
- 4,787
14
votes
Accepted
Can I play the cello without pronation of the bow hand?
IANAMPT (music physical therapist), so take this as encouragement rather than direction.
I would not let any physical disability short of losing your arm :-) stop you from trying to learn the ...
- 14.8k
12
votes
Ideas for a musical instrument to learn that is easier on the fingers
Panpipes, although typically handheld, are played without putting pressure on the fingers.
You can even play them hands-free by using a neck rack:
— Image source: Dom Flemons, using panpipes held in ...
- 221
12
votes
How can I get and stay in shape to play 2-hour gigs on the trumpet?
I struggled with endurance for many years, thinking I could not gig because of it. However, my clear experience was that my endurance (and range) improved once I was rehearsing and gigging regularly, ...
- 80.1k
12
votes
Guitar for a patient with a spinal injury
In my teens, my best friend suffered a gunshot injury at C5C6. He had virtually no finger control. But he figured out a way to play with the guitar in his lap like a slide guitar. He would barre open ...
- 121
12
votes
How to teach a Piano Student with Hand Mobility Issues
I should also mention that the parents’ intention is likely not to turn their child into a concert pianist, but instead to give critical music theory knowledge that may be applied to a different ...
11
votes
Guitar for a patient with a spinal injury
There is a device called the “Chord Buddy” and other similar devices that are branded differently. It clips on the neck of the guitar and has 4 buttons that enable the user to play 4 different chords ...
- 24.6k
10
votes
Instruments that are easy on left pinkie fingers
Really? Not one mention of Django Reinhardt?
Django lost the use of his fourth and fifth fingers in a fire but that didn't stop him from ripping it up on guitar (and inventing a new genre of music in ...
- 101
10
votes
Is the fingering of thirds flexible or do I have to follow the rules?
All fingering is flexible!
BUT, in a passage of 3rds, confined to the '5-finger position' you need a pretty good reason NOT to use 1-3, 2-4, 3-5. And 'I'm a beginner, and I find it hard to lift my ...
- 89.7k
10
votes
Is the fingering of thirds flexible or do I have to follow the rules?
Fingerings are suggestions, but in exercises they might be the whole point
When you learn a piece and you can do better with another fingering than the one on the piece, feel free to change it. Those ...
- 201
10
votes
Accepted
How long can a pianist maintain a repeated, fast figure in one hand?
At 80 dotted quarter notes per minute I run into two problems:
Fingers getting twisted up and
Losing count of the repetitions.
As a skilled amateur, after a few minutes of practice, I played 12 bars ...
- 80.1k
9
votes
What instruments can a four-year-old with left-side paralysis begin to learn/hope to ever learn?
All of the above. And if none work out, there's always the voice. I wouldn't say that a great singer is less musical, and less musically valuable, than any instrumentalist.
- 6,444
9
votes
Guitar for a patient with a spinal injury
Slide guitar
Blues musicians have played slide guitar since the birth of the genre, and it's also a major part of the sound of country music. It's also often used in rock. Playing with a slide ...
- 4,742
8
votes
Left Handed piano pieces and recommendations?
While I can't recommend specific pieces at that level, I give you two great resources for finding piano pieces for left-hand only, all with scores available to print off for free.
http://imslp.org/...
- 1,133
8
votes
Learning an instrument with visual impairment
Honestly don’t think it’s a big problem. Lots of musicians out there who are blind. Even some musicians out there who are deaf! I think there’s one guy in South America who learned to play guitar with ...
- 25.5k
8
votes
Ideas for a musical instrument to learn that is easier on the fingers
You asked about 'saxophone, trumpet, clarinet or maybe flute' and I can play all of these (some better than others!), so here are the biggest pros and cons of each, specifically considering finger ...
- 81
8
votes
Bent ring finger. Problem in playing guitar
'Play the guitar perfectly...' There aren't many people who do that! I don't really think it's an issue for most. If they can play to whatever standard they do, it's enough. We (most of us) never ...
- 188k
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