G*d d*mned atrophy
For 36 years, I've put with up with it now. I must stop Christmas from coming. But how?
Brain damage to the motor centers for my left side caused temporary paralysis and permanent atrophy on my left side. I'm left handed, so that helped retrain my left hand to work. I was encouraged to play the piano, and then the flute, to further build coordination and dexterity (sinistrality?). Unfortunately, all this never brought my left side up to the abilities of my left.
Ironically, playing the piano and flute, which started out to help improve ability, soon ran smack dab into the physical limitations. I reached a plateau on the piano. I love Bach contrapuntal works for keyboard, but I can't play them. The flute didn't suffer as much, though, probably from the limited range of motion that the fingers use. I reached a rather good level of musicality, but some of the orchestral works rewritten for concert band had me hitting my limits.
Well, madames et monsieurs, I have run into a fricking brick wall with my bagpipe playing. 30-odd years of playing piano and flute stressed curved fingers and playing with the fingertips. Proper bagpipe technique, however, uses flat fingers, played on the first or even second finger pads. When I first started bagpipe, I was curved. The position of the holes, however, prevents most fingers from comfortably playing on fingertips. Early on, all but my index and middle finger of the left hand were flat. Eventually, my left index finger became flat. My middle finger remains obstinate. Normally I wouldn't consider this a problem, since I am able to do all the fancy ornamentations involving this finger. Unfortunately the tendons and muscles have started to protest. I tried playing flat fingered tonight, going back to basic exersizes and songs, and playing flat felt awkward and almost technically impossible. The middle finger does NOT like not playing in tandem with the index or ring fingers in a flat position. *sigh* I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't.
I'm getting quite frustrated.
Brain damage to the motor centers for my left side caused temporary paralysis and permanent atrophy on my left side. I'm left handed, so that helped retrain my left hand to work. I was encouraged to play the piano, and then the flute, to further build coordination and dexterity (sinistrality?). Unfortunately, all this never brought my left side up to the abilities of my left.
Ironically, playing the piano and flute, which started out to help improve ability, soon ran smack dab into the physical limitations. I reached a plateau on the piano. I love Bach contrapuntal works for keyboard, but I can't play them. The flute didn't suffer as much, though, probably from the limited range of motion that the fingers use. I reached a rather good level of musicality, but some of the orchestral works rewritten for concert band had me hitting my limits.
Well, madames et monsieurs, I have run into a fricking brick wall with my bagpipe playing. 30-odd years of playing piano and flute stressed curved fingers and playing with the fingertips. Proper bagpipe technique, however, uses flat fingers, played on the first or even second finger pads. When I first started bagpipe, I was curved. The position of the holes, however, prevents most fingers from comfortably playing on fingertips. Early on, all but my index and middle finger of the left hand were flat. Eventually, my left index finger became flat. My middle finger remains obstinate. Normally I wouldn't consider this a problem, since I am able to do all the fancy ornamentations involving this finger. Unfortunately the tendons and muscles have started to protest. I tried playing flat fingered tonight, going back to basic exersizes and songs, and playing flat felt awkward and almost technically impossible. The middle finger does NOT like not playing in tandem with the index or ring fingers in a flat position. *sigh* I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't.
I'm getting quite frustrated.