I have the utmost regard and admiration for all of these guitar players. Each of the guitar players featured used their minds to get rid of extreme physical limitations. I am excited to share these musicians with you due to the fact that they have this inner-fire to create and share music with others … and absolutely nothing stopped them from doing it!
My hope is that you get to discover brand-new artists on today’s episode while feeling influenced to utilize your crucial guitar tool, your mind, to develop and share music with the same enthusiasm as these artists!
At the end of the day, if you’re struggling to play guitar, whether it’s physical or mental limitations, simply keep in mind to adjust your playing style to what suites you. It isn’t taking a shortcut to adapt. It’s discovering a chance to develop, have enjoyable, and make music. This goes for those affected by an injury and even those who might simply be having a bad day with hand pain or tiredness.
Now, without further ado, let’s get started with our list of 10 guitarists who use their minds to conquer physical restrictions.
10) Django Reinhardt– The grandpa of Gypsy Jazz, Django lost use of his ring and pinky fingers on his stressing hand. He relearned the guitar and went on to turn into one of the most well-known guitarists ever in the category.
9) Phil Keaggy– A virtuoso fingerstyle player, Phil is missing out on half of the middle finger on his right-hand man due to a mishap at age 4 including a water pump. This constraint did not stop him from becoming a successful and innovative fingerstyle gamer.
8) Wesley Tuttle– Wesley was raised in California and used up music at age 4, and had to relearn to play the guitar and ukulele after losing all but the thumb and one finger on his left hand. He contributed the yodeling to the “Silly Tune” in Walt Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” and later backed Tex Ritter on guitar
7) Billy Joe Electric Razor– Billy Joe Shaver took a job at a lumber mill to make ends meet. One day his right-hand man (his picking hand) ended up being captured in the equipment, and he lost the better part of 2 fingers and contracted a serious infection. He ultimately recuperated and taught himself to play the guitar without those missing fingers.
6) Roy Thackerson– Roy started playing the guitar at the age of 5 and was actually discovering chords. At the age of 6, like all young kids, interest got the finest of him one afternoon when Roy injured his hand pretty bad. Later in life, Roy used his determination and drive to discover the fiddle, mandolin, dobro, and guitar.
5) Jerry Garcia– In 1946, two-thirds of Jerry Garcia’s right middle finger was cut off by his bro in a wood-splitting accident while the family was vacationing in the Santa Cruz Mountains. This did not stop him from being an innovative guitar player and cross-over bluegrass guitar player and more!
4) Barry Abernathy– Barry Abernathy was born with just a thumb and part of a forefinger on his left hand. Because of his hand, he approaches the fingerboard from the top and does all of his worrying with his thumb and completion of his one-knuckled forefinger. Here is a man who absolutely wanted to play and was willing to work for it, establishing his own techniques as he discovered. And he became a fantastic gamer.
3) Mac Rebbenack– Mac Rebbenack’s (Physician John) career as a guitar player was stunted around 1960 when the ring finger on his left (guitar stressing) hand was hurt by a gunshot during an incident at a Jacksonville, Florida gig. After the injury, Rebennack focused on bass guitar before making piano his main instrument, establishing a design affected by Professor Longhair.
2) Hound Pet Taylor– He was famous amongst guitar players for having six fingers on both hands, a condition called polydactyly. As is normal with the condition, the extra digits were simple nubbins and might not be moved. One night, while drunk, he cut off the extra digit on his ideal hand utilizing a straight razor.
1) Andres Godoy– “We must constantly find a method to get past our impairments. We can’t depend on people to assist us, we need to do it ourselves.” Andres lost his arm when he was 14, but that didn’t stop him from pursuing his profession in fingerstyle guitar. What a remarkable inspiration!
Make sure to visit Acoustic Life for the show notes and links for everything included in today’s episode!
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