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I just hit a milestone: 40!  Man, where did all that time go?  It seems like just yesterday when I was playing the college bar scene with my friends Dave, Stu and Chris.  So what better way to usher in a new era of my life than inviting them and some other musicians & friends over to my place to crank up the amps again!

Beth captured the evening on camera, but unfortunately (or perhaps for our own good) no one had a video camera. 

Rockin Out Birthday Style

I’ve been playing guitar for over 25 years.  Last year, I found out that I have osteoarthritis in the finger joints of my left (fretting) hand.  I’m writing about it to help other guitarists out there who are struggling with the same problem and are having trouble figuring out what’s wrong (as I was)  & how to live with it.

Last January, I started out practicing guitar full throttle.  I set goals to learn a bunch of new fingerstyle tunes and to start arranging & writing.  I originally started this blog as a way to share my progress & tunes.  But a few months into the new regimen, the finger joints on my left hand (fretting hand) stopped cooperating.  They’d stiffen up, especially upon waking in the morning.  Playing guitar only made the problem worse.  I stopped playing for a while, thinking that I’d simply rushed into practicing too much and needed to back off & ease into it.  But the symptoms persisted.  As a guitarist, the first things you think about are carpal tunnel syndrome & tendonitis, but the symptoms didn’t match.  I scoured the Web and even researched warm-up hand stretches, hoping to find that my normal routine was incorrect or inadequate.  Nothing.

So I finally ended up at my doctor’s office about it, and she knew it was osteoarthritis as soon as I described the symptoms:

• stiff finger joints in the morning (cant make a fist)
• joints loosen up in hot water (like in the shower)
• mild to moderate pain when playing guitar, or doing other activities with my hands (typing, etc)

I couldn’t believe it!  I mean, I’m not even 40 yet!  Where’s the warranty?  She explained that osteoarthritis, unlike other forms of arthritis, is an overuse injury.  Basically, I’ve worn down the cartilage between those joints from shredding over the years.  Her solution: drugs.  First Advil, then prescription meds when Advil no longer does the trick.

I will tell you that Advil does indeed help, especially for gigs & long practices.  But one of my bandmates recommended a DVD called Healthy Hands, Wrists, & Forearms which has really helped me out.  It’s basically a series of self-massage & strengthening exercises that helps your hands prepare for and recover from all the wear & tear you put on them.  I highly recommend it.  My joint stiffness is still there, and occasionally I have some pain…but it no longer interferes with my guitar playing.

Here’s the YouTube video that convinced me to try it.  Maybe it’ll work for you.  In retrospect, I wish I’d found this video before I started having problems.  But that’s hindsight for ya.

Our band Levite played for my church’s 2010 kickoff, and Mrs. 22frets was snapping photos. There are more on her blog.

It was an absolute blast, and it felt good to kick things off with energy.  We played a medley of Hosanna and Here I Am To Worship, Breathe, Living Water, and closed out with By Faith.

As I said in my New Year’s post, I’m looking forward to doing a lot more with Levite this year, and I’m thankful that Rich (bass & keys), Fran (keys), Scott (drums), & Katy (vox) made it so easy to get things going.  Our amazing part singers also really brought it today; adding some beautiful harmonies on the tunes.

Now we’ve got to keep the momentum going!

Mike wasn’t there today (our other guitarist/vocalist/drummer/bassist/theguycandoanything), so we felt a little bit like Levite minus 1, but everyone did a great job filling in.

Knowing that the theme of the new year had to do with faith, we started working up one of my old original tunes called Not By Sight, but didn’t get it ready in time.  They announced the official theme today at the kickoff, and you’ll never guess what it is:

“Not By Sight.”

Looks like we’d better get busy on that one!

I don’t know about you, but when a new year comes along, I jump at the chance to re-examine my goals and re-focus my efforts.  Yep, I’m sentimental that way.  In terms of reaching my goals musically, 09 was a good year but not a great one.

The Good of 2009– I started this blog, joined Twitter and connected with a great community of guitarists, musicians, & craftsmen.  I bought the Taylor guitar of my dreams (or one of ‘em, anyway ).  I also hooked up with House of Echo and Amanda Joy, 2 fun projects I will be involved with for the foreseeable future.  I continued to play with the ever-exciting Joyful Noise band.

My Goals for 2010–

Reinvent my Tone: Late in 09, I decided to completely reinvent my guitar tone.  That led me to discover and buy a set of Slider’s Vintage Classics Pickups, which are blowing my mind (and my neighbor’s ears).  The blog entry is overdue on these pickups, I realize.  Sorry, Slider! I’ll continue to reinvent my tone in 2010, including (hopefully) assembling my own guitar and shopping for stompboxes.

Become a Student Again: My practice time has become all about learning the next set of tunes.  I need some fresh teaching.  I’m starting with Robben Ford.  I’ve been listening to him lately and his playing is fresh & inspired.

Have a Working Studio: One thing I started (but did not finish) in 09 was cleaning & setting up the studio so that I can record.  This is a top priority for 2010!  So is recording, both fingerstyle and electric.  My last release is dated 2003.  ‘Nuf said.

Give my Home Church Priority: I do a lot of fun music projects, but many of them are outside of my home church.  This year, I want to get into a rhythm (no pun intended) with our praise band Levite, and help make our worship services excellent.  I also want to include many other talented people in our performances this year, including my kids (at least 2/3 of which have strong musical ability).

Continue Working with Amanda Joy & House of Echo: Special things are happening here, and I’m fortunate to be part of this group of incredible musicians.  I’ll be blogging more about these projects in the new year.

With these goals, my family, job, and hockey it looks like I’m in for a pretty productive year.

Buckle up,  it’s 2010!  Happy New Year!

The New York Times Magazine produced a wonderful sound collage featuring a sampling of musicians who died this year. Beyond MJ and Les Paul, there were many losses this year. I would also add to this tribute guitarist Bob Bogle & Leo Fender’s business partner George Fullterton, whose innovative handiwork I enjoy every day.  I’m sure there are many others who should be honored, as this tribute is not exhaustive.  Rest in peace, all.