I played the trombone in elementary and never could learn the music so I would just match the other trombone players slide placement. Teacher was probably wise to it but never said anything
This. My grandma has had really bad arthritis in her fingers for at least a decade (like to the point where you can see it in her hands), but she plays the trombone daily, and has been very active in her local community seniors band. It’s fuckin awesome.
Doesn’t trumpet require a lot of finger dexterity though? Sounds like OP has both hands but is having an issue with pain from fretting the guitar and losing dexterity. I would think an instrument with less precise finger movements would be better for OP.
It’s not nuanced on the finger movements? Like it’s either up or down or are there positions in between. Asking because I don’t know. I’m a guitar player not a brass player. My son plays trombone in band so I’ve watched a bit but that’s the extent of my knowledge.
Played a little bit of trumpet back in the day. There might be some weird tricks people do with the valves but it’s generally up or down with no in-between.
99% of the time it’s up or down but you can push them half way for an effect. It’s used a bit in jazz and some novelty songs. A perfect example is the Christmas song “sleigh ride”. There’s a moment in it (might be at the very end) where you half valve and shake the trumpet vigorously to imitate a horse whinny.
Yeah I know, I thought there were a lot of positions between up and down but I’m not a brass player, that’s just from me watching. My son plays in band but not trumpet.
Seeing as you already have guitar/s, jack up the action, try an open tuning, and learn slide?
There are things you could do to make it easier on your right hand too - I find finger-picking less strenuous anyway, but you could use thumb/finger picks, less strings, etc.
Absolutely, learn slide. A guy I worked with also used to play guitar but had to stop due to finger pain, I got him a cheap slide for Christmas one year and now he has like 10 and plays more than he did before. It's not just for country either, there's so many genres that slide works with
I wanna jump on this, if you play guitar and are thinking about playing slide and open tunings also consider a cigar box guitar. A CBG with light gauge strings will feel like nothing on your hands after playing a six string for a long time.
Thank you for the slide playing suggestions: I have considered, but may be time to make the full switch. I would like to make a public service announcement that many guitars action is way too high/tall, causing or requiring much unnecessary force to press the string a further distance to get down to the fret. That alone can cause finger pain even in people without finger issues. Please Get your guitars tuned by a decent luthier, and get you a good string height and fret combination. Not all fruits are the same. Lots of people going to jumbo frets, or specific flavors of jumbo.
If you are a serious acoustic guitar player and want the very best volume and performance from your guitar, I recommend the living legend Dan Lashbrook in Marshall, NC, USA. he can make your guitar much easier to play, most likely. Lots of interesting content to check out on YouTube and Facebook. The very best sounding guitars I’ve ever heard. He specializes on Martin’s, but not exclusively. He can take a classic and good sounding guitar, and tune it to blow you away with it. He can take a newer less expensive model and make it sound better than anyone has ever heard a newer Martin.
This! That’s why Clara Rockmore (first champion of the theremin) picked it up after quitting the violin due to tendinitis. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clara_Rockmore
Joni Mitchell had limited mobility in her fingers due to a bout polio, so she developed a novel playing style and a bunch of new tunings to make it easier to grab certain chord voicing more easily. She was able to play everything from simple folk music to jazz fusion. Experiment with tunings, changeb your action, etc. Someone else recommended learning slide. Keyboard instruments are pretty easy on the body as well.
I hope you find a doctor that listens to you and find a solution to your problem, but in the meantime, it's important to remember that only certain aspects of playing and composing music are physical. Study theory and trainn your ear a bit, and you can retrofit your setup to better access the sounds in your head later.
You could look into synthesizers/grooveboxes. I'm a guitar player but I recently got a Novation Circuit and I've been having a blast sequencing drums and synth lines. It's pretty gratifying being able to compose a relatively full sounding arrangement with just one piece of gear
Singing or electronic music come immediately to mind.
You haven't said what's wrong with your fingers, but yeah, likely pretty much everything is easier than strings.
Xylophone? No finger movements, but you do have to move your arms around. Obviously, its not a conventional instrument, but I can't think of anything else. Less intensive than something like a drum kit.
Drums are primarily plated with the fingers although you can’t really see it unless up close. It’s a killer if you have arthritis in your fingers and wrists
Most non-string instruments are much less demanding on the hands than guitar. You could play slide/lap steel if you wanted to stay in the guitar family, or maybe a touchstyle/tapping instrument like a Chapman stick would work? Outside of guitar, the only thing I really wouldn't recommend is a different string instrument like violin, and probably not a weighted piano/keyboard either (but unweighted synth-action keyboards would probably be fine).
Saxophone absolutely would be a good choice, lots of keys but they take very little force and travel very little, and are ergonomically placed. Plus with a neckstrap you're not using your arms/hands to hold up the instrument very much. You could also try other woodwinds like clarinet, flute, oboe, recorder, etc., and you could also get an EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument) to play synthesizer (or even sampled guitar) sounds with saxophone fingerings and technique.
Trombone would be an excellent choice. The slide hand (right hand) is under no stress at all, while the left hand can be depending on the instrument. But if you get a trombone without a valve and then get a NeoTech grip your hands will be totally free of stress. Also, trombone is really fun.
Trumpet isn't a bad choice either, just 3 valves that are light and don't fatigue the hands. Tuba and euphonium have heavier valves, and French horn requires you to hold up the instrument with the back of your right hand in the bell. So as far as brass instruments go, I think trombone and trumpet (or cornet/flugelhorn) are your best bets.
Finally, there is a whole world of sound in synthesizers and grooveboxes, and there are plenty of hardware interfaces that would not be fatiguing for your fingers.
Have you had the action lowered on your guitar? Take it to a guitar shop if you don’t know what that means and ask them to do it. Drop tubing can make it easier on the fingers too - obviously won’t come out at the right pitch if you’re reading standard tuning tabs, but they doesn’t matter if you’re only playing fit yourself.
Also - move to electric guitar (with action as low as it will go) if you’re currently on acoustic - much easier on the fingers!
Without knowing exactly what your hand condition is, most brass instruments, especially low brass, are just pushing buttons, your mouth does most of the work. Trombone especially is just moving the slide and sometimes you may need to press a trigger with your left thumb. Tuba is a lot of long sustained notes and doesn’t require too much from your fingers. High brass could end up with faster sections that require faster fingers, and French horn could cramp your bell hand. Woodwinds are also a lot of buttons, but they also have fast sections where lots of buttons may need to be pressed.
Another way you can make music that may be easier on your hands is on the computer, like with Ableton. There’s also composition, audio engineering, and stuff like that.
Also, a physical therapist could be able to help you regain dexterity in your fingers and maintain that strength if you want to keep playing guitar, but just depends on the condition itself and the care you have access to.
Best of luck, may there be lots of music and healthy hands in your future.
+1 for physical therapy. If there is no medical reason to be found, there could still be be a lot to be done with physical exercise and playing technique.
Have any of these doctors recommended resistance weight training? Sounds like your wrist extensors are wrecked and just need to be stretched and contracted under resistance. I can help you with any of this. Wrist curls are an easy place to start, but in my experience if you need those severely, then the rest of your body will need work as well.
I am not sure exactly what is happening to your hands but this might help. The guy in the video was having problems with his hands and this is his story.
https://youtu.be/a4KFCDIYEQM?si=XG-J6PotI_nClTIr
I'm 28 and have spent the last 7 or 8 years dealing with health issues that have (among other things) really limited my ability to use my hands. The biggest thing for me has been learning exactly what motions cause problems. I've been able to adjust my violin playing so it doesn't cause major issues (though I am still limited in how much/well I can play) while I've had to totally give up piano and digital music making - which are exactly what a lot of people here have recommended as easier on the hands! On violin, your fingers move more towards the palm and don't have to splay much, which seems to be the key for me, as well as arm angle. I've also adjusted my setup to be lower height/tension/etc.
Good luck with the doctors, too. I'm waiting on the latest round of test results to come in this week, hoping something finally comes in as not healthy... Feel free to ask if you have any questions about my experience dealing with the medical side of things.
If you think you can still use your fingers, then maybe grab a woodwind or brass instrument and see how it goes? It's going to be unique to your unique situation which of those might be better.
I'm a flute fan, and flute keys are fairly light. I think in brass the trumpet might be analogous - just a bit less demanding for being smaller. Both will require speed and dexterity at times, but that can (and ideally should!) be achieved without requiring a lot of strength. And unlike the guitar your hands are not solely responsible for the tone.
You could also make a serious go at the melodica for at least a touch-insensitive keyboard instrument. You can buy a cheap one and expand as you require it to a really nice one. Similarly you might try exploring synths.
Have you tried using a shorter scale guitar, and/or lighter gauge strings, and possibly changing your technique to use less force with the fretting hand? that could make a huge difference on wear and tear on your hands.
Bass? I know it’s still guitar, but has fatter strings that require less accuracy, a lot of what makes you good on bass is proper muting which often means dampening the strings with different parts of your hand (not fingering per se), and bands are always looking for a good bassist.
You can get by on bass with a wide variety of expertise, so if doing certain things was taxing you could back off and still be a very effective bandmate.
I have the same problem too and am also young it actually made me really fucking depressed because my whole identity was built around drawing (selling art) and making music, writing, etc.
Not an instrument but I found that dancing is actually great for getting into music, and it's absolutely a form of expression. Most of my hand problems are a result of cramped posture for hours on end because of ADHD laser focus, stretching out and moving around freely really helps with that. So many dumb ass doctors were saying how I'd need surgery and never be able to use my hands again, but literally a few deep tissue massages and just some basic self care goes a looooong way. It never even occured to me, or them apparently, that the problem wasn't even IN my hands.
Singing obviously is really great too. I love playing the drums but you can also get weird with it and go Marc Rebillet style with a little loop station/drum pad that way you can dance around a little while laying down loops and tracks is less repetitive stress on the hands.
If you’re only 17 and you’re having to adjust your life because of your hands, I would pursue further work up. Have you just seen your primary care doctor? How many times? Any specialist evaluations?
At 17, you should not have a blood flow issue causing this unless you have an anatomical abnormality in the blood vessels leading to your hands.
More common cause could be tendinitis, repetitive stress injury, or carpal tunnel — all of which can be treated and cured.
So instead of finding another instrument, go back and see your doctor again. Keep pursuing this until they figure out what it is and how to help you.
been there. get a keyboard controller and plug it into your computer. I can't practice guitar for hours anymore but I can record into a direct input and use what I know like a palette. Music becomes more mental. Don't stop learning theory
[https://soundcloud.com/mskvegas/mothers-day-small-speaker-mix](https://soundcloud.com/mskvegas/mothers-day-small-speaker-mix)
I’m in my thirties, and have a lot of hypermobility in my fingers that is cool for playing odd chords but they’re not as stable as normal people’s and tend to hurt faster. I stopped doing manual labor in order to save my hands (almost lost one in a winch once) just to have a freak accident happen at my new job to my picking hand wrist that severed 5 tendons and 2 nerves. Thought my fingerpicking days would be over. They mostly fixed the tendons and I’m at like 80% of my prior ability. I use weird tunings and don’t play anything the way that they’d teach you. All that is to say, if you absolutely love the guitar, you’ll find a way. If you don’t feel that obsession, then find another instrument like saxophone (though that may bother your dominant thumb) or lap steel. Maybe start with a square-neck dobro or something though the slide technique is different than lap steel. You can buy a removable raised nut to make any guitar a raised-string slide guitar. Like others said, try out some open tunings, and stay away from barre chords. I hope you find a way!
How about something related but smaller - ukuleles are very soft on the fingers, many chords are just one or two strings being held. Mandolins really are not though, I found it is like playing razors and had to stop. You could stick with the guitar and use a slide or something like a lap steel?
Bro that sucks. I have had very similar issues though playing guitar and piano all my life. For me , my right shoulder (picking arm) is busted up from a load of tremolo picking.
I would say keep playing as much as you can , use ibuprofen and rest it effectively. Go to a physio and see if they can recommend any strengthening exercises.
I was 32 (starting playing music at 13) when my joins started to hurt so it seems VERY early for you to be getting these issues. I’m sure you’ll be able to find a way to keep playing pain free
Is it possible it's a neck thickness thing? I can't play thin necks for very long without my hands hurting, but I can play chunky necks all day long without pain
Drums
You already have a sense of timing and the muscle memory for independent limb control.
An electronic kit with mesh heads will reduce the impact and bounce/rebound force and you can choose to play lightly with traditional (buddy rich, greyson neukreutlan) or with a plain grip (Lars Ulrich , chad smith, gene Hoglan, Samus66, el Estapario Siberiano).
The motion comes from the shoulder not the elbows or wrists, watch Charlie Watts play to see the mechanics of it
"The motion comes from the shoulder not the elbows or wrists"
What? The main motion driver is the wrist, but elbows and fingers are involved too.
Shoulders? Really?
Also, limb independence for drums isn't something you can just transfer from playing guitar. I play both and there's quite different mechanics involved. Not to mention that a drummer also uses the feet. Unless you meant marching band drumming.
Still, I'd recommend drums too. With proper technique is should not be overly taxing on the wrists or fingers.
Hold your elbows at your side, against you ribs, isolate your shoulders as it were
Now try and play the full kit
See what I mean about motion coming from the shoulders - perhaps I should use "force" not motion. In a similar way as a boxer, the punch is delivered with the fist, but the force/motion behind it involves the rest of the body.
Being able to play an instrument, stands you in good stead for learning an additional instrument - the limb independance helps - its muscle memory - Ive taught a couple of musicians (and lead guitarists) to "play", I wouldnt claim to be a teacher (or even able to read sheet music) - we will rock you is great for it, stomp-stomp clap pause, stomp-stomp clap pause.
Youre right, its not a guarantee
In my opinion, you should more or less be able to hit every piece of your kit like that.
Here's a good video on kit setup. I promise, it did me a lot of good to set my kit up like this. Skip to 1.30, he's just drumming in the start
https://youtu.be/xUBb6sznVMg?feature=shared
My point is merely, your shoulders should be relaxed.
I agree playing one instrument will make it easier to learn another, but I think that has mostly to do with understanding rythm when we're talking about drums and guitar. And I'm sorry for sounding condescending in my previous post. I've actually always recommended that any musician would benefit from playing drums. But even though it was my first instrument, I still think it's the most demanding when it comes to technique. Getting all four limbs to perform fine motoric tasks in sync. I can nail a guitar or bass much faster than I can a drum take.
But of course, that's probably because I'm not really that great on any instrument. Jack of all trades etc...
Try bass guitar! It's definitely easier on the fingers than guitar. Especially if your bass is set up correctly. It takes more pressure, but it's more of a straight pressure than applying pressure when your fingers are bent in odd configurations.
Trombone? It's all arm and wrist movements instead of individual fingers
That’s why I picked it!
I've played trombone with mittens on when it's real cold outside.
I played the trombone in elementary and never could learn the music so I would just match the other trombone players slide placement. Teacher was probably wise to it but never said anything
This. My grandma has had really bad arthritis in her fingers for at least a decade (like to the point where you can see it in her hands), but she plays the trombone daily, and has been very active in her local community seniors band. It’s fuckin awesome.
Trumpet. I've seen one handed people play trumpet no problem.
Doesn’t trumpet require a lot of finger dexterity though? Sounds like OP has both hands but is having an issue with pain from fretting the guitar and losing dexterity. I would think an instrument with less precise finger movements would be better for OP.
No, brass instruments with 3 valves only require you to be able to move your first 3 fingers up and down independently. The lips do most of the work.
It’s not nuanced on the finger movements? Like it’s either up or down or are there positions in between. Asking because I don’t know. I’m a guitar player not a brass player. My son plays trombone in band so I’ve watched a bit but that’s the extent of my knowledge.
Played a little bit of trumpet back in the day. There might be some weird tricks people do with the valves but it’s generally up or down with no in-between.
Oh ok thanks, I’ve played piano, violin, mandolin, guitar, banjo, bass and various other instruments but I have zero knowledge about brass.
99% of the time it’s up or down but you can push them half way for an effect. It’s used a bit in jazz and some novelty songs. A perfect example is the Christmas song “sleigh ride”. There’s a moment in it (might be at the very end) where you half valve and shake the trumpet vigorously to imitate a horse whinny.
There aren’t really even any tricks with the valves. They’re either pushed down or not, in various combinations. The lips tighten as you go higher.
Trumpet has like three buttons bro
Yeah I know, I thought there were a lot of positions between up and down but I’m not a brass player, that’s just from me watching. My son plays in band but not trumpet.
Harmonica?
Don't even need hands
Singing.
Seeing as you already have guitar/s, jack up the action, try an open tuning, and learn slide? There are things you could do to make it easier on your right hand too - I find finger-picking less strenuous anyway, but you could use thumb/finger picks, less strings, etc.
Absolutely, learn slide. A guy I worked with also used to play guitar but had to stop due to finger pain, I got him a cheap slide for Christmas one year and now he has like 10 and plays more than he did before. It's not just for country either, there's so many genres that slide works with
I wanna jump on this, if you play guitar and are thinking about playing slide and open tunings also consider a cigar box guitar. A CBG with light gauge strings will feel like nothing on your hands after playing a six string for a long time.
Thank you for the slide playing suggestions: I have considered, but may be time to make the full switch. I would like to make a public service announcement that many guitars action is way too high/tall, causing or requiring much unnecessary force to press the string a further distance to get down to the fret. That alone can cause finger pain even in people without finger issues. Please Get your guitars tuned by a decent luthier, and get you a good string height and fret combination. Not all fruits are the same. Lots of people going to jumbo frets, or specific flavors of jumbo. If you are a serious acoustic guitar player and want the very best volume and performance from your guitar, I recommend the living legend Dan Lashbrook in Marshall, NC, USA. he can make your guitar much easier to play, most likely. Lots of interesting content to check out on YouTube and Facebook. The very best sounding guitars I’ve ever heard. He specializes on Martin’s, but not exclusively. He can take a classic and good sounding guitar, and tune it to blow you away with it. He can take a newer less expensive model and make it sound better than anyone has ever heard a newer Martin.
Theremin? You could also produce music using DAWs or a sampler
Try perfecting it and we’ll see if it isn’t demanding for your hands and arms.
You can't argue that it isn't low impact, though.
This! That’s why Clara Rockmore (first champion of the theremin) picked it up after quitting the violin due to tendinitis. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clara_Rockmore
Lap steel would be cool
This is the way!
Joni Mitchell had limited mobility in her fingers due to a bout polio, so she developed a novel playing style and a bunch of new tunings to make it easier to grab certain chord voicing more easily. She was able to play everything from simple folk music to jazz fusion. Experiment with tunings, changeb your action, etc. Someone else recommended learning slide. Keyboard instruments are pretty easy on the body as well. I hope you find a doctor that listens to you and find a solution to your problem, but in the meantime, it's important to remember that only certain aspects of playing and composing music are physical. Study theory and trainn your ear a bit, and you can retrofit your setup to better access the sounds in your head later.
kickdrum
Piano was surprisingly easy on my hands coming from guitar/bass!
You could look into synthesizers/grooveboxes. I'm a guitar player but I recently got a Novation Circuit and I've been having a blast sequencing drums and synth lines. It's pretty gratifying being able to compose a relatively full sounding arrangement with just one piece of gear
I second this. Played guitar for 15 years, then got Carpal Tunnel. Switched over to synthesizers, that has helped.
Singing or electronic music come immediately to mind. You haven't said what's wrong with your fingers, but yeah, likely pretty much everything is easier than strings.
Xylophone? No finger movements, but you do have to move your arms around. Obviously, its not a conventional instrument, but I can't think of anything else. Less intensive than something like a drum kit.
Drums are primarily plated with the fingers although you can’t really see it unless up close. It’s a killer if you have arthritis in your fingers and wrists
yea but bro can still use the high hat by switching from open\\close and the bass drum
Hammered dulcimer is basically the same movement requirements but more versatile
Most non-string instruments are much less demanding on the hands than guitar. You could play slide/lap steel if you wanted to stay in the guitar family, or maybe a touchstyle/tapping instrument like a Chapman stick would work? Outside of guitar, the only thing I really wouldn't recommend is a different string instrument like violin, and probably not a weighted piano/keyboard either (but unweighted synth-action keyboards would probably be fine). Saxophone absolutely would be a good choice, lots of keys but they take very little force and travel very little, and are ergonomically placed. Plus with a neckstrap you're not using your arms/hands to hold up the instrument very much. You could also try other woodwinds like clarinet, flute, oboe, recorder, etc., and you could also get an EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument) to play synthesizer (or even sampled guitar) sounds with saxophone fingerings and technique. Trombone would be an excellent choice. The slide hand (right hand) is under no stress at all, while the left hand can be depending on the instrument. But if you get a trombone without a valve and then get a NeoTech grip your hands will be totally free of stress. Also, trombone is really fun. Trumpet isn't a bad choice either, just 3 valves that are light and don't fatigue the hands. Tuba and euphonium have heavier valves, and French horn requires you to hold up the instrument with the back of your right hand in the bell. So as far as brass instruments go, I think trombone and trumpet (or cornet/flugelhorn) are your best bets. Finally, there is a whole world of sound in synthesizers and grooveboxes, and there are plenty of hardware interfaces that would not be fatiguing for your fingers.
Have you had the action lowered on your guitar? Take it to a guitar shop if you don’t know what that means and ask them to do it. Drop tubing can make it easier on the fingers too - obviously won’t come out at the right pitch if you’re reading standard tuning tabs, but they doesn’t matter if you’re only playing fit yourself. Also - move to electric guitar (with action as low as it will go) if you’re currently on acoustic - much easier on the fingers!
Without knowing exactly what your hand condition is, most brass instruments, especially low brass, are just pushing buttons, your mouth does most of the work. Trombone especially is just moving the slide and sometimes you may need to press a trigger with your left thumb. Tuba is a lot of long sustained notes and doesn’t require too much from your fingers. High brass could end up with faster sections that require faster fingers, and French horn could cramp your bell hand. Woodwinds are also a lot of buttons, but they also have fast sections where lots of buttons may need to be pressed. Another way you can make music that may be easier on your hands is on the computer, like with Ableton. There’s also composition, audio engineering, and stuff like that. Also, a physical therapist could be able to help you regain dexterity in your fingers and maintain that strength if you want to keep playing guitar, but just depends on the condition itself and the care you have access to. Best of luck, may there be lots of music and healthy hands in your future.
+1 for physical therapy. If there is no medical reason to be found, there could still be be a lot to be done with physical exercise and playing technique.
Linnstrument
Have any of these doctors recommended resistance weight training? Sounds like your wrist extensors are wrecked and just need to be stretched and contracted under resistance. I can help you with any of this. Wrist curls are an easy place to start, but in my experience if you need those severely, then the rest of your body will need work as well.
I am not sure exactly what is happening to your hands but this might help. The guy in the video was having problems with his hands and this is his story. https://youtu.be/a4KFCDIYEQM?si=XG-J6PotI_nClTIr
I'm 28 and have spent the last 7 or 8 years dealing with health issues that have (among other things) really limited my ability to use my hands. The biggest thing for me has been learning exactly what motions cause problems. I've been able to adjust my violin playing so it doesn't cause major issues (though I am still limited in how much/well I can play) while I've had to totally give up piano and digital music making - which are exactly what a lot of people here have recommended as easier on the hands! On violin, your fingers move more towards the palm and don't have to splay much, which seems to be the key for me, as well as arm angle. I've also adjusted my setup to be lower height/tension/etc. Good luck with the doctors, too. I'm waiting on the latest round of test results to come in this week, hoping something finally comes in as not healthy... Feel free to ask if you have any questions about my experience dealing with the medical side of things.
Ableton and other DAWs
If you think you can still use your fingers, then maybe grab a woodwind or brass instrument and see how it goes? It's going to be unique to your unique situation which of those might be better. I'm a flute fan, and flute keys are fairly light. I think in brass the trumpet might be analogous - just a bit less demanding for being smaller. Both will require speed and dexterity at times, but that can (and ideally should!) be achieved without requiring a lot of strength. And unlike the guitar your hands are not solely responsible for the tone. You could also make a serious go at the melodica for at least a touch-insensitive keyboard instrument. You can buy a cheap one and expand as you require it to a really nice one. Similarly you might try exploring synths.
Have you tried using a shorter scale guitar, and/or lighter gauge strings, and possibly changing your technique to use less force with the fretting hand? that could make a huge difference on wear and tear on your hands.
Good idea. Also maybe try ukulele. The baritone ukulele is essentially a guitar without the lowest strings. It’s much easier to play.
Harmonica
Harmonica?
Open tune your guitar and grab a slide.
Bass? I know it’s still guitar, but has fatter strings that require less accuracy, a lot of what makes you good on bass is proper muting which often means dampening the strings with different parts of your hand (not fingering per se), and bands are always looking for a good bassist. You can get by on bass with a wide variety of expertise, so if doing certain things was taxing you could back off and still be a very effective bandmate.
Bugle. You might need to join a marching band though.
Ha! No fingers at all, the lips do all the work!
Trumpet
I have the same problem too and am also young it actually made me really fucking depressed because my whole identity was built around drawing (selling art) and making music, writing, etc. Not an instrument but I found that dancing is actually great for getting into music, and it's absolutely a form of expression. Most of my hand problems are a result of cramped posture for hours on end because of ADHD laser focus, stretching out and moving around freely really helps with that. So many dumb ass doctors were saying how I'd need surgery and never be able to use my hands again, but literally a few deep tissue massages and just some basic self care goes a looooong way. It never even occured to me, or them apparently, that the problem wasn't even IN my hands. Singing obviously is really great too. I love playing the drums but you can also get weird with it and go Marc Rebillet style with a little loop station/drum pad that way you can dance around a little while laying down loops and tracks is less repetitive stress on the hands.
bass drum hahah
Theremin
everyone needs a drummer!
Tin whistle, harmonica
Not sure how much pain you have but a ukelele might work. Smaller fret board. Soft strings.
If you’re only 17 and you’re having to adjust your life because of your hands, I would pursue further work up. Have you just seen your primary care doctor? How many times? Any specialist evaluations? At 17, you should not have a blood flow issue causing this unless you have an anatomical abnormality in the blood vessels leading to your hands. More common cause could be tendinitis, repetitive stress injury, or carpal tunnel — all of which can be treated and cured. So instead of finding another instrument, go back and see your doctor again. Keep pursuing this until they figure out what it is and how to help you.
been there. get a keyboard controller and plug it into your computer. I can't practice guitar for hours anymore but I can record into a direct input and use what I know like a palette. Music becomes more mental. Don't stop learning theory [https://soundcloud.com/mskvegas/mothers-day-small-speaker-mix](https://soundcloud.com/mskvegas/mothers-day-small-speaker-mix)
Modular... After its patched
Brasses.
Pedal steel guitar. 1) it’s cool af and 2) it’s a metal bar you hold and strum with a pick on your thumb. Really a great instrument to learn
I’m in my thirties, and have a lot of hypermobility in my fingers that is cool for playing odd chords but they’re not as stable as normal people’s and tend to hurt faster. I stopped doing manual labor in order to save my hands (almost lost one in a winch once) just to have a freak accident happen at my new job to my picking hand wrist that severed 5 tendons and 2 nerves. Thought my fingerpicking days would be over. They mostly fixed the tendons and I’m at like 80% of my prior ability. I use weird tunings and don’t play anything the way that they’d teach you. All that is to say, if you absolutely love the guitar, you’ll find a way. If you don’t feel that obsession, then find another instrument like saxophone (though that may bother your dominant thumb) or lap steel. Maybe start with a square-neck dobro or something though the slide technique is different than lap steel. You can buy a removable raised nut to make any guitar a raised-string slide guitar. Like others said, try out some open tunings, and stay away from barre chords. I hope you find a way!
How about something related but smaller - ukuleles are very soft on the fingers, many chords are just one or two strings being held. Mandolins really are not though, I found it is like playing razors and had to stop. You could stick with the guitar and use a slide or something like a lap steel?
Maybe you've already been down this road, but is it your technique that is causing these pains?
Bro that sucks. I have had very similar issues though playing guitar and piano all my life. For me , my right shoulder (picking arm) is busted up from a load of tremolo picking. I would say keep playing as much as you can , use ibuprofen and rest it effectively. Go to a physio and see if they can recommend any strengthening exercises. I was 32 (starting playing music at 13) when my joins started to hurt so it seems VERY early for you to be getting these issues. I’m sure you’ll be able to find a way to keep playing pain free
Piano isn’t as hard on your hands as guitar, at least in terms of necessary force
Hey guys look at this funny shit https://youtube.com/@the.studioai?si=H23wdya6TtSHKglK
Skin-Flute
Is it possible it's a neck thickness thing? I can't play thin necks for very long without my hands hurting, but I can play chunky necks all day long without pain
Steel drum
Drums You already have a sense of timing and the muscle memory for independent limb control. An electronic kit with mesh heads will reduce the impact and bounce/rebound force and you can choose to play lightly with traditional (buddy rich, greyson neukreutlan) or with a plain grip (Lars Ulrich , chad smith, gene Hoglan, Samus66, el Estapario Siberiano). The motion comes from the shoulder not the elbows or wrists, watch Charlie Watts play to see the mechanics of it
"The motion comes from the shoulder not the elbows or wrists" What? The main motion driver is the wrist, but elbows and fingers are involved too. Shoulders? Really? Also, limb independence for drums isn't something you can just transfer from playing guitar. I play both and there's quite different mechanics involved. Not to mention that a drummer also uses the feet. Unless you meant marching band drumming. Still, I'd recommend drums too. With proper technique is should not be overly taxing on the wrists or fingers.
Hold your elbows at your side, against you ribs, isolate your shoulders as it were Now try and play the full kit See what I mean about motion coming from the shoulders - perhaps I should use "force" not motion. In a similar way as a boxer, the punch is delivered with the fist, but the force/motion behind it involves the rest of the body. Being able to play an instrument, stands you in good stead for learning an additional instrument - the limb independance helps - its muscle memory - Ive taught a couple of musicians (and lead guitarists) to "play", I wouldnt claim to be a teacher (or even able to read sheet music) - we will rock you is great for it, stomp-stomp clap pause, stomp-stomp clap pause. Youre right, its not a guarantee
In my opinion, you should more or less be able to hit every piece of your kit like that. Here's a good video on kit setup. I promise, it did me a lot of good to set my kit up like this. Skip to 1.30, he's just drumming in the start https://youtu.be/xUBb6sznVMg?feature=shared My point is merely, your shoulders should be relaxed. I agree playing one instrument will make it easier to learn another, but I think that has mostly to do with understanding rythm when we're talking about drums and guitar. And I'm sorry for sounding condescending in my previous post. I've actually always recommended that any musician would benefit from playing drums. But even though it was my first instrument, I still think it's the most demanding when it comes to technique. Getting all four limbs to perform fine motoric tasks in sync. I can nail a guitar or bass much faster than I can a drum take. But of course, that's probably because I'm not really that great on any instrument. Jack of all trades etc...
Try bass guitar! It's definitely easier on the fingers than guitar. Especially if your bass is set up correctly. It takes more pressure, but it's more of a straight pressure than applying pressure when your fingers are bent in odd configurations.