Odd question I know but let me preface with a few things.
First, I have ZERO knowledge/experience in playing a guitar but REALLY want to learn.
Secondly, I used to race motorcycles and lost two fingers on my right hand which would force me to learn and play using only a thumb pick (I am naturally left handed). Is this even possible and if so what are the limitations in what I can learn and play?
I am obviously not looking to play professionally, I just love music (rock and metal mainly) and would love play for recreational use. I plan to look locally for someone to give me lessons and am open to buying whatever equipment but want to ensure its even possible along with gathering any advice for a complete and total beginner.
So let me get this straight - you’re left-handed but want to play like a traditional right-handed player, fret with your left hand and pick with your right, correct?
I’m not sure you need a thumb pick at all…no matter which two fingers you lost, as long as you still have your thumb, you can hold a regular pick. With that said, you’d be amazed at what players can do with fewer fingers. Django Reinhardt had some physical damage and Merle Travis intentionally only used two fingers while picking, and both of them were still incredible players.
There are a bunch of videos on YouTube of a guitar players who lost not just a couple fingers but entire arms but nonetheless figured out how to keep on playing. I’m sure there are some limitations on what can be achieved but a lot of those guys sound pretty good to me. They’re essentially playing with just a pick so yeah, no reason you can’t do the same. Classical guitar with intricate finger pickings would be a problem but if you’re looking at basic rock and such not so much of a problem.
Since you’d be learning to play from the start with that variation from the norm you might even be at somewhat of an advantage as you wouldn’t need to unlearn habits gained from playing with two intact hands.
Reinhardt had suffered damage to his left (fretting) hand in a fire, and was unable to use his ring or pinky fingers, so he fretted (and did astonishing things) with just his index and middle fingers.
Tommy Iommi (guitarist for Black Sabbath) is left-handed. He lost the tips of the middle and ring fingers of his right hand in an industrial accident when he was 17. Inspired by Reinhardt’s story, he continued playing the guitar. He switched from playing left-handed to playing right-handed for a while, but eventually went back to playing left-handed (and, thus, fretting with his right hand), and started wearing “thimbles” on the damaged fingers.
Toy Caldwell of the Marshall Tucker Band played almost exclusively using his thumb. It looks like he picks a note or two with his index finger on this tune, but he was known for using his thumb only, and he plays the great majority of the song that way.
The guy from this band (a surf rock band in Cleveland) only has 8 fingers. He plays guitar all day every day (he gives lessons too). I can’t remember which two are missing, but I think it’s his ring and pinky finger on his strumming hand. He’s a nice guy, here’s his FB page if you want to ask any questions about technique.
Jerry Garcia is missing the middle finger on his strumming hand. But you know, he’s one of those nine-fingered guys who have it easy
Not necessarily. You could get used to holding a regular pick between your thumb and one of your remaining fingers; or you could get used to strumming without a pick at all. I have all my fingers and I play (strumming, not just picking) with no pick at all about half the time.
Short answer to the OP: Missing fingers on either hand are not a barrier to playing.
Longer answer: Missing fingers may interfere with some playing styles, but it sounds as though you should be able to use a flat pick, which is the most common style of playing. I’m strongly left handed and play guitar right handed. Many lefties are this way because left handed guitars are less common, so your handedness won’t be a barrier. The two potential limitations I see are if you play right handed guitar (right hand picking), you may find some limitation in your ability to fingerpick or finger and pick. Fingerpicking a less common style of playing. Think flamenco or jazz guitar. Finger and pick is more common in rock and popular music. It’s where you use a pick and a finger to pluck two strings at once and you’d use it in conjunction with flat picking. If you can’t do this, you’ll be missing a minor tool in your arsenal as a guitar player, but it’s not a big deal.
If you play left handed (right hand fretting), you’ll have more trouble. A lot of music can be played with two fingers and a thumb, but there will be times when a third and fourth finger is needed. Still, some fine guitarists have worked around the missing fingers. All in all, I think you’d be better off playing right handed, as you indicated you intend to.
As a naturally left handed person it actually seems incredibly odd - regardless of fingers - to play a guitar left handed. The idea of fretting with my main (left) hand seems very natural so I suspect that will be an advantage for sure.
Johnny Marr of the Smiths, etc, plays with a thumbpick and fingers. A guy named Greg Douglas was a session guitarist who cut a wrist tendon and ended up using a thumbpick only.
Hey, WordMan, remember this one? Sister Rosetta Tharp. Gospel style stuff - OP: hang around for the guitar solo, it’s quite fun. Sister R. is playing a Gibson SG with a thumbpick, and I can’t be certain from the video but it looks to me like she’s not using any of her free picking fingers, just the thumbpick.
I would try build up some callous on you right hand remaining fingers and see how playing with no pick goes. Many people do it. I just tried playing with a standard pick pinched between my RH thumb and ring finger. Awkward but given time I think it would be doable. I think you probably use those two fingers together quite a bit so would have an easier time. In any event…you’ll be fine with a thumbpick but may have some issues with the thumbpick rotating around your thumb. There’s many kinds, you’ll find one that will work.
Yet right handed players use their dominant hand for picking/strumming and their non-dominant hand for fretting. Using the dominant hand for fretting could be considered an advantage for a beginner, but not using the dominant hand for picking could be limiting in the long run. If it really were a significant advantage then you’d see a bunch of right handed folks playing left handed guitars.
Dang, this is who I came in to mention. Here’s my favorite, she shreds, and has made me think about doing it (an arthritic thumb locks up and makes me drop the pick sometimes). She pretty obviously uses her other fingers to strum occasionally, but I don’t see why chargerrich couldn’t do that if he so desired.
My accident (for those that care and to frame my situation) had me high siding a ZX7RR race bike and throwing me over the handlebars. Unfortunately as it turned out, I did not let go of the grips and my right hand was trapped and grounded between the bars and track for about 200 feet. :smack:
The result of this is that I really only have full function (100%) of my thumb and pinky on my right hand. So while I lost two fingers, for purposes of guitar playing the ring finger is not really viable, hence my thought of using a thumb pick.
Luckily for me, I did not receive another scratch from the wreck, still ride bikes, lift weights with no problem, play sports and type 100 words a minute :D. Generally I have not run into anything that was a problem. The guitar however always made me nervous, but now I am ready to tackle the challenge.
