The Power of Creative Limitation
A Guitarist's Hand Injury
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By Paul Adams
http://www.pauladams.org
When is Less Really More?
They're out there performing miracles. Musicians with what are called "handicaps." My friend and occasional composing partner David Hoffman has played for Ray Charles for 13 years and EVERYONE knows about this ICON. Most of us have heard about the genius of guitarist Django Reinhart's abilities with a very damaged fretting hand. Few others may know a bit less of Jerry Garcia's missing digit. But, right now, I'm going to focus on what I know and how I apply my style of playing on my 6 albums (Not all my albums are fingerstyle guitar though.).
The saying "less is more" is actually a widely used term in music as well as other art forms. Musically, it's easy to try to overplay in order to impress, rather than to make the most appropriate statement relative to the work at hand. I'm still working on that.
I have been building stringed instruments for about 25 years, as well as playing Guitar, and other more exotic instruments in my recordings. Early in my career, I lost a few fingers in an accident. A life changing event is a funny thing. For me it was instantaneous. I knew in a "nanosecond" that my life was changed forever. BAM!!
"IT CAN'T HAPPEN HERE!" (Frank Zappa)
Some go into denial, but there was too much traumatic evidence for me to do this. However, my event is minor when compared to most. A guy I know was hit by an RPG in Vietnam. He was a miracle and was literally put back together. Another man I know was a prisoner of the Japanese and was one of the builders of the Bridge On The River Kwaii (My fathers generation). As a large Scotsman of 6'2" weighing 110 pounds and having suffered through diphtheria, Beri Beri, Jungle Ulcer, and the removal of a Kidney without anesthetic, he knew loss. YET, he would say his loss was his gain. He had walked through the coals. He found himself through loss. It was his vehicle.
I was lucky compared to many who experience life changing events. My event would have to be considered tiny by comparison. Yet, at the time it was difficult for me. Loss, fear, and grief are all relative things.
But, in my loss, I too found direction. My musical path could not exactly follow the straight coarse. I could not reach certain "voicing's". With only one good finger, I could not repeat 1/16th note "pull off's". Certain, melodic directions I loved and heard others play, would have to be painted differently. Perhaps my direction could be initially inspired by another artists' influence, BUT, I did not have the ability to repeat what he or she did. I literally didn't have the physical capacity to do so. And, of coarse, relative to certain musicians, I did not posses the talent of Django Reinhart who's fretting hand was severely burned in a fire.
There are others who have played wonderfully with injuries; Les Paul suffered a severe injury to his arm in an automobile accident. I should also mention the Banjo Player from the band Mountain Heart named Barry Abernathy. I saw him from a distance, but it looked to me like the only thing he was working with was a thumb and part of another finger. He was amazing! When my first album (Various Waves) came out in 1989, a fella that was the producer for the largest syndicated instrumental radio show in America called to tell me he was placing the album in the TOP FIVE of the year. Among flattering things he had to say was that he was glad I didn't use the particular type of phrasing popular at that time. Little did he know that I actually tried to play that style on the tune, but I couldn't cut it. I had to make up a linear passage that worked within the limitations of my damaged "Paw."
As a child, I believed I had nothing. I was told by others I did, but I didn't believe them. I now know, that I have a voice. The trick is to know it, accept it, and try not to stray from being honest within yourself. AND, of coarse, honesty is knowing your limitations without being limiting. THIS is a constant battle. As constant as the ego is prominent. BUT, the ego is another far deeper story that would take MUCH MORE TYPING.
My limitation has allowed me to approach sound design in a unique fashion. This fashion is shaped by the tools I have. In all aspects, my limitations have allowed me to paint pictures that are - well, MY pictures. This begs the question: When do you accept, and when do you push beyond? Perhaps this is similar to what Buddhists call The Middle Path; One that is taken a step at a time. A dash of instinct, a spoon of whim, a cup of inspiration and outer influences, an ounce of self acceptance, with two ounces of the insane notion that despite this self acceptance, you still need to get off your arse and go a step beyond. You need to go past that place you thought was the end of the trail.
Perhaps I am preparing a soup of contradiction, but as I now think about it, I guess that's exactly what life is. Look at the Bible, Marriage, Politics, Art, Philosophy, etc etc etc. Following ones "whim" is following ones heart. Getting to know ones heart is a deeper matter all together.
THE SPECIFIC PHYSICALITY OF LIMITATION
Some of us have limitations we do not recognize. Some of us recognize limitations that are not there. Each one has to evaluate where he or she is, based on the entirety of life's experiences. I will focus on MY physical limitation (My mental limitation is another, and probably much larger web page.). I have a good index finger and thumb. The middle and ring finger have no bone in the ends (So the last knuckle cannot bend). The flesh was fashioned from a graft on my leg. During this 30 day period when my fingers were sewn on to the flesh of the thigh, I literally had to walk around with my hand in my pants for a month. Very embarrassing in public. This leaves SO MUCH wide open for humor that I will leave you with your own imaginations. My tendency is to be silly and sometimes self deprecating. The former is fun, the latter a burden we best cast to the wind.
Now, back to the specifics of my limitation. When the middle and ring finger "press" on the fingerboard of an instrument, they flatten out (No bone in the ends.). Consequently they are gonna hit more than one string at a time. The challenge is to avoid muting strings I don't intend to mute, and using one finger to press two strings at a time. This maybe something some folks playing an open A chord on a guitar they could do.
YOUR OWN VOICE
It is tempting to replicate another's statement. There are so many great musicians out there with so many great chops. But some chops, because of altered tunings (For example: Open "D" tuning.), I use, and my injury are pretty tough to accomplish. So, you are forced to create your own melodic or chord al statement based on your limitations. From a linear fashion, this can lead to melodic statements that are "unique". As I said earlier, this was a good thing for me! You choose your direction based on what YOU can do, rather than copying what another has done. From a chord al standpoint, the alternate tunings help a bit with certain chord formations (Remember the example of using ONE of my fingers to press two strings.). But, without the extra "digits" adding a 6th, 7th, or 9th to a three note chord can be tough. OR if you CAN do it in the first position on the neck, you cannot do it in the second neck position, etc.
This points out voicing limitations. Again, while it may be frustrating not to be able to make the same statement another is making, you are forced to make a statement based on your ability or limitation. So, you have a completely different choice criteria. You cannot replicate that famous 8 bar Stevie Ray Vaughn blues line, but you can start on it, and then follow your limitation until it elevates you to your own unique voice of expression. Remember, in music there can be many methods for choosing WHAT to do next. Everyone remembers the famous George Martin story about him cutting the recording tape in pieces, scattering it on the ground, and then randomly taping it back together to create the wonderful musical collage on the Stg Peppers Album in 1967.
... continued ... read the full article, including pictures, click >> http://www.pauladams.org/Loss.html.
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Paul Adams has 6 Albums in a number of musical genres, stays busy building Musical Instruments , writing stories and Poetry, researching Ethnomusicology, and working in the mental health field (A much higher calling than the music business.) http://www.pauladams.org
