Question and Answer

Pat, what can I say about your music but thanks for a lifetime of joy and inspiration. My question is, how do your hands, particularly your right hand, hold up under the stress of upwards of 150 gigs per year? I play a LOT (more practice than gigs at this point), and I have bouts with pain in my right wrist. I have definitely noticed that when I lighten up on my right hand "attitude", the pain subsides, and I actually have more mobility. But your right hand position appears somewhat "unorthodox" to me, and your approach is quite agressive. How do you keep from stiffening up with pain with all of the intense playing you do?

hi dave,

if you were to come up from behind me while i was playing, you could easily knock both of my hands off the instrument at any time - i use very little pressure, and i stay very relaxed in both hands at all times. the stiffening up thing you talk about is actually something that i hear in many guitar players - and sometimes i even see guys who are so tight in their right arm - it is no wonder to me that their phrasing is occasionally stiff in the same way.

my advice? stay loose and relaxed at all times - especially the right hand. this may be something you will have to work on - it will be hard to unlearn a lifetime of a bad habit - but it will be worth it.

and i am really glad you like the music so much - thanks for listening....