9 out of 10 ain't bad

Somewhere between late last year and early this one, a lump began growing between the first and second knuckle of my right index finger. This freaked me the hell out because I'm a left handed guitar player... that finger means a lot to me! I put off going to the doctor for longer than I should have, thinking the issue would resolve itself, like a wound that needed time to heal.

But it didn't.

The thing just kept growing and growing, making basic techniques like barre chords all but impossible. So after some prompting from my wife, I made the doctors appointment, and my worst fear was realized... they recommended operation.

Look, I know where my bread is buttered. I work in the tech field and guitar playing is very much a hobby and secondary to the important things in my life, like family and paying the bills. That being said, I've played since I was 15 years old, over half of my life, so the decision was hard. So sometime in August, I had the procedure done.

It didn't hurt all that bad, the meds they selected for me did their job quite well. When the time came and I took off the bandage, I got as close to fainting as I think I ever have.

My main fretting finger was a horror show.

After a few days, when the bruising started getting better, I got a bit more optimistic. There was very little pain, more of a dull ache, and I had the use of the rest of my hand.

Now, for the last year or so I have become obsessed with a lesser known genre of guitar known as "percussive fingerstyle". It has reinvigorated my playing and made guitar new for me again. I am but a child toddling in the world of percussive fingerstyle, but that doesn't matter, each week brings something new to me and I am always learning.

Until the finger thing.

So, after a week or so past, I came up with an idea. An arrangement that needed the index finger as little as possible. I practiced it daily, tweaking the tune and honing it as I healed. It gave me a guitar based goal to keep focused on.

Well, my finger is pretty much fine now... a little stiff at times but all in all not too bad. And I have this song to show for it. I play it with all ten fingers now, but nine-tenths is what I called it initially, so it stuck.

Here it is: