Ok, I get asked this a lot… why do you wear gloves while you play?
Unfortunately in 2009 I was diagnosed with a disease called Focal Dystonia. This disease is a neurological condition that affects a muscle or group of muscles in a part of the body and causes involuntary muscular contractions or twisting due to misfiring neurons in the brain. Unfortunately my hands were affected by this condition and by late 2009 I could barely play a major scale. I was then told by a top neurologist that I would have to retrain as my life as a performing musician was over.
As you can see… I’m still playing and performing! How…
I took a few months off and in that time researched many different methods of treatment. This took me all over europe seeing different doctors but unfortunately each different treatment seemed to make my condition worse rather than better. By chance one of the doctors mentioned a violinist who had the same condition but managed to play by wearing latex gloves. The gloves act as a sensory trick. Luckily, after I tried wearing latex gloves I could feel there was a definite change within my hands while playing, the problem was the latex would stick to the strings. I had seen Ettiene Mbappe (a great French bass player) wearing tight silk gloves while he played due to his acidic sweat rotting his strings so decided to give those a try.
Do I still have the condition?
Yes, I still suffer from Focal Dystonia on a day to day basis and unfortunately as yet there seems to be no cure for a lot of sufferers out there. But, I feel so lucky that I have found a way to keep playing even if the condition may worsen at anytime. Strangely, it was the Focal Dystonia that drove me to start this educational resource. I figured… if the day comes where I can’t perform, I can still pass on all the information I have learned through my years of studying and performing.
So on that note, pick up your bass and get in the shed ;-)
Try a raw vegan diet. Fasting is great too. Raw foods/natural hygene cure these things. Cured my tendonitis, allergies, and lots more. Doctors lie. All they know is how to give a fancy name to diseases and sell you toxins (they call it medicine). Don’t listen to them. Give your body a chance to heal itself.
Hey cheers man, looks really interesting. I’ll 100% give it a try. I actually had a stomach condition a couple of years ago… the doctors put me on all types of meds and they did nothing. A friend of mine mentioned a sugar and gluten free diet, so, i did it for six months… found it really tough to start with but within 2 months i felt the best i’d ever felt in my life. Stomach infection… gone!
Paleo Diet is basically what you did. I am learning to eat pumpkin pancakes and cook with almond flour.
anyways, thank you for not giving up. reading this is truly inspiring and surely will add you to my prayers, who knows a miracle could happen and the condition goes away =)
I second the vegan diet idea. I used to have bizarre allergies, high cholesterol, gout (extremely painful arthritis in ankles, unable to walk several weeks out of the year). It seems as soon as I cut way back on dairy and all meats I no longer suffer! Might be worth a try. Drugs always have side effects that are sometimes worse than the thing they are designed to help.
I third the vegan diet. The best lifestyle for health, compassion, and sustainability! Love your bass playing and lessons!
I agree and support this theory. Dairy products are especially dangerous. Give it a shot. It isn´t as hard as you may think.
Hey Scott
Just read about the gloves, was always wondering, so I’m glad you shared your story! You are even more inspiring now! But, I am an Ayurvedic practitioner (medicine from India) and work a lot with herbal medicine. If you make sure to include ghee (clarified butter) or butter, nuts, oats, and foods that are oily and heavy, they really help tonify the nervous system. Try adding hemp, flax, seasame, or olive oil to your meals (super important!). The bitter and pungent taste in foods are the most depleting for the nervous system and you might want to avoid them! This means leafy greens, anything really spicy, ginger, pepper and so on. There are also tons and tons of plants that would really help…poppy, skullcap, valerian, passion flower, oat straw, kava, ashwagandha, shatavari, Brahmi……you can use these in tincture form, and in a salve or poultice directly on your hands. If you have no idea what im talking about haha….and are interested I would gladly explain further!
IM IN THE SHED!
Tayra
P.S. there is ALWAYS something you can do….some doctor just don’t know what they are talking about! Don’t listen to them!!
Wow… I’m not sure if I should go crawl into a corner for shame of my lack of a good attitude toward playing lately, or lock the house up with me in it and learn everything I can from your generosity and courage. Thank you!
As cliche as it may sound, I am now TRULY inspired!
Oh, thanks soooo much man, i’m glad your enjoying the tutorials i’ve been doing. All I ask of you is to spread the word about my site to all your bass playing friends out there! Easy man, Scott.
Hi Scott, Great website, great lessons!
About ‘the gloves’… I know that in England there are many good classical homeopaths. I myself had very good results consulting one, although with other complaints. I think its worth visiting websites and learn about the way CLASSICAL homepathy works before you consult one. It may take some time before results are achieved (be patient), we sometimes forget that nature doesn’t like to, or can’t rush like we do. It has its own tmpo (for instance: diseases may already have been with us for years before they become manifest or make us feel sick). Well, give it a chance. For me it worked, I hope it will as well for you.
Cheers Willem i’ll check it out! S
I’ve was born with eczema, been to many different doctors but no doctor could help me. You will have this for the rest of your life or it’s not treatable is what i usually heard. Well they were Wrong! Classical Homeopathy helped me get rid of it after one and a half year, it’s awesome, definitely worth looking into. Off course eating healthy is going to benefit you tremendously.
Thank you Scott for the Lessons! I pray that you may play your Bass until your light goes out.
Great effort! It’ll take me a century to reach that level of control. I suffer from a mild form of arthritis. This made me decide to play a bass. It keeps the fingers moving.
Great stuff man!
Hi Scott,
Your condition can worsen but the preventive measure would be to go vegan as mentioned by someone alreay. Also, if you can practise yoga it will really help as yoga really is a preventive measure for all diseases and to sustain good health. Please also avoid taking a lot of medication (with yoga your meds will gradually decrease).
The reason I am commenting is because you are a really good musician and it will not be fair to not see you play at any given point of time. You have learnt to give and trust me you will receive also…
Cheers,
Johan D’souza
Hey cheers Johan. I’m really interested in this stuff… i’m definitely going to look into it and try it out! Thanks again! Scott.
Wow… incredible story. It makes you more than a bassist, it makes you a true hero… it’s so poetic. A man so fallen in love for something that not even a desease could separate him from his passion. In the begining I though: The life was not fair with this guy. But then I realized that maybe it was good for you. I don’t know if you believe in God, but i think He sent you to this earth to be an example of life, and to musicaly bless us through your videos. Let me say I felt so happy to find such good study material. You answered lots of questions of mine.. Thanks a Lot…
God Bless you
Leo – Brazil
Oh thanks soooo much Leo! That’s really kind of you! I suppose I’m just stubborn lol! And… yes… I love music more than anything… it’s my life! S ;)
So glad that I found you ! The info that I have found in one day here is deeper than what I am getting a Berklee so far….Thank you I will spread the word and expect a donation from me soon !
Jeff… so glad your enjoying the info! And yeah… it’d be fantastic if you could spread the word!!! Have a great day man ;)
Hello Scott, first of all, thank you so much for your top notch lessons! They’ve been helping me a lot. Secondly I want to say that I had a similar problem. When I was 15 I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, it made me feel terrible because I love playing bass and it was too hard for me to play. When I was 24 I knew a rheumatolgist who told me there was no way to reverse my condition, and the best I could do was simply try not focusing on it, because the harm was done and thinking about it was just worsening my condition, he advised me traveling, jogging, relaxing. I thought “this guy must be crazy”, but it has been working. Now I’m 28 and I’ve been playing in a band for 4 years. Of course I have my limitations: I cannot lift weitht or carry a girl, hahuha. But not focusing on my disease was the key to get over it. I’m not saying that you should do this or that, I just wanted to share it.
Thank you a lot, Scott!
(Oh, and sorry about my broken English =])
Hey man thanks for sharing! It’s great to hear of other guys that have found ways to beat their ‘pain in the ass’ lol! Good luck on your journey mate, I wish you all the best! ;). S
Wow! It is great that you found a way to cope with the hand problem, and it is great that you could continue performing! As you know, I was not so lucky in finding answers to my muscles problems but I am still trying new things and still searching for answers. Well done my friend!
Hey mate great to hear from you! Did you ever find out exactly what your hand problem was? S
Yes I did. The problems unfortunately get worse and the muscle problems eventually gave me pain all over my body. I was diagnosed with a condition called fibromyalgia about 10 years ago. It’s a problem with the central nervous system and auto-immune system. Still finding it hard to cope with but still searching for new things and finding other ways to be creative.:)
It is great that you are able to cope with it! It is great news! I’m very happy to see that you are doing so well!
HI Scott
Very inspirational story mate… I was diagnosed with essential tremor about 6 months into playing. So just as I was becoming hooked on the low end I suffered a major blow… I still messed about with the bass and played but not with much passion as I had always thought my bass playing days would be over soon.
I myself have been on a crazy exploration too trying to find cures and treatments from conventional medicine to down right quackery! I must say however that natural is best. Everything is balanced in this universe. I believe that any disease is just an imbalance somewhere. Doctors then label you as a such and such and that sets you on a bad course… I just believe that there is an imbalance within me.
6 years on, I am now into 2012 after stopping smoking and drinking and have a very raw vegan based diet. I feel great and the tremors almost stop now and my mind is so clear. Meditation and arts like Qi Jong and Tai Chi help tremendously too. My playing has now improved radically because I have re-ignited my passion for bass. If it wasn’t for this condition then I would have never of embarked on such a spiritual journey where I have leaned so much about life and myself.
Anyways!.. Keep up the great work, your playing is excellent and I look forward to learning from your videos even more now as I feel more connected with your style and past…
All the best :)
Chris
Wow Chris great to hear from you! As you’re probably aware essential tremor and focal dystonia are thought by some to be related. In fact many of my symptoms now seem a lot like essential tremor. My fingers shake back and forth rapidly after I’ve been playing my bass, what were your exact symptoms? They do it sometimes when I’m simply listening to music.
Drinking definitely seems to make mine worse, and I’m sure the smoking doesn’t help either! Time to stop I think!!!
If you could give me a shout back that would be great.
Cheers, Scott.
first of all, thanks so much for all the helpful lessons. your lessons really stand out from all the other crap that’s on youtube and they’ve helped me a lot.
During the past year, i’ve developed some symptoms of focal dystonia/essential tremor myself. some of my fingers start twitching after playing bass und sometimes when i try to move my fingers really slowly, it’s very hard cause they seem to be somewhat stiff and i can only move them in some sort of jerk-like way. Strangely, when i play the bass it feels alright. Anyway, since none of the doctors i went to could really help, i would really appreciate some tips from people, who have gone through this and possibly have found a way to deal with this effectively, since it’s starting to scare the shit out of me.
greetings from germany, keep up the good work and all the best
Hey man sorry to hear you’re having problems! My biggest advice would be… if the dystonia starts getting bad… take a break! A week long break at least. It really helps me out and almost resets my brain a little. The worst thing to do is to try and battle on through it because that is only reinforcing what your brain is trying to do. Complicated shit! Good luck man, keep in touch! Scott ;)
Hi Scott,
Thanks so much for the lessons, They have been a great platform to correct all my bad habits I’ve developed over the years.
I’m Christian and truly believe in the healing power of Jesus our savior,
I urge you to( if you have not yet) open your heart to God and let him in and trust him to heal your of this disease.
This is not what God has in store for your life as he is our father. which father on earth would want any form of illness for their child?
Anyway keep up the great tutorials, there is so much content to chew on and im loving it.
Your friend
Russell
South africa
Dear Scott,
At the outset, a zillion thanks for being such a great tutor. Your lessons are fantastic.
When I first saw the gloves on your hands, I though wow someone trying to be different. I am sorry to hear about your health condition.
I am from India, which also happens to be the land of Ayurveda. I would suggest you make a trip to India at your convenience. Down south there is a state called Kerala, where you could find Ayurvedic specialists who could perhaps help you recover from this disorder all together. I hate to see anyone in pain but, hats off to you for putting yourself together and moving on.
With prayers and best wishes for your recovery.
Best,
Anupam
Hi Scott! This is the best course i came across, i would love to the lessons on modes. Thanks to you i love praticing again.
hi scott! i was truly inspired with what you put up sharing your talent and knowledge to those wanting to learn bass like me. i came across your youtube video searching for lessons that will help me on my journey through the fletboard of the bass, and i may say that you really caught my attention because of the way you deliver the lessons. also your dedication to share your talent is inspiring, extending your gift to continue on through other bassists who take part in your lessons.
i started playing bass when i was 13 but i play on and off, stopped playing for a decade due to unfortunate events in my life in a third world county :D. now life’s a little better, and tried to come back and play again, as i feel that playing bass is really my passion (just bought ‘my’ bass 2 years ago btw). but since i got my bass i feel that i am not progressing. but after i got through your lessons, i had that urge of learning to absorb the lessons that you’re sharing. i actually felt guilty that i dont have any medical condition hindering me from playing and i still i do not push that hard on learning, then there you are making your way to fight your battle and freely share your gift to others.
anyway, thank you for your lessons, and i wish you good health and full recovery. i will definitely spend hours and hours here on your site. :)
Thanks for sharing your story. I have problems with the skin on my hand from time to time, which I think is related to gluten, but even when I’m being good I can still get flare ups, which make playing hard. I will definitely try using gloves to see if it can help when my hands aren’t happy with me. And awesome lessons. I’m new to the site, and am loving it.
Hi Scott, Thanks for all of the great information you are making available. As a beginner I really appreciate this level of guidance.
Regarding focal dystonia, the classical guitarist, David Leisner, has managed to find a cure and resume his concert career.
http://www.davidleisner.com/CuringFocalDystonia.html
Regards
Andrew
Scott thank you for the inspiration!. Your videos are really on point and practical. I’m a bass player from Caracas, Venezuela ( South America) living in Miami, Florida. I like the way you explained the modes and your approach to soloing on bass. Keep me posted as soon as you have more videos please and I hope you improve with your condition. God bless you.
Jannio.
Scott – man, you are an inspiration, and truly generous with your knowledge. I came here from your YouTube “Walking Bass Line Lessons for Boneheads” (well, not for boneheads LOL – I just felt like one every time I tried playing a walking bass line!), and in a few minutes you showed me how to walk a bass line and make it sound “legit.” Anyway, I hope they find a cure for your condition, because cool cats like you need to keep playing until they put you in the ground. Rock on, brother.
Hey Scott! I am glad that you are still able to play and teach! Today I wondered what playing with gloves would feel like. I found these woolen gloves and they felt GREAT. My hand is much more able to slide around and I don’t have to press awkwardly the strings as you slide and your hand and fingers stick to the neck and fretboard. These gloves are a bit too thick I think, and so I would like to know where you get your gloves from.
Thanks!
Hey man… feels great doesn’t it! I actually get them all over the place – camping stores etc… but it’s a pain to find good ones in summer… I have to stock up in winter time lol! ;)
I admire your honesty and courage Scott, I wish you the very best. I totally agree that diet is a huge part of it. Ive been on the paleo “diet” (ie avoid processed food, starchy carbs, dairy and sugar) for years and the improvement is massive.
I’m new to the site and will be working my way through all your vids.
You’re a star mate, thank you :-)
Its quite amazing to see such great advice regarding your condition. Pretty much everything stated here is something that I would have suggested. As for the people dealing with fibromyalgia you might want to look into how much wheat you take in your diet. Gluten has become a real concern for so many. Fortunately, here in Switzerland, there has been a concerted effort to go back to my indigenous grains – dinkel [aka spelt] has been one of them so its easier here then in other places to reduce wheat intake. Bottom though, no matter what you’re eating, if it has pesticides on it – its poison! – and that’s something we all have to be concerned with.
Cheers!
Scott, interesting bit about Ettiene Mbappe and the silk gloves. I too suffer from very sweaty hands and it can really get me down sometimes… but a good attitude, Elixirs, and great inspiration to keep going from great musicians and people like yourself have saved me. Never stop doing what you do.
Love,
Eddie
My prayers we be with you , me not having time to have a personal tutor watching your videos helped me alot , i play for a church and i’m in a band signed to atlantic records, just had to say thx
I had no idea.. you have my full support….I don’t openly encourage this because its illegal, it shouldn’t be because it helps with so many medical conditions.. but marijuana may help ease the contractions if they get bad…aside from that i hope they find a real cure soon.
All the best.
Scott,
You are a major Dude!! THANKS for sharing.
Drew
I can’t even explain how amazing this website is…this is exactly what i needed! For a few months now i have wanted to increase my knowledge but never had the motivation and i didn’t know where to start. I watched one of your videos on youtube and immediately got hooked. I thought i was a decent bass player but now realize that my journey has barely begun.
Scott – Thank you for putting up these awesome videos. I am a keyboard player that has also played the bass as more of an on and off type of thing over the years (admittedly, more off than on). When I listen to music, I tend to focus on what the bass is doing. Your videos have truly inspired me to buckle down and gain proficiency on the bass, because for the first time, I can appreciate that the possibilities for creating and enhancing melodies and harmonies through the bass are endless! I hope that, while you may have some difficult times with your condition, you realize that you are touching so many other lives and bringing them the joy of music and discovery. What could be more noble than that? G-d bless you, and may you only know good health and happiness.
I started playing bass as an early teen. I did the usual thing playing bars, clubs, whole-in-the-wall dives, and the occasional special event until I was 32. At 32, I suffered a severe electrical shock that virtually crippled my left hand, my fretting hand. You know how your hand feels when you fall asleep laying on it. You can feel the sensation of pressure on your skin and nothing else. I lost 80% of the strength and coordination in it, too. I was forced to put the bass down for the last 6 years.
Last year, I suffered a small neck injury. It hurt like a mother for a while but it had the most amazing side effect. A few days after the accident, I woke up to the worst case of pins and needles in my left arm from the elbow to the tips of my fingers and it lasted for DAYS. Something has awaken the nerves in my hand and I have regained the strength and coordination.
After 6 years, the theory is still strong but I’m basically starting over on bass. I’m thankful for this second chance because, the first time I started playing bass, I was completely self-taught and I had every nasty habit someone could have in regards to playing bass. These lessons you have created are a god-send and are helping me re-learn the bass correctly and I’m avoiding all of those bad habits I had to begin with. You, my friend, are an inspiration and an awesome source of information. Thank you for doing this and offering it for free. I will be donating to you soon. Have a great day.
Wow John! That is an AMAZING story! Great to hear you’re enjoying the lessons man! Thanks, Scott.
you are such a good guy sir Scott you are so kind. More power to you
Buddy,. it´s very nice to see that you haven´t given up. That´s a quite huge story about aways look forward and don´t be forever down because of those bad things that happen to us. Thanks a lot for those lessons that are really improving my bass way to play and giving me a lot of great tips. Once again your new fan from Brazil says THANKS!
hi scott, love the lessons, i am left handed but play bass right handed. my right hand style wasnt great. i do crosswords and started to fill in the answers with my right hand and noticed a big difference in right hand competence. thought it might be useful to you as a teacher!
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge in such a fun way, it has done a lot for me and i’m sure the same goes for a lot of people. Your positive energy acts as an inspiration and I can never thank you enough for motivating me. I wish you the best of luck with all your endeavours!
wow, I feel really crappy about being a lazy player after reading that. very inspirational. can’t wait to learn from your videos.
Hi Scott,thank you for your tech treasures,and so kindly detailed lessons,it’s helpful indeed.
Hey Scott I find your web page to be very enticing and inspiring to me (: I started playing bass when I was 12 years old and never had a firm teacher… I am barely 16 and just now found a music teacher.. at first when I saw the gloves i thought it was a muting technique or something and now i understand.. I rely on all your teachings and you have become my music teacher not only for bass but for other instruments as well (: your great inspiration for musicians in general man take care (; haha and don’t worry I’m spreading the word already without the need of reminder :D 2 of my cousins are already watching your videos to learn more.. have a good one Scott and God Bless you and your life. Thanks ;)
Hey mate,
You are a really inspiring person you know. The way you talk about music… the way you talk about things in life is great. When I watch your videos, they don’t just give me another lesson in technique … they make me smile… I love music (although most people would say technical death metal is not exactly music :D:D:D ) …I try to mix my extreme tastes with a lot of classical or jazz elements… Your lessons will definately improve this… Thank you for what you are doing… You are a great man!
You are very inspirational and have a really cool way about you. Upon stumbling upon your lessons, I am now motivated to learn more about the bass. Reading your story about the gloves, my heart was really moved. I hope and pray that your condition doesn’t worsen, and I wanna give a great big shout out to you Scott for pushing forward and continuing to play and teach! God Bless You :) Cheryl
Hey scott! I was amazed in your passion for music. You did a great job in spite of your condition. Don’t worry, if the time comes that you can’t play bass, I’ll be the one who will testimony that you’ve been a great inspiration to me as a bassist! keep playing man! wish you best!
Hey Scott, your stuff is absolutely awesome! I am a college student who plays with a few different bands around and I find all of your videos easy to watch and learn from. I get lost in them sometimes and before I know it 3 hours are gone. I have been playing for about 5 years now and this has definitely been the biggest help I have gotten so far! Keep it up man! I may just have to get some gloves as tribute to you!
-Peace, Suresh
You are an inspiration just as my brother is. He fell into 550 degree roofing tar with his right hand. He plays guitar left handed, upside down backwards. It messed his hand up pretty bad and they said he would never be able to play music again. WRONG! 6 months later he was jammin again! So never put limitations on be able to play. There is always a way. Great testimony Scott.
Thanks for the great lessons, Scott.
Merry Christmas and a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year!
hi brother,thanks for the amazing lessons!
with all of that,i can build my bass fondation rightly…and i can teach someone with what u’ve taught me by the videos..
thanks for being such an inspiration!
im so motivated,knowing that u’re haunted by that disease,but still fight for it, gives me a BIG PUNCH to be grateful and more serious to learn the bass…
thanks mate,u’re a life changer!
Scott,
God has blessed you with a outstanding talent. I also, believe in prayer and will pray God heals you.
Scott,thanks for the amazing lessons and information that you pass on. Your site is wonderful and unique.I haven’t found anything similar across the web. Sorry for my bad english and I hope that you’ll get over this diseace.
RESPECT……
Hi there, great website! was just wondering what material or type of glove do you find best? Guessing it’s a tight silk type material – rather than say wool, latex or cotton?
I actually use tight woollen gloves. I did use silk ones to start with but they were quite expensive and I was using 3 pairs a week… ouch lol! Ez man. Scott ;)
Cool, thanks for the advice!
You may be interested in the growing rise of mobile payments for donations etc (via txt/sms), set to be taking off during 2013, alongside paypal of course.
Other thing I was always curious about which may be of interest to you & viewers is why don’t people use coloured notation for 500%+ better visual recall of notes ideal for visual learners (like myself) and could even hook the colours in with a VJ projector or LED lighting system.
E.g. Set 440Mhz (A) to Green. Am sure someone has written a Phd on this somewhere (google: jostiband.nl/english/colour-notation/ for a jist of the idea) there seems to be some dispute however on the base colour for C – either yellow/red//green (visual spectrum freq. correlation).
…Further research indicates A only became 440 recently from it’s previous 423hz (long story and bit of spiritual/quantum conspiracy about all this too, lol).
Anyway keep up the good work!
Existe una técnica que puede mejorar el problema de sus manos. La misma se llama EFT y se pueden ver resultados muy pronto, le recomiendo consultar algún terapeuta que la practique, y estoy seguro que los resultados serán maravillosos.
Afectuosamente,
Julio Angel Yanibelli
Hey Scott,
Just wanted to say thank you. I’ve been playing (well, learning really) for 3 months after putting it down after being frustrated… 20 years ago. At 45, I got the bug again and am giving it a go, and am happy with my progress so far. Then I saw some of your lessons. In the past I would have given up thinking ‘ I can’t do that’. But today, what you are doing, and how you play is a goal. A challenge for me.
Your ‘most important lesson’ is truly a masterpiece. Truer words have never been spoken. And you’re right, it applies to any skill.
So thank you for your generosity in this, and for the inspiration. Rock on brother.
From NYC.
Joe B
Hey Scott,
Sorry, I should have looked close before my comment on another page about the gloves. My bad. Now I understand why. My comment was not unkind though, as I really appreciate what you are doing, just that the darker gloves were making it harder to see what you are playing sometimes.
Again, I really appreciate what you are doing. I need to go rob the piggy bank now :)
Kind regards,
-John
Hi Scott,
today I found this site and it’s better than anything I found since… well, how long does the internet exist?
Your way of coping with this disease is terrific. From my point of view, guys like you are the REAL heroes out there.
Kind regards
Thomas
Your God sent, Bless you with wealth, health and happiness …. in this coming Chinese New Year
Your top of the chart … I really hope oneday i can get to met up the MAN.
I was in Manchester way back in 2007, it was such a waste spending a year there without knowing you.
Proverbs 3: 5-8
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body, And refreshment to your bones.
You have a Good and Great Heart.
Regards, CG
Hey Scott,
The way you’ve dealt with that condition is wonderful.
I suffer from Basal Joint Arthritis in both hands. That’s the joint at the base of the thumbs.
I tried many cortisone injections directly into the joint and it didn’t help.
I was told there was a surgery that would stop the pain but I’d probably not be able to play bass again. Then I saw you wearing those gloves and you really got me thinking…”There’s gotta be a way to beat this freakin’ condition and still be able to play the bass”.
I started by adjusting how I play. I currently play with the action on my basses very low and I use extra light strings – 30-90 or 30-85. It’s actually made me a smoother player because I can’t hit the strings to hard or they just slap the frets with the action this low.
I might even try some gloves myself as I’ve heard that pressure can sometimes relieve the pain from arthritis.
Anyhow, just wanted to thank you for sharing your experience in dealing with your condition. You’ve shown that it can be done.
Cheers,
Karl
Scott,
New to your site. I found the vids while looking for ways to improve my playing via YouTube videos. After reading this post about your gloves and your condition, I can see that you’re very much an inspiration. I’m definitely hooked and will be visiting your site frequently.
Keep On Rockin’!
Italic Alec
hey Scott
new to the bass, new to your web. loving it, thank you. was wondering about the glove too. sorry to hear your diagnosis. I am a man of faith, that being said. i am going to lift you up in prayer, and let’s see what God will do.
be blessed
pd
Right on bro! Praying for you Scott. My eyes have been healed, my wife and son have also both been healed of major ailments. Jesus is alive and well :-)
Thanks for all you do!!
Hey Scott,
Sorry to hear of your troubles, but extremely glad you’ve managed to overcome them. I thought I’d add to the heartfelt thanks of all the people who’ve bothered to make a comment: you’ve created (and will continue we all hope!) a fantastic resource for anyone looking to learn more about music. I’ve been obsessed with music since I was tiny; I remember complaining to my primary school teacher trying to teach me to read music by showing me the score for the Beatles tunes she was playing for us that she wasn’t playing it right… She didn’t have the feel or the timing, and I dismissed reading and music theory from that point on. Anyway, I’m now 39 and a reformed lead guitarist – started playing bass about four years ago, initially as a favour to a mate who needed someone for a gig, but now play little else. I’ve learnt a lot about feel, groove, and note choices over the years, and listened to a ludicrous amount of music, and thought I was getting quite good on the bass – but bless you, you’ve made me realize I’m just starting out!
Far from theory and reading being besides the point (thanks Mrs Peckover!), your lessons are translating my good ideas and decent ears (if sloppy technique: a five-string bass ain’t nothing like a guitar I now know!) into vastly better execution and even better ideas, and I’m loving working on my technique as well as all the theory stuff. I thought I had plenty of chops, but in the three weeks since I discovered your site, I’ve improved more than in the past year. You are an inspiration, and a fantastic role model, so once again, thank you very much and I hope you go from strength to strength. Cheers mate!
Dear Scott
You are a true inspiration. You are not just a great bass player but obviously a great person as well. I wish you all the best and thanks for all your excellent tutorials.
Regards,
Omar
After hearing your story, wow is what I say. Of course, could also say wow! Your personal attitude is absolutely so very cool. And for some reasons, I thought I was ‘handicapped”. Did I say wow? Thank you for your bass work. I really appreciate your bass tutorial approach. You are hereby wished a complete recovery cure!
I am really really impressed by this story Scott. I’ve always felt a good vibe with your lessons and find them really useful, but i now see they are supercharged by you mate. Good on ya, and may you be well…
Hey Scott, I love your persistence and that you adapted to keep on playing. You are and inspiration.
I loved your lesson about learning and being Thankful, you’ve got the right attitude.
Thank you so much for sharing with the Brotherhood of Bass!
I know you will be Richly Rewarded for your generosity!
Your Brother in the Bass,
Phil
“The Lowdown”
Snow
Cheers mate!
Hello dear Scott,
Reading this was to me important, I have more than 30 years of bass playing behind me and of course I am still learning today, I am learning that you are a very good pro bass player, a nice teacher with some great sense of humour. I really that you can recover from this bad disease, you should stay with us for some years again, we need your inspiration, we just need your help. You have a lot of friends for sure and you’re a great person too. I’m not for men but your story touched me that is why I wanted to react this sunday evening ! Hope you’ll stay here for a long time. Bass is stronger than life. Your bass friend, Mr Toonfish on youtube (I am not a bass teacher, my business is to play with some bands on stage or in the studio, my youtube videos are for sure not an inspiration for anyone !) Cheers and best regards from Belgium. Eric.
Just wanted to add my appreciation for what you’ve achieved and how it’s inspired me to progress. More power to you, Scott!
wowwwww, that was awesome i´m from dominican republic and i´m a big fallower of your videos eventhought i even had to translate sometime but i´ve taken a lot advantages on all the information you give……actually i´m 19 and i don´t study medicin or any carrear asociated with human beings lol but something i know is that God does miracles and i know he can does one with a kind person like you,,,
God bless you a brunch and hope you the best
Boy do I feel stupid for asking the question about your gloves before touring your website and finding the answer. I’m glad that you were able to find another outlet for your music skills. They say those that can’t teach, but that saying cheapens what you have gone through. Thank you for willingness to move on despite and thanks for the wonderful tools you provide aspiring bass players.
your a god sent to me i have been trying to play the bass for years but with no time to take lessons at a school and just playing by ear i found myself just playing the same old tyerd songs over and over again, you made me injoy the bass all over again and i thank you, please keep up the good work.
I was diagnosed with focal dystonia. I had to give up… excuse me.. I GAVE UP playing the Chapman Stick because my right ring finger would curl up into the palm of my hand involuntarily while playing it. It even effected my playing on bass also. My effects started in my right hand like I was trying to drive a car with the emergency brake on. Things I use to fly on, slowed and slowed and then the involuntary cramping started. Playing bass with my 2 right fingers I taped a popcycle stick to my ring finger and played away. Without trying, my finger crawled in and actually broke the popcycle stick. I am in the mist of trying to find answers to a cure. If in my journey I find things that help or work I will definitely pass them along. I had never heard of the gloves approach so thank you for that. I tend to think the diet could play a key part… especially ones that are directed towards the nervous system.
Sorry this was so wordy !!
Hey Cliff sorry to hear you’ve been struck by the FD! Yeah – I’m trying some diet stuff too so fingers-crossed it might make a difference. have a great week man, and never lose hope! S ;)
Hey Scott, greetings from PEI, Canada!
I’m just getting started with your lessons but so far I have found them pretty great! I’ve never had any formal music training, but I’ve been playing all my life (I’m 44). I started out playing guitar at around 7, picked up the bass about 15 yrs ago, and have played in bands for about 14 years. In many ways I’m still a beginner because of my lack of training – although you could say my training has been just living and breathing music which is what I have been doing. I wanted to let you know that after watching just a few lessons so far I think your videos are going to help me so much, not only by improving my technique but also just opening my eyes (and ears) to everything I was missing in my playing. Your approach to teaching is perfect for someone like me! Thank you for sharing your gift.
I will definitely spread the word to my musician friends!
Cheers man!
You are totally awesome!!!!!! Way to get through it! :) Do you think the Yamaha RBX170 is a good intermediate bass?
You’re soooo coooooooooooool
Cheers Wyatt! I haven’t tried that bass so I’m not sure. Have a great day man, Scott ;)
You’re sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo cccccccccoooooooooooooooooooolllllllllllllllllllll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry repetitive I know but I (100th?) the raw vegan diet. Look up a guy called Dan McDonald on youtube he is by far the most educated person in health and he has a ton of information in regards to dealing with diseases and health issues. You’d never think something as simple as diet can help your body heal in unthinkable ways! Keep on shredding, love your videos :)
You really should look into the Gerson Institute. They heal the entire body as a whole. Everything relates to everything and a lot of how we feel and carry on is how we feed our body.
Check it out: gerson.org
They are located in San Diego, CA and have a hosptial/clinic 50 miles into Mexico where they can legally heal people.
Maybe they have something like this in your Country… but I know people go to the Gerson Institute from all over the world. Take care!
I’ll check it out man. Thanks ;)
Hi Scott,
First as a beginning fairly old (49) bass player I love how you make Bass playing understandable for all (keep it simple) so I will promote your site to all.
This just popped into my head, I am not an expert at this so please forgive me if i am out of line..
After reading the reason for the gloves it struck me that it could also be an allergic reaction to steel and nickel in the bass strings that has been accumulating over the years (did some investigation into this a while ago because I was implanted steel reinforcements in my leg). Allergic reactions do not only affect skin but could also do neurological damage and are often person specific. So if this is also a factor those gloves are a good thing. Also allergic reactions often can be counteracted by diets as mentioned before. maybe this can help in finding the root cause of your problems.
Idea’s if possible:
- other metal type of bass strings if possible (is surgical steel possible?)
- maybe not your cup of tea but try U-Bass for a while witch has Synthetic strings. Play only on this without gloves for a while and if all goes well it might be an indication of allergies?!
Regards,
Paul
Hey Paul, unfortunately it’s a neurological problem, so the symptoms also happen when I’m not playing the bass. Thanks for checking out the site, Scott ;)
After reading this I was practically in tears. Thanks for all of the great lessons, and I won’t be making any more excuses on the days that my finger tips hurt from playing too much.
Your lessons and site are great, and have really helped me come back after 20 years of not playing, to feel like I understand bass more than I ever thought I would. It has also inspired me to not want to “play bass” but to actually be a musician.
Homeopathy cured me… But I’m sure you already tried this. Great site Scott!
Great site. Wonderful teaching. I’m learning a lot. As for all the vegan advise…well India should be the healthiest country on earth, but alas, same disease processes are at work there also.
HI Scott,
I found your youtube video while searching some precision bass there, you’re absolutely a great bassist! I like both of the bass tone and musical ideas from you, it would be great if I could have you playing in some of my music.
ok, back to the topic which I would want to share with you and sorry for my bad english.
I searched around in your site and found about your gloves and your problem. I’m so sorry to hear that but I have a suggestion which might be able to cure your problem, not sure if you believe. As a guitarist myself for many years, I found that I also started to have such a nerve problem which affects controlling my hands and fingers and some years ago, I had some serious pains on my neck and shoulder ( I guess it’s because I used to play metal and sit too long for computer..lol ) but I didn’t think it would get worse and I just tried to do some massages myself, it was better but the pain came back quite often. Until few months ago I suddenly felt numb with my left face, arm and hand, I thought that I had stoke and quite worried about it. Since I don’t really trust western medicine for curing some of the nerve diseases and as a chinese myself, I know that chinese medicine works better for something that western doctor can’t ( they always tell to do surgery or just taking pills ) so, I went to see a specific kind of chinese doctor which is trying to correct the bone of body. I went to see him 3 times and the numb problem had all gone. As he explains that, the incorrigibility of our back bone is affecting every parts of our body and will become some serious diseases that we couldn’t expect like Headache, Toothache (if you check with dentist and found nothing), dizzy, feeling puke, eye blurry and getting more serious will become stoke. For physically it will be the pain on neck, shoulder and waist. it also affects nerve like I felt that my left eyebrow was shaking frequently, hand shaking..etc.
What I want to say is that it is the problem of our neck, back and waist bone’s incorrigibility, as mentioned that I had serious neck and shoulder pain, it’s because of this disease ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinal_disc_herniation ) but now, I can feel that my neck has got back to the correct position after seeing that doctor.
For western medicine, they will tell to do surgery to cut some the soft part in between the bone, however in chinese medicine said that if cutting that part will get worse in the future because it gets thinner, it will get too close from each bones in between the nerve.
So, please check if you have such a symptoms that I explain. it’s probably the problem on the back bone as a musician to hold the playing position too long. hope it helps!
Btw, you can try to touch and press each of your backbones if you feel the pain or uncomfortable there, you have the problem.
When someone writes an paragraph he/she retains the image of a user in his/her
brain that how a user can understand it. Thus that’s why this paragraph is great. Thanks!
You’re a constant source of inspiration for me Scott. Thank you for sharing
Scott,
Glad to hear you found a workaround with the focal dystonia. I had to quit playing guitar for ten years owing to tendonitis in my left elbow. I started playing bass because I still can’t put more than two fingers on the fretboard without discomfort. The upshot is that I enjoy the bass as an instrument much more than I ever did the guitar, though I generally can’t play more than doublestops or single notes at a time.
As far as the vegan/fruit diet goes, I’m still in the beginning stages of that. I do believe that it can really help certain individuals.
On a final note, it is very refreshing to hear the jazz/fusion styles of bass.
Cheers and best wishes….