Who here has back-bending fingers or thumbs?

[dwasifar]

I have a serious case of what I've learned is called "hitchhiker's thumb," wherein you can flex your thumbs backward:



A guitar teacher of my acquaintance saw the weird way I hold picks (three fingers, 1-2-T, with the main pressure between the ball of ring finger and ball of thumb) and expressed envy at my being able to hold the pick that way because of the backward thumb. And it's true. Because of it, I can use wrist motions that don't apply if you're holding a pick the more "correct" way. I had never thought about it. I asked around and it runs in the family.

Of course, no benefit comes without a corresponding deficit, and for me it was back-curving left index finger, which made it extra-difficult to learn to barre, and still gives me strain on the wrist tendons:



It takes extra effort to straighten that finger out for barres. The upper picture is me, the lower is my sister, so that runs in the family too.

Anyone else here with weird finger bending to report?

 

[GGJaguar]

Nope. I kinda wish they did, though, to help with those partial barre chords.

 

[davidbeinct]

Not thumb but fingers, especially index. I can play a partly barred A without muting the high e which is nice.

 

[MartyG]

You...and Jaco:

 

[GGJaguar]

Not thumb but fingers, especially index. I can play a partly barred A without muting the high e which is nice.

Now, that's what I'm talkin' about. If only...

 

[Minnesota Flats]

The tips of my thumbs won't bend past straight at all, but other joints will do weird stuff:





Those same joints are severely arthritic, unfortunately, making it necessary for me to "budget" any usage involving gripping or squeezing.

 

[dwasifar]

The tips of my thumbs won't bend past straight at all, but other joints will do weird stuff:

That looks broken, with all the bruising!

 

[GGJaguar]

That looks broken, with all the bruising!

Oww!

 

[jp]

The tips of my thumbs won't bend past straight at all, but other joints will do weird stuff:





Those same joints are severely arthritic, unfortunately, making it necessary for me to "budget" any usage involving gripping or squeezing.

Mine do the same thing!

 

[chazmo]

Ouchie, flats!

 

[Stuball48]

Dwasifar:
You ever hear of Elhers Syndrome?
Have couple folks in my family and several other friends with EL and they all can do weird things with their joints.

 

[dwasifar]

Dwasifar:
You ever hear of Elhers Syndrome?
Have couple folks in my family and several other friends with EL and they all can do weird things with their joints.

I looked it up and a lot of it sounds familiar. In my younger years I had a lot of problems with dislocations and loose joints in general. Not so much now; the inevitable stiffening of age has actually helped me. I'll ask my doc about it next time I'm there. Thanks for that info.

 

[Midnight Toker]

I knew I shouldn’t have clicked on this thread. . I have no problem watching brain surgery or even a complete autopsy! But when appendages go in directions they aren’t supposed to, I get queezy. If some tv show has a “fail” video on w/ a skateboarder near steps/hand railing, I turn my head and reach for the remote!!

 

[Minnesota Flats]

My carpalmetacarpal thumb joints in both hands have always been capable of "non-standard" range of motion (as demonstrated in photos above). They didn't become painful until 5 years or so ago. Unfortunately, while my manual contortions have always made for entertaining parlor tricks, they offer no advantage whatsoever when it comes to playing guitar/bass.

I don't think that I suffer from Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, because my hyper-mobility is limited to only one joint in each hand, rather than being a more generalized condition all over my body.

Because the tips of my thumbs won't bend, it's always been pretty much impossible for me to achieve "correct" left (fretting) hand positioning on the neck. As a result, I've been a "thumb wrapper" from day one.

 

[dwasifar]

My carpalmetacarpal thumb joints in both hands have always been capable of "non-standard" range of motion (as demonstrated in photos above). They didn't become painful until 5 years or so ago. Because the tips of my thumbs won't bend, it's always been pretty much impossible for me to achieve "correct" left (fretting) hand positioning on the neck. As a result, I've been a "thumb wrapper" from day one.

I didn't start as a thumb wrapper, but I learned to do it. I get benefit out of it. I can play a full F chord without barre, holding down the low E at the first fret with my thumb, and occasionally using it for a hammer-on on that string.

 

[Ross]

My father had hitchiker's thumbs; none of the kids inherited it.
My mother could wiggle her ears - now there's something that I wish I could do!

 

[Midnight Toker]

I didn't start as a thumb wrapper, but I learned to do it. I get benefit out of it. I can play a full F chord without barre, holding down the low E at the first fret with my thumb, and occasionally using it for a hammer-on on that string.

Being a big Zep fan, to play a lot of Page’s parts require both thumb fretting and muting. Often being pretty busy w/ the thumb, like open on upstrokes and muted on downstrokes. It’s those little nuances that do make a big difference.

 

[Minnesota Flats]

My mother could wiggle her ears - now there's something that I wish I could do!

My ears didn't stop wiggling for three days after I saw Jimi play live at Winterland...

 

[Ross]

My mum was a Hendrix fan too.

 

[Nuuska]

When I was about 17 years old I managed to bend my right hand backwards so the nails would touch my arm. Naturally helping with left hand. now I can do only about 120 degrees wo training.