[doublewuzzy]

So I know a little bit of guitar and I just started getting into again, but I've run into a problem - my left index finger is deformed (the joint rotates in). This means certain things are impossible to play - for example, the main riff in Kaki King's "Yellowcake" has the index finger on the A string and the middle finger on the B string, and they move up and down the frets, usually one fret apart, but stay on those strings. They end up in fret 7 one point at the same time, and because the way my joint rotates, it's physically impossible to do (if I try to cross my index fingers underneath my middle fingers,, the tip rotates out, as in the photo below - this is a mirror image so the hand on the left is my left hand - the right hand is normal).

Basically, if there is ever a time where my left index finger has to be on the same fret as another finger, and on a higher string, I can't do it. Barre chords are also difficult as a result.

The question is: should I switch to a left-hand guitar with the strings reversed, meaning I have to relearn everything (I'm willing to do that), or just refinger things whenever I'm in this situation? In the case of Yellowcake, refingering makes it way more difficult than it otherwise would be, so I can't decide. What would you do?

[dwaink]

sounds like switching to the left handed is the best option, more work for you to relearn everything, but it solves the fretting problem.....

dwain

[finch]

cripes!

i'm finding this difficult to visualise, but i'm very much into the subtleties of fingerpicking, and i've got a feeling (unless i've imagined things the wrong way up) you could get some really nice strong index-finger-heavy patterns in your playing. if you choose to go that way! let us know how it goes. probably i'm in a minority here and you're into chord-led/riff-led songs but i thought i'd drop that in anyway

[doublewuzzy]

I'm actually trying to do fingerpicking, but it turns out this may not be a problem at all - keep in mind that in the photo above I have bent my fingers and am purposely crossing them underneath my middle finger to show how the left one rotates outwards due to the rotated-in joint.

The spot that was giving me trouble was fingered based on a fan cover video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4QGgOAv34I) where the person doesn't change how they are fretting. I watched a video of the actual musician playing it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qbrp4PNAXs) and she actually DOES change fingerings there, so I think I just need to be creative if that situation comes up again. Until I tried that song, I didn't run into that problem (of course I'm being like the rest of the universe and learning "Blackbird" - luckily there aren't so many finger gymnastics in that one!).

[finch]