Joint Stiffness

[Danny]

A slightly odd topic for a folk music forum perhaps, but it is relevant.

As you may or may not know me and my mum clubbed together to get my dad a Bodhran for christmas as he's wanted to join in with my guitar and banjo playing for ages. Problem is this. After 45 odd years of being a professional engineer he's battered his wrists and hands so badly that they're very stiff and inflexible.

As you can imagine this (primarily his right wrist) is causing him trouble with his new instrument.

While i'm not expecting miracle cures (although they'd be gratefully accepted) Any advice would be very welcome.

Cheers all

[mark]

I don't know, not having played this instrument but can you not kind of roll the beater between your thumb / fingers (kind of like the technique used to play one of those mini indian rattle drum on a stick things that have a ball on each side attached by a length of thread which snaps round and smacks the other side of the drum head - do you know what I mean? Google rattle drum or Klonton if you dont) instead of using the wrist to supply the movement?

Just a thought?

[Danny]

My dads tried that Mark, and it does work upto a point, but he keeps dropping the beater when he does it.