My Left Hand - Embracing Small Improvements

Lately my head feels like it is simply ready to explode with scales, changes, theory, sight reading, technique, embouchure etc.!  But I am see to have a glimpse of distant light at the end of what looks to be a very long tunnel ahead.

My martial arts training has taught me to focus on small improvements, however small they may be. That skill got me to black belt, and I'm trying to practice it with music. I do notice small improvements every day.

Here's a good left hand position

Here's my left hand November 2012

My left hand has been a problem for me with any activity that requires fine motor control. In martial arts this wasn't so apparent because it only affected a few techniques. But sax is extremely left hand oriented. The left hand has much, much more to do, and more keys to navigate than the than right does. It has been so frustrating that I even Googled whether someone might have invented a left handed sax. No such luck! I can type about 50 words per minute, but not without a lot of backspacing because of mistakes with my left hand. And, when I type my left fingers rise up way too far, just like they do when I play sax. The main problems are my pinky and ring finger, which is true for everyone to some extent. But my left hand is pushing disabled. My ring finger will not move independently of my pinky in many instances and collapses at the first joint on the key. In addition, my index finger has a bone spur that catches a tendon and it locks up while I'm playing. I found some neoprene ice splints for my index finger which help a bit and I've been taking glucosamine chondroitin (vegan of course), which also seems to be helping.

All of that said, after a lot of work, swearing, and discouragement, I'm starting to notice some improvement. My ring finger can now move independently from G# to G, though not consistently yet. But when I began, it couldn't do it at all!

My left hand July 2013

One of the other things I learned in martial arts training is to notice when I have a breakthrough. If it can be done once, it can be done again, and eventually done consistently.  I have a lot of work to do, but I am now hopeful. Black belt didn't come overnight, and neither will this. That's why they call it "practice" and not finished.