Geezer Question???

[Giner]

If it helps, Biggles, I think even a daily multi-vitamin is of some benefit. Luckily, my general health is very good (still handling a dozen or so gigs per month), but my doc advised a multi-vitamin as part of my normal routine. Be well, mate.

 

[amwilburn]

Me too! Although I just realized I missed taking mine yesterday... D'oh

 

[Duffman]

Learn new songs all the time. Just picked up a David Bowie book.
Learning to play China Girl and Let's Dance.
Awesome tunes.
Love music Love life.
R

Me Too..

Picked up my old Bowie book (from guitar) and learned piano for Ch-Ch-Ch Changes...love that song .

 

[Old Master Tech]

Not sure if this belongs in Technique and posture or General Keyboard.

I have a simple question that affects most, if not all, keyboard players sooner or later.

Maybe we should add a geezer forum and make this a sticky?

Sooner or later, if you are a keyboard player, your fingers will begin to fail you.

Be it arthritis, or carpal tunnel, or some other nasty form of "digitosis" (Tm Gary G. 2023 ) eventually we stop advancing in our craft and begin to slow down and begin regressing. (My thumb these days is making me far more sympathetic for Keith Emerson's demise. )

The question?

What have been your experiences with the ravages of old age, or injury and what sort of coping strategies have you used to extend your playing time.

For some of us, therapy is a costly option not covered by our foundering government.

Every thing is welcome here, though the mention of copper bracelets might draw a snicker or two.

Let's archive our experiences with what works and what does not.

Ian: Please make this one a sticky Thanks...

(Ironically, my keyboard time pretty much spans the lifetime of this forum

71 year old here, definitely WAY past dragging a Hammond behemoth.
I found taking Turmeric daily greatly helped with arthritis after about 3 weeks. I go thru Hanon 20 piano exercises (95, then 110 bpm) on a Yamaha e-piano at least 5 times a week and so far, so good.

 

[LoveLoud]

I'm almost 66, and just got here, so my expectations are low.

With asthma and arthritis both, keeping down inflammation and phlegm levels is a daily goal.

My solution to that end has been almost complete abandonment of dairy products, especially milk. Tiny amounts of cheese and cooked are acceptable.

BUT thing is that I love milk and I need it for soothing my over acidic stomach.

UNSWEETENED COCONUT MILK.

Delicious.
No dairy parts.
Just a little more expensive.

Highly recommend middle age folks dropping dairy products to improve allergies, asthma, and arthritis.

 

[Rayblewit]

@LoveLoud said: Highly recommend middle age folks dropping dairy products to improve allergies, asthma, and arthritis.

I don't think dairy has any bearing on arthritis.
My painful arthritis is not challenged by eating cheese or drinking milk, I can assure you.

As for allergies and asthma. . . maybe so but I am not affected with such ailments. Maybe take up on Yoghurt as a dairy supplement. It has natural anti oxidants to keep healthly bones and strengthen immunity to diseases etc..
R

 

[LoveLoud]

What have been your experiences with the ravages of old age, or injury and what sort of coping strategies have you used to extend your playing time.

I should have noted in my Advice post, experiencing a change in physiology due to dietary change, may take weeks/months to manifest.

It's a big change, even a hassle.

 

[Biggles]

Life happens.

Since the ‘80’s we have limited or avoided:- processed foods, minimise the amount of food we eat which contain chemical preservatives, salt.

We eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, breakfast is sugar free Muesli with yogurt and fruit juice, eat oily fish, minimise red meat consumption (totally avoiding any red meat originating from certain countries especially the USA), snack on mixed nuts (in a past life I must have been a squirrel).

We cook using Olive or Sunflower Oil.

Yet I have high cholesterol as well as low B12, another blood test this week.

A.I. sucks, this ass about face advice is the result of a search for a cholesterol lowering diet:-

Make swaps: Try swapping butter for olive oil, potato chips for unsalted nuts, white bread for whole grain bread, and full-fat dairy products for reduced-fat options.

 

[moonorber]

As an old guy, I must have found the right place.

What’s worked well for me is eating as much whole food as possible, almost no animal products and very little processed food. That and exercise works like a charm. About 6 years ago I was facing both high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and needed to make a choice, meds or something else. I was stubborn and went the diet and exercise route. Huge change with huge payoff.

My new doctor is quite amazed that I don’t take any meds and don’t need any. Apparently that is uncommon for a 60 year old. If only diet worked for a bad back.

 

[Giner]

I’m convinced that the luck of the draw is a lot of it. I don’t watch what I eat. Nothing to excess, but I don’t go sifting between what’s healthy and what’s not. You’d hardly call me athletic - never was, but here I am at 17st. 9lbs., with a good head of hair, doing three gigs a week and enjoying life at 81. If I keel over next week, not something I concern myself with anyway, I’ll have zero complaints. Like I say, luck of the draw and just grateful to have drawn well.

 

[BrianT]

I notice that I have to keep my fingernails quite short, that's become more pronounced in the last year or so. I also find that I have to set my sound levels such that I can hear myself very well, otherwise, I am beating on the keys way too hard.

As far as diet, I'm the weird one of the group, I guess. I find my best performance comes with having eaten a clean, carnivore diet before I play a gig. No sugar, no carbs, generally just meat and eggs. It's the best I ever feel. Had done the vegan and vegetarian thing for decades looking for the fountain of good health, never found it. Certainly not critical of those for whom it seems to work. It just did not work for me.

 

[Rayblewit]

As far as diet, I'm the weird one of the group, I guess. I find my best performance comes with having eaten a clean, carnivore diet before I play a gig. No sugar, no carbs, generally just meat and eggs. It's the best I ever feel.

It is amazing, even if you feel like crap, that after a wholesome meal you get more energy.
Eating meat enhances your adrenalin too.

 

[BrianT]

It is amazing, even if you feel like crap, that after a wholesome meal you get more energy.
Eating meat enhances your adrenalin too.

It's one of those areas where people have a lot of disagreement. And I wasn't wanting to raise a stink among those who don't see things in the same way.

I've tried quite a few different things but have found that, for me, the ideal meal before a gig is 1/2 to 1 pound of ground hamburger (I like and typically make 1/2 pound hamburger patties anyway) and 3 or 4 sunny-side-up eggs. No bun, no fries, no tots, no onion rings, no veg to go with, just plain and simple, maybe a slice of REAL cheese and a little mustard. Coffee if it's morning, water if it's later in the day. That's it. I feel that I have energy for the whole gig, even if it's 4 or 5 hours, and no hunger at all. I also find I'm mentally alert which was really the biggest goal for me.

On stage, I typically have something close to a gallon of water, especially for long gigs. I had gotten into the habit of having something with sugar and something with caffeine in it also available on stage. And I do still usually stick something like that in my on-stage bag, only for IF I feel like I need it. But it has been most of this year that I have never reached for anything other than the water. The downside to reaching for anything other than the water then becomes feeling like someone has just dimmed the lights, I'll struggle to concentrate, I'll feel fatigued, and I'll enter a place where I have to keep drinking whatever it is to try to get another boost. Not a good place for me.

But hey, I'm just telling you about me. Another person might be totally different. I wouldn't tell them they're wrong but I'd hope they'd give me the same latitude.

 

[leandrusi]

Its not just the fingers Gary.

Whilst it is my own fingers that caused me to switch from guitar to keyboard, a few years with tickling the ivories and the hands are still degenerating.

I’ll explain the issue which is worst with my left hand, my fingers, especially my third finger, were and are becoming deformed. The result was that barre chords on guitar are impossible and even fast runs up and down the neck got to sound pretty dire as my fingers stick due to the growths in the joints. Coupled with the sheer weight of the Gibson or Fender that played havoc with my back so the kit had to go.

The hands is why I like arrangers, limited finger movement of my left hand means all I can now really play with my left hand is triads, some chords are difficult as I do not have the finger span to effectively play them and the “sticking” third (finger) means sometimes I miss playing what I intended to play.

Playing simple exercises I firmly believe are helping to delay the inevitable deterioration that will occur, its a family trait so there is no avoiding it happening. The routine may be a tad boring but if it helps then its worth it.

Arthritis is not just a hand illness its a whole body thing, a botched up hip replacement operation have left me unable to sit at the keyboard for long, coupled with lower back osteoarthritis any controlled movement is difficult. An operation in the next couple of months will put be out of action for about three months and any activities will be very dependent on how my recouperation goes.

Strategies.

Finger/hand exercises, using one of the string hand squeeze products help to keep joins mobile.

Keyboard, exercises to maintain fluidity in playing and stick to it two or three times a day for 15 minutes each session.

Whole body exercise, for me specifically aimed at back mobility ie the cat exercise in Yoga, plus Tai Chi.

Walking the dog, no dummy not the song, walking our actual dog. Come hell or high water she has to go out so what ever the weather we are out there with her, it can hurt like hell vut it has to be done it does help in maintaining my mobility.

Diet, avoiding processed foodstuffs and meat where additives have been added. No soft drinks like Coke, Monster, Red Bull etc. Organic foodstuffs wherever possible.

A nice glass of wine, because life is not worth living without ones pleasures.

Im in my 30´s with no physical problems (yet), but I couldnt agree more with this reply.
Exercise and healthy diet are a MUST if anyone wants to delay as much as possible aging problems.
I learned this from a drummer friend of mine. The man is A BEAST, fast and precise as a machine with the coolest musicality and beautiful sensitivity. He doesnt eat bread, bc he claims it makes him slower and rarely do alcohol. Its pretty inspirational to be around that level of compromise with his craft. We should give ourselves a little toxic treat once in a while, but having already good habits on a basic level.
I guess its just like any gymnastic or sport activity where you work with your body, you just take the best care possible of it, giving it the best possible fuel and treatment.

 

[happyrat1]

Whether you're vegan, keto, carnivore or have religious dietary restrictions, I find that it's best to eat moderate sized portions of whatever food you were raised on as long as it's a nutritionally balanced diet.

This is applies to health in general and truly has bugger all to do with the ravages of old age and even less to do with the ability to play an instrument when you become decrepit. That's where you pay the price for the genes you inherited from your progenitors.

 

[BrianT]

Whether you're vegan, keto, carnivore or have religious dietary restrictions, I find that it's best to eat moderate sized portions of whatever food you were raised on as long as it's a nutritionally balanced diet.

This is applies to health in general and truly has bugger all to do with the ravages of old age and even less to do with the ability to play an instrument when you become decrepit. That's where you pay the price for the genes you inherited from your progenitors.

The toughest thing for me is the social aspects of eating. Left to my own, I'd probably be quite good with the diet. But... people around me, well-meaning people, often people who want only good things for me, wanna continually poke food at me that I KNOW will not make me feel good, perhaps even make me feel bad. And yet sometimes I just give in and eat (or drink) it anyway. I shouldn't. But I do, more often than I want to. It might be someone with their world-famous (or should be if it's not) Mac n Cheese, or cream-filled donuts, or brownies, or fried potatoes or bread or carrot cake or a tall margarita or... a whole lotta stuff that I absolutely LOVE but it doesn't love me back. Granted, I don't go into anaphylactic shock when I eat these things but I will have a mental haze at best, feel like I'm "catching a cold" at worst, along with the scale not liking me if I keep doing it. I got away with it in my 20's when I felt like I'd live forever. My 60's are not nearly as forgiving. I'm fine IF I behave. I'm not fine if I don't, not even with "moderation".

Oh, well. We take what genes we're given and that's what we have. I've seen what happens with several different ways of eating and drinking in our family lines. There are some sharp contrasts that I feel like I should learn from, the worse outcomes, don't repeat. Might be different for other people.

 

[Old Master Tech]

I'll give it a try. What's the dosage you use?

I see all sorts of strength's and with or without black pepper added.

How big a daily dose do you need to see positive results and what time of day do you normally take them? AM or PM?

3000 units works for me. takes at least 2 weeks to realize my hands weren't hurting

 

[DungBeatle]

I've lost 60 lbs since I started watching my diet. I eat about half of what I used to eat. More vegetables and fruits. Plus I stretch my fingers every day,
~Bob

 

[arniereed]

I've had all manner of hand surgeries over the years, and each one stopped the pain I was having, from carpal tunnel to trigger finger to de quervain's tenosynovitis. The hand surgeon at Vanderbilt Medical Center has fixed those problems.

But recently due to arthritis and degenerative disk disease, I had back surgery (laminectomy and fusion of Lumbar spine (L2-L5). Unfortunately one of the L5 screws came loose, so I'll have to go back for a revision in a few weeks. I just turned 79 and was playing in 3 Nashville bands before my surgery. I recently purchased a Yamaha CK88 keyboard (28.8 lbs), but my amp (Roland KC600) weighs 65 lbs. I love its presence and power but would like to find a lighter amp that can carry the sounds of my new keyboard after I finish recovering from my upcoming surgery.

 

[BrianT]

How would you feel about a DBR10 at around 23 pounds? Or a DBR12 (I have a pair of these) at around 35 pounds?

Not sure of the setting you're thinking of, whether you like stereo or mono, or whether you could use a set of something closer to studio monitors very close to you. Regardless, it's nice to have possibilities that are modular, stuff you can carry in multiple trips if carrying it all at once is too heavy.

I hear ya on weight. Though no serious issues at the moment, I tend to think about weight a lot more than I used to. Went from a keyboard weighing over 100 pounds (with road case) to a keyboard weighing a little over 50 pounds with a soft case (yeah, I know, dangerous, I'm very cautious). It's still plenty heavy. Have a Casio that's about half of that but it's cheap, cheap action, mediocre sounds, but is a great rehearsal board, easy to throw in the back of the van with some cheap monitors and go, and one I do typically have as a backup, just in case.