Neuroplasticity: the left hand didn't know what the right hand was doing

Brain research suggests we all need to keep learning new things to foster “plasticity.” It conjures up images of flesh-colored silly putty being stretched, but neuroplasticity means that when neurons connect in new ways, the brain changes. 

We've all experienced that when we've had physical therapy, or learned a new skill. 



For a few years, I've tried to change my brain so that I can hear a tune and then play it on my violin. I've made some progress but a recent injury has sabotaged my fiddling. I can’t press down the fingers of my left hand onto the strings.  It’s like trying to roll pie crust with one good arm and the opposite elbow. 

I’ve resorted to “practice” bowing (the right arm) on open strings. That only leaves me four notes, one for each of the violin’s strings. It sounds awful, but it’s a good thing to just practice bowing. And my brain is making new connections. 

correct bow placement

My teacher told me to play in front of a mirror. Because I don’t have to concentrate on ten fingers, I see that the  five on my right hand have very little control over the bow.  My brain stumbles badly watching the bow’s path between the bridge and the neck and tries to make it stay on track. But the reversed image in the mirror makes the task much harder.

The bow is supposed to stay parallel to the bridge at all times, but mine skews badly. It reminds me of a train derailing. The engineer (my brain) can’t seem to decide if I need to push the tip away from me or pull it toward me.

It feels exactly the same way when I back up my car down a driveway using just the rearview mirrors. Maybe I’ll be able to do that better too, after this relearning.

The teacher also taught me other exercises. This one, the “spider,” has been difficult. I watch my fingers taking turns to climb up the bow, but I’m having a devil of a time reversing. I can feel my tongue poking out of the side of my mouth as I concentrate. Watch the master (not me) do it. 

I have new empathy for the narrator of the bluegrass song, "Piney Mountains":

“My hands can't fiddle and my heart's been broke

You damned old piney mountain...

Lost my fingers in the Galax mill

Buddy sing a sad old song”

-Bruce Molsky

I don’t allow myself to dwell on the doomsday thought “What if I can never play again?”  I don’t know any musical instruments that I could play with only one hand, not even the spoons. 







So long as the injury doesn’t last too long, I’ll be able to see this time as productive—at least for the right half of my fiddling.

I don't know what new challenge age or injury have caused you, but there may be an upside when you learn the work around--a newly renovated brain.