"Victor Wooten, despite facing a health condition that resets his skills to those of a novice bass player, continues to find joy in the act of playing music"
Victor Wooten, renowned bass guitar player, is currently dealing with a neurological movement disorder called focal dystonia. Despite the challenges posed by this condition, Wooten is adapting his playing style to continue performing and inspiring others.
Focal dystonia causes involuntary muscle contractions in Wooten's case, causing three fingers on his fretting hand to curl up. This has forced him to rethink his approach to playing the bass.
Wooten primarily relies on using one finger very well, and occasionally two if he can keep them straight. This has led him to play many passages with a simpler fingering technique. He views this adaptation positively, referring to it as a kind of rebirth in his playing, essentially turning him into a "beginner again" and encouraging new ways of expression on the bass.
The condition has made traditional fingering difficult for Wooten. His fingers curl up and pull the strings off the fingerboard or sharp, making it challenging to play as he once did. However, his hands overall work fine; the problem manifests when he attempts to position the affected fingers on the neck of the bass.
Wooten has found support through help from specialists such as Ruth Childs and has maintained a positive attitude about the impact of the condition on his musicianship. He is determined to regain his playing skills with the help of professional medical advice and exercise.
Last year, Wooten shared insights into his unique playing style on a specific website. He hopes to inspire other bassists or guitarists dealing with similar conditions by speaking openly about his focal dystonia. Wooten believes there is a cure for focal dystonia and wants to help others dealing with it.
In the interview, Wooten demonstrated how his three affected fingers curl into a ball when he picks up the bass. He also expressed that he believes he can play "Uptown Funk" with just one finger.
Wooten is touring with the Wooten Brothers, which allows him to focus on being a bass player. His current focus while playing is on being a bass player, not a soloist or trickster, playing one note at a time.
In summary, Wooten's method centers on skillfully minimizing the use of his affected fingers and creatively redefining his technique, which has profoundly impacted his bass playing style by simplifying and reshaping it while continuing to perform and inspire.
[1] Source: Interview with Victor Wooten [2] Source: Victor Wooten's website [3] Source: Article on Victor Wooten's focal dystonia [4] Source: Video demonstration of Victor Wooten's playing with focal dystonia
- Renowned bass guitar player Victor Wooten, currently suffering from focal dystonia, has adapted his playing style to continue performing, using one finger very well and occasionally two, which has led him to play many passages with a simpler fingering technique.
- Victor Wooten's fingers curl up due to focal dystonia, causing inconvenience when positioning them on the neck of the bass, making traditional fingering difficult.
- Despite the challenges posed by focal dystonia, Wooten has maintained a positive attitude and is determined to regain his playing skills with the help of professional medical advice and exercise.
- In an interview, Wooten shared insights into his unique playing style, demonstrating how his three affected fingers curl into a ball when he picks up the bass, while also expressing his belief that he can play "Uptown Funk" with just one finger.
- Victor Wooten is using his experience with focal dystonia to inspire other bassists or guitarists dealing with similar conditions, speaking openly about his condition on his website and in interviews, believing there is a cure and wanting to help others.
