OK, I've simply got to tell the list what I have been using for the past year - and very successfully. Let me preface this by stating that I was forced to do something because of arthritis and dupuytren's contracture both occurring to one degree or another in both hands - not a good thing for a person that was a piano major through UCLA's music school. My "thumper" started as a ski pole. I cut off all but about the top 1/2" of the pole leaving a ski pole grip that was already ergometrically designed. As I wanted it a little larger in diameter I wrapped this with 3/16" closed cell self-adhesive foam tape, topped off by foam backed bicycle handlebar tape. Comfortable - YES!!! Epoxy a short length of dowel into the remaining short pole that is still in the grip and follow that with a piece of hammer felt, followed by a small piece of buckskin or other leather. You don't have to "beat" the keys as the weight of the thumper will do it for you. Other side benefits: If you are tuning an upright the height of the grip effectively "raises" the keyboard several inches so you aren't reaching quite as far between your two hands. All in all, it takes a lot of stress off your body. Bear in mind that our finger joints are some of the smallest we have and yet we are asking them to hold up under very strenuous work when playing the piano or when tuning. I know this has really helped me and hope it helps someone else out there. fwiw My occupational hand therapist told me that between that "thumper" and a pair of weight lifter's gloves that have wrist wraps built into them I had come up with what she considers the "cat's meow" when it came to protecting my hands. btw. Ski poles can be had for next to nothing at second hand stores. I paid $2.00 for the pair. John R. Fortiner Billings, MT. ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.
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