My Journey with Parkinson’s … A Natural Approach: Post 108 … Playing the mandolin!

I love playing the mandolin! I love the rich sound this beautiful instrument produces!

The mandolin is like a miniature guitar [sort of like a ukulele] and I learned how to play it a few years ago, but stopped playing it last year due to the loss of dexterity in my left hand. I was having a hard time fretting the strings and so I was producing a somewhat muffled sound. I was finding it frustrating!

You see, I’ve always been the type of person that if I’m not able to perform something at a certain level, I tend to lose interest and because I wasn’t able to play the mandolin as well as in the past I wasn’t enjoying it quite as much. So I gave it up. My thinking was that I would resume playing it after I recovered my health and regained proper use of my left hand.

But a couple of days ago I decided to start playing again. I’m not quite sure what inspired me. Perhaps it was the blog I wrote about acceptance … the importance of accepting your present situation, regardless of what it is, in order to experience peace of mind and happiness.

Even though I’m not able to play it as well as I used to, I found myself enjoying it, so why cheat myself of the pleasure! My favorite song to play on mandolin is Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show. It’s an awesome bluegrass song [and quite simple]! I also really enjoy playing Amazing Grace, Maggie May by Rod Stewart, Hasn’t Hit Me Yet by Blue Rodeo and Copperhead Road by Steve Earle [interestingly enough, Earle wrote Copperhead Road for the mandolin even though he didn’t play it at the time].

Playing the mandolin helps me to be in the present moment. It puts me in a joyful state of mind! Maybe this will help stimulate my brain to start producing more dopamine! Wouldn’t that be an awesome side effect!

Have an awesomely musical day!