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News / Guitars

SNAMM08: Even my Mom could play Guitar with this!

Neat device to help folks play 30-Jun-08

No flash plug

Now everyone can play guitar... almost

4:20 mins

Streaming:
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I was doing my regular beat round the edges of the hall, looking for interesting things to tell you all about, and I came across a tiny stand with just a big TV, a guy with a guitar... and a small unassuming plastic gizmo.
Well, I kinda like small plastic gizmos, so I had a closer look - and it turned out to be one of the coolest little things of the whole show, imho.

It's basically a small section of a plastic 'U'-shaped channel - imagine a three-sided rectangle - with inlaid rubber pads in the shape of a guitar chord. When you press this on the strings of a guitar, it forms a bar-chord which you can then move up & down the fingerboard, and voila! you're playing a chord.

The idea came to inventor Barry Davis as his father, who was missing a finger, tried to teach him to play guitar, and was developed primarily as a prosthetic device.
It's been put to good use too as a more general teaching-aid, and Barry's aim is to help disadvantaged and disabled folk to be able to play guitar.

I must say, I was really impressed with the vision, the determination and the sentiments behind the realisation of this great little idea - and I wish Barry, Mark Pickich and the EZSlideChord team all the best with it.

Andy Mac

www.ezslidechord.com

4 Comments... Post a comment original story

Commenter Said...

I'm not sure if this is an ideal teaching aid for able bodied students, but for the physically handicapped this is a magic idea!

This guy seems like a cool guy :)

01-Jul-08 06:16 AM

Gus Said...

WEll, I dont know if more guitar players would make a better world, but this thingy might make some handicaped ppl and specially kids happy.

01-Jul-08 12:47 PM

Mark Dee Said...

Great device! Great story!

Good job fellas.......

11-Jul-08 07:22 PM

febsky Said...

I think a world filled with music is a super great thing. Specially, if you can make it yourself!

18-Jan-10 06:10 PM