Elizabeth
Active member
Anybody here have a reverse total shoulder replacement?
Shoulder joint replacement
- Thread starter Elizabeth
- Start date
Dingo40
Been here for ages!
Sorry, no, but feel free to share your experience 
There's a lot about it on the internet .
See here:
There's a lot about it on the internet .
See here:
Last edited:
Elizabeth
Active member
Thank you.
I know a bit about it.
Im getting a left shoulder replacement this week. If the bone is really bad or the rotator cuff really bad,they will do a reverse.
The ortho thinks it will be harder to play accordion with a reverse.
But what does he know about playing accordion.
I know a bit about it.
Im getting a left shoulder replacement this week. If the bone is really bad or the rotator cuff really bad,they will do a reverse.
The ortho thinks it will be harder to play accordion with a reverse.
But what does he know about playing accordion.
Dingo40
Been here for ages!
I've had rheumatoid arthritis pain in my left shoulder and find not exacerbating it, by sitting down resting the accordion on my lap, and keeping my elbows close to my ribs (as possible), has permitted me to keep playing relatively comfortably (though not with the "approved" posture 
).
Still, it works for me!
).Still, it works for me!
Last edited:
Elizabeth
Active member
Yes, my bellows shoulder works for me. It will be replaced on thursday. I keep it held pretty close to my body too.
The doc said its harder to do that motion with a reverse, when i demonstrated to him how the bellows side works.
Oh gosh maybe this is when its time to get a roland!
The doc said its harder to do that motion with a reverse, when i demonstrated to him how the bellows side works.
Oh gosh maybe this is when its time to get a roland!
Siegmund
Well-known member
She's not an accordionist - but can tell you that between knees, hips, and shoulders, my aunt has had 4 or 5 of those 6 joints replaced, and has considered all of them big successes for improving her comfort and her range of motion.
If you are experiencing discomfort, I'd say, get the replacement, and learn afterward what range of motion you have. You'll find you have choices --- opening the bellows straight out vs. like a (vertical) fan vs. arcing backward, moving half as far and changing the bellows twice as often, making sure that mythical new instrument of yours is tight and doesn't need much air --- and something will work.
If you are experiencing discomfort, I'd say, get the replacement, and learn afterward what range of motion you have. You'll find you have choices --- opening the bellows straight out vs. like a (vertical) fan vs. arcing backward, moving half as far and changing the bellows twice as often, making sure that mythical new instrument of yours is tight and doesn't need much air --- and something will work.
Best of luck on Thursday. I’m just recovering from “frozen shoulder” in my left shoulder, so I can definitely sympathize with how dramatically shoulder pain can affect one’s playing ability (and one’s ability to sleep properly!) i had the AC joint in my left shoulder removed (not replaced) when I was in my 20s due to an injury—and had no trouble with it at all in the intervening years until this recent bout with frozen shoulder
I don’t know anything about this but I am in the age group where many of my friends and relatives have “bionic” shoulders, hips or knees. Mostly improvements. I wish you the best of luck and hope that your recovery is quick and effective. Who knows, maybe your playing will improve? Good luck!
I would say Yes!, Yes!. Yes!. I don't know your background. You probably have an acoustic accordion that you really like. I will not disagree that you probably cannot get the exact duplicate sound out of a Roland that you can out of your acoustic. But, how many acoustic accordions, of the exact same model, same vintage, sound exactly the same?
Take the Hammond, B3 organ, that was produced between 1955 and 1975. That organ was produced with much more machined parts (than an acoustic accordion), precision mechanical tone wheel generator, electronic tube amplifiers, that had "design specs". With all that detail, there is definitely a difference in sound between the 1955 B3 and the 1975 B3. In fact the Roland 8X, has different Hammond B3 tone selections for the vintage built between 1955 & 1975.
My point is, that two acoustic accordions, that are assembled at the same time, with even much more "hand" assembly than the Hammond B3, there will probably be a "different sound", from a model produced at the same time (unless, the people that made the accordion were all the same folks) between the two accordions.
Alan Sharkis
Well-known member
The Roland line, as good as it is, will still require some getting used to, as the bellows don’t work and feel like the bellows on an acoustic. In addition, there will be lots of experimentation for you to do with bellows curves, and, if you get a 4x or a 1x, the inertia wheel (an adjustable air bleed that surrounds the air release button.) In any event, best of luck with the surgery, and the recovery thereafter.
Ventura
Been here for ages!
the digital bellows can be set to a fixed value while a shoulder heals,
so no squeezing is needed to play at all.. it then acts more like a Casio
keyboard giving dynamics through the keyboard attack
one can also set the bellows for MINIMAL travel vs: dynamics,
leave the bottom bellows strap on (so the bellows only pivot)
and lay your hand on TOP of the bass section
(sort of covering where the bellows adjustment wheel normally is on an accordion)
and just gently articulate the bass from there with hand pressure,
sideways tug left then right
it is much less stressful to muscles as a minimal bellows movement
is all that is needed
you can also do this with an aoustic with hand made reeds and
a good microphone system.. turn the PA volume up a bit extra and
you just don't need to move the bellows much at all while practicing
good luck with the procedure
I don't know the functional difference between the different shoulder replacements. But I do know that a friend of mine who had a (right) shoulder replacement now has trouble playing the low notes on his PA. (The low sounding notes, which require the hand to go upwards.) The operation is now over half a year ago and while it got a bit better it is not enough better to be happy about how the accordion playing goes. So this is a point of concern.
Alan Sharkis
Well-known member
All of these suggestions are good, but they have to be sequenced by the physical therapist and started at the appropriate time as determined by the surgeon and the physical therapist.
Dingo40
Been here for ages!
I can see your point, but aren't you giving these experts just a little too much credit?
This reminds me a little bit of our (now retired) well esteemed doctor advising my wife to take daily walks (a mantra among physicians in the day), completely oblivious of the state of our footpaths and the prevalence of dogs and muggings at the time.
Last edited:
Elizabeth
Active member
You have a couple good ideas here, for different ways to do bellows, that I hadnt thought of. Thank you!
Elizabeth
Active member
Im sorry about your friends outcome. I had a right total shoulder replacement years ago. No problem playing those low treble notes..
