F-ready: A support device that allows disabled people to play the guitar

Abstract

Although many people with disabilities have a strong desire to play a musical instrument, there are a few support devices that allow them to play it. We propose four considerations that have been identified for the development of such a support device and developed "F-ready," allowing people with disabilities in their upper limbs to play the guitar. We demonstrate the results of a trial in which a male with a cervical spinal cord injury practiced playing the guitar with F-ready for five weeks. He could make sounds with the guitar using F-ready, even from his first day of practice. Then, he could simultaneously engage in three movements: Moving his left hand to the appropriate position on the strings, pressing the F-ready switch, and strumming the strings with his right hand. After only five weeks, he performed a musical piece at a research meeting on the harmonica and guitar using F-ready. In addition, he faced several tasks: Deciding on an optimum posture, how to deal with arm pain, and learning the song's chord progression. The experts solved these tasks together. The experiment demonstrated that F-ready supports players' ability to play the guitar at will and enthusiastically.