ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q. How do you pronounce your last name?
A. A lot of people write and ask me what the correct pronunciation of my last name is. My family pronounces it: Goal - ub (like club).

Q. What is your advice or tips for dealing with tendonitis??
A. A few words about my experience with tendonitis...A lot of people have written me with questions about how I’ve gone about dealing with the tendonitis that I suffer from in both my hands. My problem is mostly in the tendons leading to my thumbs. I thought that I would go ahead and write a note here with some of the advice that I’ve given them.
Although it may seem overwhelming when first confronted with this affliction, it can be dealt with. It may take some retraining though. If it's your left hand, try using lighter strings. I went from .10'w to .09's. If it's your right (picking) hand try a heavy pick and don't grip as hard. Loosen your grip on both hands in between notes. Even a second or 2 helps more than you think. Do VERY LIGHT stretching exercises. Warm up slowly before a gig. The key is not to stain yourself. Ice for 20 minutes after you play when the tendonitis is flaring up.
This next part is very tricky and individual in approach. You need to rest to heal, but get your hands stronger for the future. Don’t let them atrophy. Squeeze a tennis ball, also wrap a rubber band around your fingers and open them. Do a few times a day, sparingly and for very short intervals, just a few minutes. DON’T STRAIN YOURSELF.
Also it's my recommendation to not trust any doctor's advice (or mine) as much as you do your own body. Every person is different and you have to find what works for you. I've found that If it hurts, it's probably wrong for you.
Advil or Aleve can help. I've occasionally done a weeks run of prednizone. This usually knocks out the swelling but if you don’t build up your muscles or alter your technique it will come right back.
Also avoid other activities that might aggravate it. Heavy lifting, hammering, bowling, tennis. Anything that requires a strong grip.
With the exception of doctors who specialize in musician ailments, I've had the best results with doctors who treat dancers. Most sports doctors, although they are very accustomed to treating tendonitis, they are not accustomed to this delicate of movement.
A good, deep massage of your neck and shoulders may also help. If nothing else it feels good.
There is a lot more to this than I can really go into here so you should probably look for some good professional help. I've had very good and very bad advice from many different health professionals so please trust your own body and how you feels it's responding to the treatment. Study the mechanics of the body so that you understand the condition.
Trust yourself and be patient. Where there's a will, there's a way