Steve Morse’s Battle with Arthritis
The legendary guitarist Steve Morse has revealed that his ongoing battle with arthritis is necessitating a radical adaptation in his live performance technique. According to Morse, this change is fundamentally altering the way he presents himself on stage. For months, he has experienced deterioration in his right wrist—a consequence of decades of practicing “10,000 notes a day”—to the point where the cartilage has virtually disappeared.
Reinventing Performance Techniques
Rather than abandon live shows, Morse has chosen to reinvent the way he plays. This reinvention involves modifying his equipment, adjusting his pick grip, and altering the angle of his arm to alleviate pain during performances. “The bones in the joint have different levels of pain when I change the angle,” he explained to Guitar World. “So, I am constantly adapting my position during the show.”
Morse stated that what is at risk is not just his comfort but his very ability to undertake full tours. “When I wake up, will I be able to move my hand? I don’t know,” he expressed. He acknowledges that his most intense days on stage may be coming to an end, stating:
“I think my time for live performances is ending. That window is closing.”
Future Plans Beyond Performing
Despite this, the guitarist does not contemplate stopping his musical journey. He envisions a future dedicated to composition and collaborations, admitting, however, that he can no longer “play at the same level as current musicians.”
Practical Adaptation and Legacy at Stake
To remain active, he has implemented practical changes: he installed a mechanism that partially silences the strings, reducing unwanted vibrations or excessive sounds when his right hand engages with his classic Ernie Ball Music Man guitar. He also claims to be using his elbow more than his wrist and has started alternating with picking techniques in critical sections of his music. Although he concedes that the sound “is not the same,” he considers the new technique “a viable alternative when the movement becomes unbearable.”
Even with these limitations, Steve Morse pushes forward. The musician is preparing a new album featuring contributions from Eric Johnson and John Petrucci, in addition to continuing his tours with the Steve Morse Band.
Morse admits that some songs have become challenging to execute. Nevertheless, he dismisses the notion of relying fully on the sound engineer. “The guitarist needs to create the dynamics on his own,” he stated. For Morse, this autonomy is part of musical maturity. “I understand that the body imposes limits, and innovating technique is as important as composing something new,” he explained.
The Ongoing Desire to Play
His experiences serve as both a warning and inspiration: speed and dexterity may be temporary, but the desire to perform remains strong. “No matter how much it hurts, I still want to play guitar,” he affirmed. Those who have followed him since his days with Dixie Dregs or Deep Purple recognize that this marks a new phase—less focused on strength and more on wisdom.
