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Play comfortably. Keep playing.

Keep playing guitar, even when pain, arthritis, or old injuries get in the way.

Practical movement, setup, and recovery guidance for guitar players.

Get the free guideStart with where it hurts

Clear, educational guidance built from nearly 20 years of movement, rehabilitation, psychology, and lived experience as a guitarist.

Keep Playing: the pain-free playing manual for guitarists in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond

The complete system

Keep Playing

Written by a movement specialist, drawing on nearly 20 years of movement and rehabilitation experience.

The Release, Reset, Rebuild method in one practical guide, covering movement checks, playing setup, common pain patterns, recovery routines, and confidence after injury or time away.

“This is an amazing book that helped me identify and fix my restrictions which were causing my thumb pain and stopping me from playing. Best of all it was easy to understand and follow and the explanations and exercises were top class!”
Thomas, 59 · Manchester
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Choose your starting point

Start with what is getting in the way

Begin with the pattern closest to your experience. You do not need to read everything.

Thumb, hand, wrist and forearm guitar guidance
01

Hand, wrist & forearm pain

Explore thumb load, gripping, barre chords, hand fatigue, wrist position, forearm tension, and tingling patterns.

Explore hand, wrist & forearm guidance
Shoulder and neck guitar guidance
02

Shoulder & neck pain

Trace shoulder position, shoulder-blade fatigue, neck tension, and how the guitar changes the upper-body pattern.

Explore shoulder & neck guidance
Back pain and guitar playing posture guidance
03

Back pain & playing posture

Look at sitting tolerance, slumping, arching, pelvic support, chair height, and how the guitar balances against you.

Explore back & posture guidance
Joint-friendly guitar guidance for arthritis and sore joints
04

Arthritis & sore joints

Adapt joint load, chord choices, equipment, playing time, and recovery without treating age as a reason to stop.

Explore arthritis & joint guidance
Guitar setup and ergonomics guidance
05

Guitar setup & ergonomics

Check your chair, strap, guitar position, strings, action, and practice space before asking your body to work harder.

Explore setup guidance

The Guitar Comfort System

Release. Reset. Rebuild.

Pain is rarely just one tight muscle or one weak joint. This method helps you reduce unnecessary tension, change the movement pattern that keeps bringing it back, and gradually rebuild the capacity to play.

See how the method works

Choose what fits

Start with the level of help you need.

Browse free guidance, choose a focused protocol, use the complete system, or get personal feedback on your own setup. You do not need to work through everything—just pick the option that best matches what you want right now.

Articles and practical guidance

More guidance for where it hurts

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F.P. O’Connor smiling while playing an acoustic guitar

Movement guidance from somebody who also plays

There is usually more worth understanding between “ignore the pain” and “stop playing.”

I am F.P. O’Connor, a movement specialist, psychology graduate, and guitarist. For nearly 20 years I have worked with pain, movement restriction, rehabilitation, and the nervous system.

About Me and Gentle Octaves

From the library

Latest guidance

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Free 15-page guide

Make your next practice session easier on your body.

Get a short pre-playing routine, practical posture and setup checks, and warning signs that mean it is time to stop and seek professional help.

Send me the free guide