Arthritis Has Changed How Keith Richards Can Play Guitar

Keith Richards has been strumming on his guitar for the Rolling Stones for six decades now and he’s still tickling those strings even with life-changing arthritis. In fact, it’s reshaped how Richards plays – but play he still stubbornly does.

Indeed, the Stones have a new album coming out, their first collection of new tracks in 18 years. Ahead of the release of Hackney Diamonds, and following the band’s 60th anniversary tour, Richards opened up about the learning curve he faced playing with hands contorted free arthritis.

Keith Richards says arthritis has reshaped his guitar-playing

Arthritis has visually transformed Richards’ guitar playing and it has internally changed the way he goes about playing his signature instrument. Richard has given cameras a close-up look at the knots bulging from his knuckles, courtesy of the joint-targeting disease that causes swelling, aches, and stiffness.

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So, Richards has been asked, has this debilitated his ability to play guitar?

“Funnily enough, I’ve no doubt it has,” he shared, “but I don’t have any pain, it’s a sort of benign version. I think if I’ve slowed down a little bit it’s probably due more to age.”

That’s not to say speed has been the only thing affected by the joint condition. Richards continued, “And also, I found that interesting, when I’m like, ‘I can’t quite do that any more,’ the guitar will show me there’s another way of doing it. Some finger will go one space different and a whole new door opens.”

In it for the long haul

In that regard, it’s a learning process and Richards has long accepted that “You never finish school, man.”

This approach to playing guitar has long been utilized by Richards, who has said, “The fascinating thing is that the more you play it, the less you know it. It provides you with endless questions. You can never know the whole thing. It’s impossible.”

He and the rest of the Stones returned to the studio to record their new album, Hackney Diamonds, their first in 18 years.

The idea came right after they wrapped up their 60th anniversary tour and Mick Jagger decided to forgo resting in favor of maintaining that momentum right into the studio. For how busy they’ve stayed with touring and covers, Richards said, “There’s a lot of stuff in the can which is pretty damn good. but it’s not an album. It’s just a lot of tracks.”

Hackney Diamonds releases on October 10.

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