Des,Wow! Twenty years with FD is a long time! It's only been two years for me. I agree, it is all about relaxing. When I approach things in a very slow, deliberate and focused way I can stay in control, at least for short periods, as long as I don't try to get too technical. Ironically, at times there's a nice loose flow to my playing that is perhaps more musical than my pre-dystonia playing. But it's hard to maintain that level od relaxation. Pipe band must be incredibly challenging.
I'd be interested to know if you are or have been under a doctor's care and what kind of treatments you've tried. I'm not into the botox thing either. I tend to be stay away from meds unless absolutely necessary. I've read that some doctors are prescribing parkinsons and epilepsy meds for FD. I don't want to go down that road. I'm much more interested some kind of re-training therapy.
The double left grip for brushes sounds cool. I'll try that. I'd appreciate hearing about any other adaptive techniques that you've come up with. We'll keep in touch for sure.
Regards,
Tom
