More crucial to his music, the fourth finger (ring finger) and fifth finger (little) of Reinhardt's left hand were badly burned. Doctors believed that he would never play guitar again.
[11]: 43–44
[13]: 10
[15] Reinhardt applied himself intensely to relearning his craft, however, making use of a new guitar bought for him by his brother,
Joseph Reinhardt, who was also an accomplished guitarist. While he never regained the use of those two fingers, Reinhardt regained his musical mastery by focusing on his left index and middle fingers, using the two injured fingers only for chord work