Cut fingers

[MagneticDog]

I'm pretty new to playing bass, but when I play my fingers get all cut up. I don't feel like waiting for new calluses to pop up. Does it matter if i use a pick or not? Or will my fingers get beaten up either way?

[shawshank72]

Playing with a pick will not cut your fingers up as they will never touch the strings.
But you really should learn both, a change in strings would really benefit you. Especially flats.

[shawshank72]

Or maybe considering your just starting out, your technique may be wrong.

[bassbrad]

Okay I know it looks cool but it's time to switch from razor wire to a normal bass string set. You should also check your set up and technique becasue you shouldn't be getting cuts.

[MyWifeBoris]

I'm kinda stumped on how you cut your fingers. o_o

Do you have paper skin?

[fearceol]

Originally Posted by MyWifeBoris

I'm kinda stumped on how you cut your fingers.

+1.

Blisters, I can understand, but cuts... No matter what type of strings you use, you should never have cuts.

Perhaps you are attacking the strings too hard, in which case you need to ease up and let the amp do the work. As you are new to bass, your technique could be part of the problem. Check out bass R/h technique on You Tube.

[ZachPierson]

SUPER GLUE!!!

[fearceol]

Originally Posted by ZachPierson

SUPER GLUE!!!

That is a possible cure alright, but the OP needs to address the cause of the problem.

[PJSShearer]

Cuts from bass strings?, I've not come across that before - blisters yes, not cuts. Anyway, the OP needs to wait until his fingers have healed and when they start to get sore, either stop playing or switch to a pick.

I don't play enough these days to have callouses on my fingers, so this is the method I use when I'm gigging.

[emblymouse]

I get cracks up around the top side corners of the nails, usually in winter. Could be mistaken for cuts? If these are on the pad of your finger something weird is happening.

As far as not wanting to have to wait for calluses to form, buck up and take it like a Bass Player. That's life.

+1 to Superglue! I swear it actually has healing power.

[Burlington]

Play more.

[fingertap]

Once I was in a band that did nothing but allman bros covers. Early on, one of the
guitarists began to practice for 10+ hours a day. He developed cuts on his fingers
which turned black and green and became infected. He would not stop to let them
heal.

He was a college student; he did some research and decided he would "soak his fingers"
in a solution of vinegar. It worked or seemed to for him. I have no idea
what it felt like or if indeed it actually worked. It seemed to, as I indicated above.

When playing with a pick, I play aggressivly. Many times I allow the strings to
strike, then slide off my index fingernail just before striking the pick on the
downstroke. Twelve hours or so a week with a pick is all I can take before the nail
becomes worn paper-thin. If I allow it to wear through, the pain is pretty intense.
So intense in fact that it affects my style. I used to use fingernail polish
but it would soon crack off. Then superglue was put on the shelf. I coat
my right index fingernail before a job if necessary. It still wears off and sometimes
cracks off but I can get hours of protection out of it, more if I re-apply during breaks.

YMMV

~

[|B|rad]

Which hand, broseph? If you are getting cuts on your picking hand, you should probably quit the bass before you lose a foot or something.

[Lubalin]

I think he just means 'cut up' as in 'damaged'. Not actual cuts. If he;s talking about callouses I assume it's just rh pad blisters from fingerstyle on the strings.

That's pretty standard. 3 or 4 times of blistering and healing is all you really need to get to a stage where you can play for a while and not end up with fresh blisters each time. May be worth trying playing lighter and just turning up. Not that I take my own advice -- I play pretty hard.

Playing with a pick is indeed the other answer.