Finger Pains/Blisters

MikeyFingers · #1 01-08-2008, 07:31 PM

I just joined a band 2 weeks ago. A friend of mine used to play bass for them and I've known the guys for a long time, but the old bassist had and the rest of the guys had a falling out, so they called me.
I've had 3 practices with them so far and it's going great as far as the music's concerned. But it's been soo long since I've played with a band that I developed a much lighter touch when I play alone. Now that I've been pounding the hell out of my bass to be heard on a crappy practice amp, my finger tips (right index and middle) are in terrible shape. The middle finger is getting callased, but it's still giving me some pain.
The index finger had a callase starting, but the skin started peeling after practice on Sunday. Then yesterday morning I woke up and found that somehow in my sleep I tore some of the skin off, exposing the soft layer of skin beneath.
Now I can barely play at all. The middle finger's really sore and the index is ripped open a little. We have another practice tomorrow and I can't play for more then a few minutes. Does anyone have any advice? Can I tape up the tips or something? Do something to dull the pain that I don't know about? Or should I just use a pick until they heal?

Misterpogo · #2 01-08-2008, 07:34 PM

Superglue

Connor · #3 01-08-2008, 08:22 PM

you can take painkillers if you have any (vicodin, oxyconton, heroin, etc.)
maybe a couple band aids each finger (with one you can still usually feel quite a bit)
learn to play with your pinky and ring, you'll be glad you did anyway

fenderx55 · #4 01-08-2008, 10:03 PM

Try athletic tape or surgical tape; thin enough so you can feel the string, but enough to dull the pain a little bit. In about a week you'll be back up to snuff.

Grinky · #5 01-11-2008, 07:07 AM

owww... How're your fingers feeling now man? You must have been plucking crazy hard to get your fingers in such a shape!

morf · #6 01-11-2008, 08:22 AM

Oh man up already. Superglue those biatches and stop complaining

Inflin · #7 01-12-2008, 12:21 AM

That's never really happened to me, maybe I'm lucky, maybe I play lighter, I dunno, but I have friends who would get a hot glue gun, squirt some of the glue on the surface (so it cools a little) then dip thier fingers in that, seems to work.

Valerus · #8 01-12-2008, 01:06 AM

Get a better amp

Qvist · #9 01-12-2008, 03:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Valerus

Get a better amp

Yeah, lol :P

BuffaloBass · #10 01-12-2008, 05:23 AM

When I started back playing , I had a hard time "throttling back" under the full "duress" of a band. It took me a while, and over 300 w rms, to get back to playing with a light touch in a band.

So how are you surviving? If you go to a pharmacy and ask for a few ounces of tincture of benzoin(e) this sticky stuff will seal those open blisters AND help callous them. 12-24 hrs.,old Army trick.

MikeyFingers · #11 01-12-2008, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BuffaloBass

So how are you surviving? If you go to a pharmacy and ask for a few ounces of tincture of benzoin(e) this sticky stuff will seal those open blisters AND help callous them. 12-24 hrs.,old Army trick.

^That sounds good. I work in an operating room so I'm familiar with benzoin, but I don't know if we're talking about the same stuff. The benzoin I know is a disinfectant liquid they use on surgical incisions after an operation.
Anyway, the practice mentioned in my first post went fine. It hurt a bit, but I got through it (mostly cause it was only about an hour long).
The next day I was in agony, and we had another practice last night. An anesthesioligist friend of mine was nice enough to give me some topical lidocaine gel to numb it. So I made it through another practice last night, but I'm paying for it now that I can feel it again. Although it didn't hurt while I was playing, I was still doing damage to the skin.
We're practicing again on Monday. Right now the pain is getting dull, but I know the second I start playing again it's gonna come back. I've talked to some people at work about it and the best advice I've heard is "stop playing for a while". That's out of the question. I'm probably going to get some more lidocaine to numb it, and then I need some really good tape to protect the skin. That's the best I can come up with.

One more thing I forgot. I've heard of a product called Gorilla Snot. It's supposed to be a mild adhesive for drum-sticks and bows and whatnot, to help you keep your grip on the instrument. But I heard it can be used for this kind of thing too. Anyone know about this stuff?