Finger tip, the usual, pain, strategies for toughening!

[suraci]

I play music full time, but at least half the time on piano.
My bass gigs are finally moving from once a week to twice a week- a Sunday and a Tuesday ( one day off between gigs )

Because the new gig is very technique intensive, I have, at this late date in my life, began practicing much more. I hope, if pain in bones, muscles etc, stay at bay, that I can continue to increase the time spent with bass when not gigging.

Pain in finger tips ( pads of two fingers in plucking hand- index and middle fingers ) is showing up, but no blisters, yet!

I need as much advice for me to toughen fingers ( used to be done by playing contant gigs- oh well ) via increasing time on the bass.

A few questions about this

How many non stop minutes is cool for practice... non stop for hours, or what many short breaks?

Any cremes,? Soaking was mentioned here, in PICKLE JUICE !

Thank you

[JamNight]

Lot's of playing will build callouses. I can't imagine there is a workaround for that. Just keep practicing and playing. When you get to the blister stage it's best to not break them or else they will take longer to heal.

Practice for as long as you like. Our band practices anywhere from 2-4 hours at a time depending on our mood. Same at home...sometimes it's an hour sometimes it's 3+ hours at a time.

[String Theory]

Have you tried lighter strings? Less tension in the strings will mean less force required to pluck a note.

[suraci]

Lighter strings is against my religion
Light action
Low action
Light tension
With amp turned up to compensate

Is not something my heroes did ( Jamerson and Jaco )

But I admit that the turning up amp and playing lighter definitely
Creates a different sound that is likely a useful thing to have in your sonic pallette

But no to light tension. Just can't go there, I tried it

[suraci]

Lighter strings is against my religion
Light action
Low action
Light tension
With amp turned up to compensate

Is not something my heroes did ( Jamerson and Jaco )

But I admit that the turning up amp and playing lighter definitely
Creates a different sound that is likely a useful thing to have in your sonic pallette

But no to light tension. Just can't go there, I tried it

[klokker]

I play at least a couple of hours a day, but I've never developed calluses at all or had any pain on either hand.

Maybe its because before that I spent a lot of time on an acoustic steel string guitar.

The only way I know to toughen up your fingers is to play....I wouldn't mess with creams etc....just play. The best advice I've heard for heavy practice is to take a little break every hour, and one day off a week.....that's worked well for me.

Then of course if something hurts in your wrist or finger joint, stop. Once in a while when I was first beginning to play I'd get a pain in my wrist or in a finger joint. I just quit and started in the next day.

[makkE]

Pinch your fingertips with a needle a hundered times or so, then soak them in saltwater.

Naaah, just kidding . Just keep playing and they will build.

If you want to practice a lot, make sure you take small breaks at least every hour, then do stretches. Also stretch and warmup properly before you start.

[sound of bass]

I agree, the best way to toughen finger tips is to keep playing, and you'll know when you need to take a break. Rock on.

[Fergie Fulton]

Originally Posted by suraci

Lighter strings is against my religion
Light action
Low action
Light tension
With amp turned up to compensate

Is not something my heroes did ( Jamerson and Jaco )

But I admit that the turning up amp and playing lighter definitely
Creates a different sound that is likely a useful thing to have in your sonic pallette

But no to light tension. Just can't go there, I tried it

Ahhh....a fools justification in their... well,its the the classic " its not what ( fill in the name) does. Point of fact you are neither Jamerson or Jaco, so mirroring what they used is not really an option to consider, but mirroring how the sounded and played is. For Jamerson tension was not an issue because he was an Double Bass player and of course for both him and Jaco the option to reduce tention and use technology was not there the way it is now, so you could never know if they ever did want to reduce the height and go lighter. Judge the situation on your own needs not those of others.

If you are having problems then change something that will relieve the problem. I agree that the fingers will toughing in time through playing, but some rubbing alcohol or surgical spirit with harden skin so go and see a pharmacist for some and apply every day. Warm up and down before and after gigs using stretches to help the hands prepare and recover from the use.

[hutchison_james]

Dude what you should do is work out at least every other day like bench press and a good amount of steady running. In addition to working out your body you should eat right. I know this sounds crazy but making your body stronger and having more usable energy will make this whole finger thing a thing of the past!!

[john grey]

I started playing keyboards a few years back and like a lot of people I had piano lessons when I was young. I believe there is a subtle but real difference between the way we play a fretted note and how a keyboard is often played. I also know that the end of the finger has a nerve bundle.
I'll only speak for myself of course here. When I play a fretted instrument the contact area varies and is more "spread-out" on the end of my finger, more pressure is used and often a variance of the time in compression of the string is employed.
When I play keyboard / piano I am generally playing with the very tip of my fingers and the compression is less. I do have some callouses on my fingers (& thumb) but to any great degree. I think you can overcome this with just a bit of concentration.

It is possible that you simply need to focus on your fret fingering so that you do not emulate the exact method you used with a piano but rather use a bit more "area" on the finger-tip.

[suraci]

Originally Posted by Fergie Fulton

Ahhh....a fools justification in their... well,its the the classic " its not what ( fill in the name) does. Point of fact you are neither Jamerson or Jaco, so mirroring what they used is not really an option to consider, but mirroring how the sounded and played is. For Jamerson tension was not an issue because he was an Double Bass player and of course for both him and Jaco the option to reduce tention and use technology was not there the way it is now, so you could never know if they ever did want to reduce the height and go lighter. Judge the situation on your own needs not those of others.

If you are having problems then change something that will relieve the problem. I agree that the fingers will toughing in time through playing, but some rubbing alcohol or surgical spirit with harden skin so go and see a pharmacist for some and apply every day. Warm up and down before and after gigs using stretches to help the hands prepare and recover from the use.

With all due respect because I have seen your name here, and you probably know a thing or two, but so do I.
Have you EVER heard anyone with a tone like James or Jaco who used low ass action, so popular today? I heard Hadrien, an amazing talent. I assume he is newest school- low low low action, because certain aspects of his sound are like thin spaghetti, not happening. And my experience with acoustic bass players- their trend of lowering action and raising amp levels, I generally dislke it. A certain balls, is given up in this bargain, And music needs more balls not more volume. What say you?

[suraci]

Originally Posted by hutchison_james

Dude what you should do is work out at least every other day like bench press and a good amount of steady running. In addition to working out your body you should eat right. I know this sounds crazy but making your body stronger and having more usable energy will make this whole finger thing a thing of the past!!

Something about this off center advice, rang true; might you amplify between pullups when you catch your breath
I am definitely very out of shape. Thank you, but tell me a little more please.

[suraci]

Originally Posted by john grey

I started playing keyboards a
When I play keyboard / piano I am generally playing with the very tip of my fingers and the compression is less. I do have some callouses on my fingers (& thumb) but to any great degree. I think you can overcome this with just a bit of concentration.

It is possible that you simply need to focus on your fret fingering so that you do not emulate the exact method you used with a piano but rather use a bit more "area" on the finger-tip.

Thank you so much for the unexpected pov. Just yesterday I noted as the pain subsided a bit, my finger tips felt stronger and it seemed my tone got stronger. I admire bass players with huge pads on their fingers. The idea is to not just get callous ( which I had back in the day when there was constant work- if you recall that far back ) but even slightly bigger finger pads, or area of finger tip that makes contact with the strings. Bigger seems to be better for thick massive tone, I do not use amp for tone as much as some. I use higher action, harder pulling etc.
The Gary Willis thing so far is not my thing. So fingers have to get tough and bigger area of string contact. You are correct, the pain is causing me to use less of the finger pad for maximal thick tone. Thank you

[Tigger Bangdang]

Flats.

[suraci]

Is there specific advice for me, I only play 2 gigs a week, and I am forced to toughen fingers with practice at my own pace. My own pace is a good thing, yes? Is there advice, since I can play when I wish, and stop when I wish; to absolutely AVOID blisters???

[suraci]

Originally Posted by Tigger Bangdang

Flats.

"FLATS" eh? ha ha ha figures, you are from the good old South. thank you my man

[klokker]

Originally Posted by suraci

Is there specific advice for me, I only play 2 gigs a week, and I am forced to toughen fingers with practice at my own pace. My own pace is a good thing, yes? Is there advice, since I can play when I wish, and stop when I wish; to absolutely AVOID blisters???

I don't get the blisters thing.....I've practiced 4 or 5 hours a day once in a while and I've never come close to blisters on either hand and I'm pretty much fingerstyle.

The only advice I can think of is to fret and pluck the strings a little more gently until your fingers toughen up more, Not very profound......but might help you broaden your overall skill level.

[suraci]

Play MORE than you are used to on a GIG ( sometimes a GIG pushes you more than you would be pushed in the safety of a home!!) , and do it for a long enough period without a break, and blisters can happen. Luckily for me that is ancient history. I just don't want to revisit it!

[Fergie Fulton]

Originally Posted by suraci

With all due respect because I have seen your name here, and you probably know a thing or two, but so do I.
Have you EVER heard anyone with a tone like James or Jaco who used low ass action, so popular today? I heard Hadrien, an amazing talent. I assume he is newest school- low low low action, because certain aspects of his sound are like thin spaghetti, not happening. And my experience with acoustic bass players- their trend of lowering action and raising amp levels, I generally dislke it. A certain balls, is given up in this bargain, And music needs more balls not more volume. What say you?

In answer to your question yes, many many players with the use of modern technogy can get many varied sounds with an allsortment of "balls". The problem is you have to see them live, not judge any sound from a video or a recording. My old 8x10 rig will not sound like an 8x10 rig unless you are standing in front of it live, even then if it is coming through front of house you hear the engineers front of house sound that may utilize 18" bins 15" -12" mids and a horn arrangment, that is not the sound of my 10s, not even the feel of them.

I for my own sins i played a P bass, with heavy flatwound strings, 120-100-80-60 with a high action, so i know the situation. Due to a serious accident i now play short scale basses, low actions and light strings, even my playing style......and get the same results. I changed to suit my personal situation and the abilities that i have now, not what i had 4 years ago.

All i am pointing out is work with what you have and can do that allows easy pain free playing. The other advice still stands.

Surgical Spirit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubbing_alcohol