pain in picking finger

[sonic assassin]

i tend to lay into my strings pretty hard, and at a show, i dont mind a sore finger and/or blood blister, because i know i was worth it.

but i tend to be in pain even in practice, which i know is a bad sign. it tends to be at the middle knuckle, and i can play through it, but id really rather not. bass isnt football.

ive always gone for the cliff burton approach, hit the strings so hard it SOUNDS like you're using a pick. i like pick tone, but it bores me and limits my playing a lot.

so maybe theres something wrong with my right hand technique that could be easily remedied. i know i have a habit of swinging my fingers DOWN at the strings, instead of across them, but it doesnt feel right for my hand to be in that position.

the obvious answer, play softer. ive heard it before, and i cant get into the tone, and the energy on stage prohibits me from just tapping at the strings. the sound isnt really from the extra output, as it is the dig.

any suggestions?

[dejm1]

check out my recent post-tips for lighter touch, because i've been having a lot of pain too- just like you, i was hitting it too hard. last night's rehearsal i eased up a lot, turned up the volume, played with my finger tips and had no pain at all... dude, do yourself a favor and lighten up. trust me!

[b4nny]

If you ALWAYS want that digging-in sound, lower your action. It'll do wonders for you if you haven't already done so. It should also help to look at the sticky thread about playing fingers in metal and being heard. That would let you lighten up, reducing the pain, but keeping the tone.