Electric bass guitar, when properly set up and amplified, is one of the physically easiest to play of any instrument. If there is structural pain in your muscles/tendons/joints then you are doing something wrong, either setup-wise or technique-wise. A little bit of painless callusing on the finger tips is normal for many people (depending on your setup, string selection, and playing style).
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You guys that get callouses on your feet, are you using round wounds.
And the next day your back, neck and shoulders will hurt from being all twisted around trying to watch what you're doing.
What? This is not true. Maybe for YOU, not everyone.
1-3 hours of playing every day. I also work with my hands. I also have to prick 4 times a day to test glucose levels.
No calluses.
Haven't read the whole thread but a couple of things come to mind. Do you slide up the fretboard at all? Do you use the entire neck? What about hammer ons or pull offs? Tapping? What plucking techniques do you employ: one finger, two finger, three finger, thumb and fingers?
These are just a few things that came to mind. Rock on friend and Merry Christmas!
These are just a few things that came to mind. Rock on friend and Merry Christmas!
I have never had problems with calluses or soreness. Having a properly set-up instrument helps, Also my hands stay dry, which helps. This sounds backwards, but I switched to roundwounds about 30 years ago, and I had more callus problems when I played flatwound strings. Could be coincidental, or could be the fact that I started playing better instruments ! I would have to say that my fingertips are toughened a bit, but not callused !
I have thick calluses on the fingertips of both my hands... the result of decades of playing with an aggressive fingerstyle/flamenco attack and style on mainly roundwound strings. Typically I can play for hours this way, and I don't usually have any morning-after soreness until I get past 4-5 hours.
But now that I've been experimenting with slap/pop I do get some blistering on the outside of my thumb knuckle which will eventually turn into callous if I keep it up. Not real interested in going with the thumb wrap ala Mark King if I can avoid it... I like to be able to feel what I'm doing directly.
But now that I've been experimenting with slap/pop I do get some blistering on the outside of my thumb knuckle which will eventually turn into callous if I keep it up. Not real interested in going with the thumb wrap ala Mark King if I can avoid it... I like to be able to feel what I'm doing directly.
I can play bass 4 sets a night several nights a week, w/o out any finger pain at all. No callouses either. But if I pick up a regular guitar for 5 minutes, I'm a goner! Damn those skinny strings....LOL! I finally bought a classical (nylon strings) guitar. Now when I dust it off (once a month or 2) I can manage. I still can't play it well, but that's not the strings' fault.....
. Back in the stone age, I played a lot of guitar for a few years....I had some REALLY thick finger tips back then!
. Back in the stone age, I played a lot of guitar for a few years....I had some REALLY thick finger tips back then!
No kidding...When I still had an upright I also had a RIDGE of callous running the side of my right index finger
Changing spark plugs. One didn't want to break free. I put All I had in it. My hand wrapped around my wrench. When it broke it drove my index finger full force into an aluminum shroud that I believe was repurposed from a danged knife blade. Finger was 2/3 severed at the top knuckle. Not a pleasant memory to be certain. Other that going numb in the cold it is fine these days. Just a line across my knuckle. I can (and often do) slice that fingertip now with a knife and barely feel it.
