Numb fingertip?

[Jordy4strings]

Hi guys!

I’ve just switched to bass from guitar a few weeks back. Ive been practicing hard and have good calluses on my fretting hand. The problem is my index finger (with the thickest callus) is now numb. Only the very fingertip is numb not the whole finger. I cant remember going through this with the guitar, but there again the bass strings are much thicker. Is this normal to experience?

Thanks in advance for your replies!
Jordy

 

[Nashrakh]

That's definitely not normal - if anything, my fingertips suffer more from guitar strings digging into them than bass strings do.

Just to ask the obvious - how's your setup? If your action is too high you need more finger pressure. Not sure how that relates to your problem as fatigue is the more usual culprit in that case.

Bonus: to play bass you don't even need calluses. My fingertips are smooth. If you have them from playing guitar anyway, don't worry about my aside though...

 

[Malcolm35]

We use our finger pad. Not the tip, this throws our wrist into a normal angle and cures a lot of problems.

Good luck.

 

[fearceol]

Ive been practicing hard

Therein lies problem number 1. Relax the schedule a little. Take regular breaks. Give your hands/fingers/wrists some time to adjust. Physically the bass guitar is a different animal altogether to the electric guitar, and requires a different technique. Check Youtube for..."Russ Rodgers left hand bass technique"..."Floating Thumb" technique by Todd Johnson"..."safe left/right hand bass technique by Adam Neely."

I would say you are pressing down too hard when you fret. This is common among new bassists. I agree with Malcolm35 about using the pads instead of the tips.

 

[Mushroo]

I think you're just overdoing it. Pain, cramps, numbness, tingling, and callouses are not normal or desirable in my opinion. The amount of force it takes to fret a string on a bass guitar is about the same amount of force it takes to type on your computer keyboard, no more.

Specific tips are to choose a comfortable type of strings, have your bass well set up with low action, and crank up your amp so you don't have to play as hard.

I also recommend to take a break and rest, until the numbness goes away.