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Sore fingers !!!

J

Jim11895

Dec 10, 2009
175
12
Atlanta
#1
Hey everybody,

I'm pretty new to playing. I'm in a band and we practice once a week to prepare to do some local "hobby" gigging.

Every time after we practice, my fingertips on my plucking hand are really, REALLY sore, to the point where I can't play comfortably for a couple days. I guess I'm so new to playing that even just practicing with the band gets me revved up. I hate to think what my fingers will feel like after we actually play a gig!

Any suggestions on how to minimize the sore fingers?

Thanks,
Jim
 
#2
Hey, another Jim here. "Any suggestions on how to minimize the sore fingers?". Had the same problem when I started. Still do occasionally. The cure is, don't pluck so hard! Difficult to do when the adrenalin is flowing and the rest of the band is getting louder and you are trying to keep up. Put more volume to the amp and pluck softer. Practice, practice, practice. Your technique will improve and you will develop some callouses. Just recently had a real rousing jam with some younger hard rockers and developed a blood blister under the callous of my index finger. Ouch. I used to keep some smaller band-aids in my kit. Applied them longways on my first 3 fingers. Worked pretty good but had change every set. Eventually figured out my fingers would never toughen up and quit using them
 
#5
I learned that turning your amp up, and playing softer will give you a fuller tone too. Less "attack" but the string will settle into it's intended note sooner giving you a nice sound.
 
#7
Love that story about Flea rockin out and pounding hiss bass into a funk paste during a show. He played so hard he tore a hole in his thumb. He then poured krazy glue into the wound to seal it up and continued to play.

Not sure if its true er not, but I just love that story.:bassist:
 
#10
I've been playing for about a month now and I've been having issues with the fingertips on my right hand as well. What I think happened is as the skin starts callusing it got tighter. When I bend and straighten my fingers it pulls the skin out from under the nail. My index finger was raw from it last week and now my middle finger is the same way. I've had to switch to a pick for the time being because even typing a little painful.
 
#13
UncleFluffy said:
Dip your fingers in rubbing alcohol after you've finished playing. It'll help them toughen up faster.
Click to expand...

Really? I'd think that rubbing alcohol would just dry out your callouses, leading to peeling. Peeling is a setback when building up callouses - I've applied lotion to my hands before, to try to prevent callouses from drying out.

My advice is to spend some of your practice time at home playing the same way you practice with the band... same energy etc.
 
#16
Here's my 2 cents...When i starting playing, nearly 15 years ago now, i didn't have an amp because i couldn't afford it,so i played pretty hard so that i could hear my self, ampless, in my bedroom...i also played all the time, at least 30 minutes a day. That did 2 things for me: playing without an amp helped me develop dynamic control when i got an amp and it made my fingers very tough.

You just need to put a little more time on the instrument, i'm sure most people who have been playing for a while will tell you that there is no finger pain after the first few months...i know i haven't thought about it in years.
 
#17
Don't worry. Sore fingers are only an issue through the first weeks if you play everyday (for hmm... maybe 15min?! I'm not sure.)
First of all horny skin will develop on the outer skinlayers as a fast protection. Then the more you play the thougher, but at the same time softer, your skin will become until you won't have any skin issues at all.
 
#18
Back in the mid 70s when I started out I had the same problem. Got to the point a few times that the blood blister(s) broke and then it was not only very sore but also extremely hard to play (sticky), and messy on the strings. Over time I learned to lighten up on my technique, use my volume / amplification more effectively. I also switched to flats or ground wound strings which also helped. Haven't had the problem for many years since that, but once in a while they still get sore if I had too much adrenaline going while I was playing...
 
#19
K2000 said:
Really? I'd think that rubbing alcohol would just dry out your callouses, leading to peeling. Peeling is a setback when building up callouses - I've applied lotion to my hands before, to try to prevent callouses from drying out.

My advice is to spend some of your practice time at home playing the same way you practice with the band... same energy etc.
Click to expand...

http://www.google.com/search?q=rubbing+alcohol+fingertips
 
#20
Play until you have giant blisters but DONT POP THEM. Drain them with a small needle off to the side, then do not play until the dead skin is dried out. You don't want to lose that dead skin, you just want it to dry out. This is what I've done, and ontop on practicing everyday, band practice twice a week, and the occasional gig, I never get blisters anymore.
 

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