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Sore fingers !!!

#22
UncleFluffy said:
http://www.google.com/search?q=rubbing+alcohol+fingertips
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Well, if it says so on the internet it must be true... :D

Some people go with the alcohol, I personally use a hemp based hand cream on my tips before playing, it reduces friction across the strings and prevents over-drying of the skin. I have thick soft calluses.

Of course there's the story that Jaco used to insist on having fried chicken before every gig, and not washing the grease off so that it lubed his fingers. I have no idea if this is true, but it's the same concept.
 
#25
@lowfreq33, Yes - it's true about Jaco. He would keep a chicken bone in his pocket after the meal and rub his fingers on it periodically between songs.

I sometimes experience injuries in my right fingertips from plucking hard.
It's usually when I'm doing speed drills with new & unfamiliar accents. When I try hitting those accents accurately, I use too much force and damage the inner tissue regardless of how much callous I have.
Like 16th note drills over 4/4, I'll get sore when I push hard on the first note of each group:
3,3,3,3,4
5,5,2,2,2
3,5,3,5

About turning the amp up...it allows you to play softer...but you MUST play softer. An occasional hard pluck will sound horrible...and stick out like a sore thumb (pun intended).
My advice for those who want to turn up and play softer, get a compressor or compressor/limiter to even out volume spikes.

I don't want to be callous (pun intended) and tell people to just "suck it up" and deal with it, but it seems like that's the best long-term solution.
I love snapping hard on a note for a good gnarly-snarly attack. Developing this and bearing with the pain for a while will eventually result in incredible control over your bass.
 
#26
^agreed. the bass is a big, physical instrument to play with big, tough strings on it as opposed to the guitar which doesn't require as much strength, ime. you need to really dig into your bass and get that real ballsy tone that sounds best so everything you do on the instrument is hear when playing live. I was influenced by Flea and various punk bands early on, so I've always had a real strength approach to the instrument. I can still do intricate things and all, and it comes through clear as bell.
 
#30
subexpression said:
I don't want to be callous (pun intended) and tell people to just "suck it up" and deal with it, .
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Yes, you do!

but it seems like that's the best long-term solution.
I love snapping hard on a note for a good gnarly-snarly attack. Developing this and bearing with the pain for a while will eventually result in incredible control over your bass.
Click to expand...

which is very, very bad and irresponsible advice.

It is ABSOLUTELY wrong to 'endure' any pain.

Bass guitar is an instrument with a high risk of strain injury.

Just start on light gauge strings, light touch, amp turned up nicely to match the rest of the band (better idea is to have them turn down; wear earplugs!).

I played many different instruments, and i't's the same idea all over: start on light stuff, and later on build up SLOWLY to larger mouthpieces, harder reeds, heavier strings.
 
#34
hachi kid said:
I think the guy was talking about pain in his fingertips, as in callouses developing...not the type pain that could lead to RSI...
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You are right about that, but I felt Stepswork4me stepped :D up to a more general level, also shown by his later post.

IMHO being tough is a very risky attitude. If in pain, stop playing. If the pain stays or returns, see a doctor. Otherwise, damage many be irrepairable.
 
#35
The fingertips, is along with the tongue one of the most sensitive areas of the body. The finger tips have highly concentrated amount of nerve endings and touch receptors. So it is safe to say they are sensitive to pain.
In playing we create a friction between the strings and fingertips from consistent playing, so this will lead to callouses or blisters to form. Maybe it is the amount of time you spend playing?

As has been said cut down the friction and you will cut down the problem. Pain has many distinct variations, some are good pain, most are bad pain. That's why you never should really play through the pain unless you understand the nature of your pain.
Pain is there to tell you to stop, it is the first front the body gives to warn you. Its a signal to stop or damage will occur, so listen to your body. Understand if you damage or injure your hands then it is you that suffers the consequence, not me or anybody here on these pages, but you.

Time and practice will sort out the problem, so reduce your practice time, try just 15 mins a time and work up from there, lighten your touch and turn up the amp if you are using one.
 
#36
I recently picked up bass after playing classical guitar for years. I already have callouses but I got a gig playing in a musical and it's been pretty intense, and I can't help but get into it so my fingers are starting to hurt like hell. I've changed the fingers I use temporarily during rehearsals but for a weeks run of shows, I will get blisters. Any suggestions?
 
#37
monroe55 said:
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:
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Ok I am no Flea - and that is more than obvious - but once I developed a blister over the course of the show and yet the show had to go on. So popped the blister and covered the whole thing in crazy glue. Less than pleasant, let me tell ya....
 
#38
stepswork4me said:
Like everyone has said, your finger tips will toughen over time. In emergency situations I've applied super glue to my finger tips to create a false callus.
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This works really well, at least for a set or so. What I've found is that I would put a layer on, let it dry, put another thin layer, let it dry, etc 4 or 5 times. The key is to use thin layers.

This works after blisters pop, it works when fingertips are really sore, and it also works for injuries like cracked skin, cuts, etc.

I keep a bottle of superglue in my case.
 
#39
Mosfed said:
Ok I am no Flea - and that is more than obvious - but once I developed a blister over the course of the show and yet the show had to go on. So popped the blister and covered the whole thing in crazy glue. Less than pleasant, let me tell ya....
Click to expand...

I did the same thing once, but after putting the crazy glue on, I used a fingernail file to get rid of the dried up edges.
 

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