Sore Fingers and Practice Questions

the fingers will hurt like hell for at least the first 3 weeks and there really is nothing you can do i'm afraid....its a right of passage all guitarists have to go through so dont worry and just play whenever you can....you will form hard calluses very soon.....then you'l have to be careful not to play immediately after a shower/bath or you'l shred the figer ends....your fingers may even cramp up but that will ease over time too..

any fears you have will have been felt by ALL on here!!!! :wink:

Don't be afraid to take a day or two off if they are really bothering you either. Instead of playing that day read up on theory or study a fingering sheet and try to memorize note locations on the fretboard.

This is not from personal experience, but I believe I've read where others have posted here that using lotion was a BAD idea, and made the fingertips more sore.....so might want to avoid that.

Margaret

the soreness will go away.

practice as much as you can, but with an hour a day you will be well on your way

Not sure if you already do this, but stretch. Stretch like you'd be ready to work out.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=bINkQUbA33o

an hour will be out of reach so as suggested...concentrate on theory til the fingers can take it.....plenty of goood theory on this site :idea:

Thanks for all the replies. I knew that the soreness came with the territory and everyone goes through it. I just feel guilty if I'm not practicing. I like the idea of reading up on theory in the times that I don't practice.

KC

another good tip i read a while back. Don't pick at the edges of calluses or the loose bits that form. Get a nail file and smooth them off. Apparantly it helps. Seems to have worked for me.

if you keep at it you will someday have monster callouses. you will have names for them.
sometimes lighter gauge strings make it less painful. but maybe longer to callouse up. Ive always played with 10's and never 9's. practice when you can. and it IS good to take breaks. the fact that you think about playing when you dont is good testiment to your desire.
someday you will be happy with where you are at. keep it fun.
I remember when I started playing thru a song helped me forget the soreness.
pick a song and learn it.

another good tip i read a while back. Don't pick at the edges of calluses or the loose bits that form. Get a nail file and smooth them off. Apparantly it helps. Seems to have worked for me.
Yeah if you pick at them you could rip them off and then you have a sore finger again.
Mine got calloused well in about 2 weeks. I just practiced as long as I could stand it during that time.

45 minutes to an hour a day is a decent prctice period, but don't plan on practicing for an hour straight. Play for 15 minutes when you get up in the morning, if you go home for lunch play for another 15 then. 15 minutes before dinner and 15 minutes before bed. Within a month your fingertips will be callused enough to play for 30 minutes or more straight.
Change up what you practice as well so you don't get bored, if you practice chords one morning and scales in the evening reverse the order the next day. Learn a few simple melodies (Amazing Grace, Danny Boy etc.) Play these when you get fustrated with something else, playing something you and others can recognize will reduce the fustration you are feeling.

If you are having a bad prcatice session don't be afraid to put the guitar down and walk away and come back to it later, the more fustrated you become the harder it is to do something correctly and don't beat yourself up for not getting something right the first or the tenth time, it will come when it does.

Most importantly learn to relax and have fun with it.

good advice from tele :!:

take a little time to read back over the beginner's questions here....you will see the one golden rule......practice and patience :idea:

it will all start to make sense......eventually :shock: