I just started playing acoustic about a week ago and i play for about three or four hours a day. i am improving well but my fingers hurt soooo much! I dont know what to do because in order for me to play a chord I have to kill myself. Should I just keep playing, or take a break from it for a bit? Will my fingers always hurt like this? Even the slightest touch kinda hurts, like tying this :P What should I do :?:
Sorry to say there isn't much you can do besides just push through it. It will get better, the pain will go away. You'll have to deaden a few of those nerve endings and build up a little callous first. For me, that took about 3 weeks but I wasn't playing 3 - 4 hours a day.
I would keep at it. If you take a break now you wouldn't be helping yourself. Although I'm not sure I would be playing 3 - 4 hours right now.
-- John
"Hip woman walking on a moving floor, tripping on the escalator.
There's a man in the line and she's blowin' his mind, thinking that he's already made her."
'Coming into Los Angeles' - Arlo Guthrie
Just a follow up to what PappaJohn was saying. It does typically take 3 or more weeks for the pain to subside. Could actually take less at the rate you are playing. I would suggest however, when the pain gets intense take a 10 or 15 minute break then come back. That will actually speed up the healing process and build the callouses quicker.
I am thinking if the pain is that bad the best is to probably take some short breaks. I have not experienced bad pain in my fingertips (though they constantly tingle). But I do sometimes feel like my hand is cramping up. So when that happens I either take a little break or I play some thing different than what I have been.
Vegas.....yes....besides the finger tip pain, there is the hand aching pain.
You might try alternating your practice. Do chords, single line work, and right hand exercises and this might reduce your fatiuque from repeating the same things too much at one time.
You're more likely to get that cramping if you tense up....so relax. Easier said than done.
And yes....I do get the cramping, too. :shock: Like you, I'm a newbie. :wink: I also got the tingling and it would last AFTER I stopped playing. But as my callouses built up, the tingling stopped. I had TWICE the pain, as I was playing a 12 string.
Dennis
are you playing 3-4 hours continuous? try breaking it up a bit, maybe several 30-45 minute sessions. They will toughen up after a few weeks don't lose heart.
Just to show you what will happen after awhile with your fingertips, I had my index finger against the burner on the stove and didn't realize it until I smelled it burning :oops:
Immature? Of course I'm immature Einstein, I'm 50 and in a Rock and ROll band.
New Band site http://www.myspace.com/guidedbymonkeys
Ahhh I remember the Finger Pain early on.
It does go away, stick with it.
I also remember that when I had my callouses built up, I figured out I didn't have to really press so hard to get the note to sound. I think I was pressing way too hard when I first started, so pay that some mind too?
Keep it up is all I can say, take some breaks but don't give up. It does get better.. so much that you won't even think about after a while.
Cheers
Research is what I'm doing when I don't know what I'm doing. - Wernher Von Braun (1912-1977)
Well fingers do hurt and not only this , be ready for another type of f**king pain that will bother your finger when once you play barre chords.Just grit your teeth and play.I play a wide neck high action classical guitar that is even tougher to play.Just dont play for hours , take some rest.Also check out earlier posts on this topic.
Rock on and welcome to guitarnoise :wink:
TAKE A DAY OFF!!!!!!!!
The healing and callousing process takes time away form the guitar to occur. You'll get far more benefit from taking a day or two off for your fingers to recover a little rather than bashing through. If you keep playing constantly, you'll just end up cutting through the skin and have to take serious time off (ie. weeks). Remember, pain is NOT a good thing, it's your body trying to tell you to stop doing something that's damaging you.
Just my 2 cents.
Use the Big Muff, Luke
