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Sore Fingers
Hi, I’m working my way through the 30 Day Challenge. I find myself playing more than 10 minutes a day. Unfortunately, my fingers get sore and I have to skip days due to the tenderness. Besides playing through the discomfort, what are some tips to build callus’ quicker? Thanks for any suggestions.
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8 Replies
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@wcohn Actually just playing the guitar is the best way to build up the calluses. If you’re currently unable to play daily, you might consider backing off the time spent playing on a good day so that you can play daily and build up the calluses faster. It really doesn’t take long to build them up – probably about a month or so, so keep playing and I promise it will get better. 😁
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Thanks Loraine, I may have to get a timer to curtail my daily playing. I lose track of time and the next thing I know I’ve been working on the activity for 30-40 minutes.
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Hiya @Warren C Congratulations on taking on the 30 Day Challenge!! It sounds like you are making great progress already 🙂
Some good tips for sore fingers:
Keep your play/practice time down to several short sessions rather than one long session. Playing twice a day for 10 minutes each is easier on your fingers than playing once for 20 minutes. And it will help build your callouses quicker.
Avoid playing right after doing dishes, swimming or showering. Your hard won callouses get softened up by hot water and if you start playing before they are totally dried out, the callous will be worn away very quickly from playing. If you wait, your callouses will stay put and do their job.
When you practice, try playing on an electric guitar or a nylon string guitar as they are much easier on sore tender fingers. Also if you use a capo on your regular acoustic guitar, it will lower the action and make it easier for those finger tips to fret the notes.
When you are done with your practice session, ICE is your friend 🙂
Good luck, and don’t give up!!!! It’s so cool once you get to the point where your fingers aren’t sore anymore. Then you can start on your F-Chord, hehehe!!
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@Warren C , I agree with these tips all the way. You’ll be surprised how much just changing your strings to nylon or to thin strings will make a world of difference on those fingers.
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these are all great tips – it just takes a little time. As mentioned above I agree the main thing is to play everyday – even for just a few minutes. Pretty soon you will be asking …. “how do you manage the finger tips of stone” 😆
I actually have to use a fingernail file on mine because the callouses build to the point they catch on the strings sometime so they have to get some maintenance!
Keep it going !
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Keep it up! I started playing guitar in November in my 50s. I play about 1-2 hours a day and I break up my sessions into smaller sessions due to work. Honestly, my fingers still hurt and I have the calluses. My guitars are set up properly. I suspect that i am still pushing down too hard to fret and I am learning to be more gentle when fretting. I have guitars with heavy and light strings, they still ache. I suspect a little discomfort here or there is going to happen but who knows since I have only been playing a short time. My friends who have been playing longer say it will get better but fingers will hurt playing long stretches . . . it seems worth it . . .
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Hello @Warren C,
if I were you, I would give low tension strings a try. And I would ALWAYS start my first playing session of the day watching the skill course “Daily warm up for guitarists”, lesson “fingers and hand”” starting at app. 1:40 min and doing the warm up along with Tony. It takes app. 4 minutes. Warmed up fingers can move and press down the strings much more gently. And that leads to less oder later hurt.
Good luck and greetings from Germany!
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Watch the first tip on this video. I am definitely guilty of this! By the way it took me about 6 weeks to get to a point where I could play an hour without feeling my fingers were being cut by cheese wire! Keep on going though. It is SOOO worth it. 🤟😎🎸
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