Is this supposed to happen? (Question for guitar players!)

I started teaching myself on a steel string acoustic around a week ago. I practice for an hour/two hours a night, and my left hand finger tips are NUMB. IS that just something I'm going to have to live with, and will it go away soon? OR am I practicing too much? Also, I hope this is the right place to ask.

 

It's normal haha. dont worry, it'll go away soon.

 

Yah you're fingers will most likely feel numb initially and may even sort of blister before they become rougher.

But if there is any sort of pain in your wrist you may want to work on technique.

 

Thank you guys. I was told by a friend that it could be the strings were too far from the frets on my guitar, but I was thinking I just needed to build up the calluses on my fingertips

 

Could be both.... we haven't seen your guitar.

 

* avoid hand creams, soaps, when your left hand gets wet, dry it faster than the right, finger vaginas with the right hand..

super glue on the tips has been a trick Ive used, SRV has been said to invent the idea. Nail harder works too, but tends to flake quicker than glue..

maybe give the tips a rest and work on some barre chords.

as others said,. it will go away. But will come back if you let your fingers rest without playing for to long. * as well as exposure to certain things will soften them in an instant.

 

You will develop callouses and finger strength, but don't be afraid to have your action lowered - just don't over do it. You can fuck up your tendons and nerves if your action is set too high. Set the action to low and you'll murder the tone of your instrument. Also, do some warm-up exercises before you practice for any length of time. (You can find some specific exercises online) I ignored this advice and now I'm paying for it in a big way.

 

You'll get used to it eventually.

 

When I was gigging regularly (6-10 per month) I could pick up hot coals with the fingertips of my left hand, and not feel a thing for several seconds.......

Let the tips harden. That's an aid to more control and in turn greater bending ability (if that's your thing).

 

Yep, you will get used to it. Just play, don't do anything more with that. It actually wasn't so bad as I expected it to be

 

IVE GOT BLISTERS ON ME FINGERS!

I used to get cut every now and then during rigourous lessons, cant really play with band-aids.

 

That's acctualy a good thing. The pain will soon go away and the harder your fingertips are, the better sound your guitar will make when you play it

 

Well u can't practice too much so don't worry about that I usually play for a few hours a day and at first that's what happens but eventually you will just get big calluses

 

Pain when you first start out is normal - especially if you're starting out on a steel-string acoustic, they tend to be rougher on the fingers. Wrist pain could mean that you either need to change your technique, take a break if you've been playing for a while or just have the action adjusted during a decent setup. The higher the action, the harder you have to press down, the more pressure you're putting on your left hand.

I've cut my fingers up bad during practices and gigs, but you get used to it. Eventually.

 

My fingers did that after only a few minutes. My friend told me to start pressing the strings down hard before I even learn to play to toughen them up. I know after a week or two it stops. My tips just calloused up and dried hard. I didn't like it so I put the guitar down and picked up a hair brush.

 

Nylon string guitars and electric guitars with low action are easy on the fingers.

 

Totally normal. Your fingertips will grow calaces [may be spelled incorrectly] (hard surface of the skin)... it'll get better in time. Personally I love that feeling because it means I've made a lot of progress in my playing!:afro:

 

Sounds normal. After a few years your fingers won't even callus anymore. Embrace it!

 

I second a few people's opinions here. Get to know all the inner workings of your guitar. Bridge, neck, action, etc etc. I recently figured out mine has a tuneomatic bridge. Adjusting the action on your guitar could help. If it's too high, it takes extra pressure from your fingers and more effort from your hand and wrist all together. It always helps when it's set just right depending on what type of music you play and personal preference. I like mine lower so I can nail great solos when I want to.

I've been wondering why my hands are so clammy in the winter months. Could be that or some underlying medical issue... My hands do not like certain soaps at all anymore.

 

If you position the thumb of your fretting hand on the neck, try to keep it in the middle of the neck. This will give you more flexibility (and reach)
without causing pain in your wrist. And your fingers can reach the higher parts of the neck (thicker strings).

Doesn't hurt to get some guitar cleaners/oils to rub on the neck when de-strung, and wipe the strings when done playing. They collect stuff and strings
get rough and go bad quicker.

And de-tuning can help too. This is why Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath tuned down to C# on their third album on...makes it much easier on your fingertips. He had an accident
that left him with two cut-off fingertips. He wears custom thimbles made for this, and the tuning made it easier for him.