Sore Fingers

Subject: RE: Sore Fingers
From: Jayto
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 06:06 PM

I used to use super glue on cuts. If I got a cut on my finger (at the time an occupational hazard lol) I would put super glue on it an *boom* I could play lol. The best thing to prevent sore fingers is PLAY ALOT lol That would be a great excuse you know. "I would love to not play right now but if I do my fingers will get tender and sore. You don't want me to hurt do you?" lol legitimate and manipulative works everytime lol jk

Subject: RE: Sore Fingers
From: Beer
Date: 17 Sep 08 - 04:23 PM

Your right Sandy. I should be picking it up more often but I find that sometimes I just have to put it away for a while until I get the urge. Some coffee houses are starting up very soon, maybe then.
Adrien

Subject: RE: Sore Fingers
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 16 Sep 08 - 11:23 PM

" Once got Ben-Gay mixed up with the K-Y."
Now that I would call a "hot connection"! No lack of sizzle there! :-}

Subject: RE: Sore Fingers
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 16 Sep 08 - 11:19 PM

BTW Adrien,
By not picking up the guitar in two months is blatent guitar abuse! Your confession will be passed to the SPNG! (Society for Prevention of Neglecting Guitars) :-}

Subject: RE: Sore Fingers
From: Genie
Date: 16 Sep 08 - 09:57 PM

Melissa: "Absorbine seemed to work..but it didn't wash off very easily and burned like hell when I rubbed my eye later."

Ooh, that brings back horrible memories. Once got Ben-Gay mixed up with the K-Y.
I don't even want to think about it!

G

Subject: RE: Sore Fingers
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 16 Sep 08 - 09:55 PM

I guess we cross posted there Fortunato. :-}

Subject: RE: Sore Fingers
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 16 Sep 08 - 09:53 PM

You can build up a temporary callus with crazy glue but it will reduce the feel. (both good and bad) Paint each fingertip but for God's sake don't let them touch anything, especially each other until it dries. It should only take a few minutes. Then use sandpaper to adjust (or remove) the glue as needed. This will also help chapped fingertips and hangnails allowing you to play with a bit more comfort.
Doctors and hospitals now sometimes use crazy glue to close cuts rather than stitching so I guess it must be safe enough.

Subject: RE: Sore Fingers
From: Fortunato
Date: 16 Sep 08 - 09:50 PM

I've been told superglue on the fingertips works, but I've not tried it.

Subject: RE: Sore Fingers
From: Rumncoke
Date: 16 Sep 08 - 09:05 PM

Bit late now, but let the fingers have a rest, check the action of the guitar, put on new strings, check the angle you are holding the guitar to play it, and when you can play without pain, do maybe five minutes one morning, if your fingers hurt check everything again.

If you can't see anything wrong have someone else check it over.

If they don't hurt play five minutes in the evening, next day play for six minutes morning and evening and build up gradually.

I've seen people with scars and even missing tissue - that is permanent grooves - from not allowing their fingers to harden before a long session. It doesn't take very long, and it saves a lot of misery.

One young man's left hand finger tips became so sensitised that any contact hurt him. I think the bones were damaged.

Anne

Subject: RE: Sore Fingers
From: Bee
Date: 16 Sep 08 - 03:39 PM

Rubbing alcohol helped my fingers. I try to remember to dip my tips (heh) after every dishwashing episode. Avoid Palmolive.

Maybe a placebo, but if I plan to play in front of living human beings, I take a plain aspirin an hour before, and then the actual playing doesn't seem to hurt as much. Vice versa, you wait 'til the bunch of guys who've been playing for thirty-five years and are up from their various parts of the country where they apparently spend all day doing callous-producing hard labour in the woods or on fishing boats finish playing with you (on guitar!) and showing you runs and chords and tricks until two in the morning, and THEN you take two aspirins and go off whimpering to your sleepin' bag.

I love those guys.

Was two weeks before the blisters calmed down.

Subject: RE: Sore Fingers
From: Geordie-Peorgie
Date: 16 Sep 08 - 03:21 PM

Me brother was a 'skiffler' in the 50's and when aah took up the guitar he advised uz te soak the finger ends in a drop of beer when you had a pint - Worked for me aalreet!

Ye knaah! When aah saw the title of this thread aah wez sure it was ganna be aboot chinese take-away food - Sore Finger is what they sprinkle on the fish and chips

Subject: RE: Sore Fingers
From: oombanjo
Date: 15 Sep 08 - 03:07 PM

Ps on that last one. I once got into a bit of bother in the Transvaal when I did it in an Africana's boots while he was still in em, but that's another story. Cheers Oombanjo

Subject: RE: Sore Fingers
From: oombanjo
Date: 15 Sep 08 - 02:58 PM

Hey Nick when I got a new pair of pit boots the old miners trick was to piddle in them to soften the leather, if you could get the missus to fillem they were even softer after standing for a week or so. What it would do to your finger pads???? To Beer take a break for a day or so and persevere with the guitar they will harden up soon enough

Subject: RE: Sore Fingers
From: Melissa
Date: 15 Sep 08 - 02:55 PM

I was told that quilters use iodine
I was told my a musician that AbsorbineJr is great because it numbs and toughens or some-such.

Absorbine seemed to work..but it didn't wash off very easily and burned like hell when I rubbed my eye later.

Subject: RE: Sore Fingers
From: Beer
Date: 15 Sep 08 - 02:52 PM

Some great responses. Serious ones and laughable ones. Thanks for both.
Adrien

Subject: RE: Sore Fingers
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 15 Sep 08 - 02:48 PM

I like Nanowebs better than Polywebs.

Finger sliding OUGHT not to be an issue since MOSTLY the fingers should go cleanly into place with no slide.

Wish I could do that!

Subject: RE: Sore Fingers
From: Jayto
Date: 15 Sep 08 - 10:06 AM

Friction produced by your finger rubbing against the strings will make your fingers really sore. You may want to try something like fast fret or finger ease. Finger ease only lubricates the neck and strings but fret fast cleans your strings as well. Also if it has been a while since you have played your guitar put new strings on it. When grime and junk build up on your strings (making them sound dead) this will also add to the friction while playing. New strings will help reduce the friction and you fingers will not hurt as much. You may want to consider dropping down a size in strings until you get adjusted to playing again. Then go back to your normal gauge after you become acclimated. That is what I always do when I stop playing for very long. I use Elixer strings which are polymer coated. That also cuts down on friction. If you use them I am warning you they will spoil you. They stay brighter longer and are easier to play. After playing them for a while other strings (well to me) sound like they go dead instantly. The coating helps alot as well my fingers get sore faster with non coated strings quicker than with coated. I have been playing coated for so long that I can really tell a difference. Just for the record I am not endorsed by anyone mentioned lol just my personal opinion.
cya
JT

Subject: RE: Sore Fingers
From: kendall
Date: 15 Sep 08 - 09:28 AM

Glenfiddich works well. You drink as much as you want, then rub the bottle over your finger tips.

Subject: RE: Sore Fingers
From: Jack Campin
Date: 15 Sep 08 - 09:28 AM

Karate students have been known to take a bucket of wet sand and repeatedly jab their fingers into it as hard and fast as possible.

Subject: RE: Sore Fingers
From: SunrayFC
Date: 15 Sep 08 - 08:37 AM

I use Methylated spirits. And when the pain has gone, you drink the rest.

Subject: RE: Sore Fingers
From: nickp
Date: 15 Sep 08 - 08:34 AM

Surgical spirit to soak them. Works wonders.

Subject: RE: Sore Fingers
From: GUEST,Ralphie
Date: 15 Sep 08 - 03:25 AM

Wearing rubber gloves....While playing guitar??
Oh, sorry...misread it!
As for the Urine idea.
Someone's taking the piss obviously!!
But, as is often said
No Pain, No Gain.
It's a bugger, but there it is

Subject: RE: Sore Fingers
From: GUEST,Guest
Date: 15 Sep 08 - 02:57 AM

Keep 'em out of water!I'm a chef and although I play guitar most days, find my fingers atill hurt due to their being constantly immersed in water when prepping food or washing up.I've solved this to a degree by wearing rubber gloves. I believe surgical spirit can also help in hardening up fingertips.

Subject: RE: Sore Fingers
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 15 Sep 08 - 02:46 AM

Make sure the action is right.

FIrst, are there any high spots on the frets? Stone lightly and re-profile them.

Check the forward progression of the neck. Capo at first fret, hold string down at the point the neck joins the body. If that is fret 14, measure the height of the strings above the fret at fret 7 or 8. About 0.25 mm or a bit less is right. If yours is one of those Martins with no truss rod and the progression is wrong you do have a problem and serious luthier help (not just guitar fettler help) is needed.

If you put a capo on at the first fret then measure the action (accurately, feeler guages needed) at the second. When you take the capo off that should be the height of the action at the first fret. This will probably eliminate the need for any Buzz Feiten type tricks too.

Now you can address the saddle height. Aim to get an action of abut 2.7 mm (less if you like it really low) on the bass side and a bit under 2 mm, maybe as low as 1.5 if you like it really low) on the treble side. If you have not got enough saddle height to achieve this you need a neck set.

The guitar should now be perfectly comfortable to play with 12/53s on, and really no problem with 13/56s

Subject: RE: Sore Fingers
From: eddie1
Date: 15 Sep 08 - 02:22 AM

Good one Nick - probably stops you biting your nails as well!

Eddie

Subject: RE: Sore Fingers
From: Genie
Date: 15 Sep 08 - 02:21 AM

Not sure I want to do that to the fretboard of my old Martin.

; D

Subject: RE: Sore Fingers
From: Nick
Date: 15 Sep 08 - 02:19 AM

Urine on the tips of the fingers is also supposed to help - and cheap. Also no temptation to drink it instead unless you are a yogi

Subject: RE: Sore Fingers
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 15 Sep 08 - 12:04 AM

"I just wondered if some one has any tricks to share."

I have found the best trick is to play a keyboard instead... :-P

Subject: RE: Sore Fingers
From: Beer
Date: 14 Sep 08 - 11:14 PM

lol Ralph

Subject: RE: Sore Fingers
From: GUEST,Ralphie
Date: 14 Sep 08 - 11:04 PM

Well the obvious apocryphal answer is to bathe your delicate little fingers in some form of alcohol (Why this would help I don't know!)
Alternatively, just drink the alcohol until the pain goes away!

Good Luck, been there myself. Ouch!

Subject: Sore Fingers
From: Beer
Date: 14 Sep 08 - 10:55 PM

First time I picked up the Guitar in about 2 months. Finger tips are some sore. O.K, the answer is to keep on picking it up to get those calluses(sp.) back, but I just wondered if some one has any tricks to share.
Beer (adrien)