Brand new need encouragement

I have literally been playing for only about three or four days I just learned a minor to E that's how new I am but my fingertips mostly my index finger is in excruciating pain. Tonight I'm icing it after 10 minutes of practice and I've been using alcohol swabs on my tips for the past couple of days as well to try to help build calluses. Please tell me that at least it's gonna get better in the next few days.

Hi and welcome,

Yes it will. It's like going to the gym for the first time. Your using things you've never did before. Keep doing what your doing, shorten your practices but try to keep practicing every day. In time the callouses will build. Are you doing the spider web exercises in Guitar Fundamentals 1? Start with them and take it slow.

Congrats on your new journey.

Moe

I am inserting my usual feminine exhortations against the "no pain no gain" macho point of view that seems to permeate this forum all too often.

IT DOES NOT HAVE TO HURT. Learning to play guitar is hard enough without putting yourself through that BS. Get yourself a Musician's Practice Glove. Problem solved. And ignore everyone who tells you it has to hurt. It doesn't.

And play on! Wonderful things await.

Musicians practice glove! Seems too good to be true. Ordering it RIGHT now on Amazon. My only concern is that it will prevent calluses from forming! I would eventually want to be able to play without it. It's so discouraging to have to put the guitar down after only 2-3 minutes because it is unbearable. I think it may be bruised. I'm no a wimp lol. Thanks for the advise everyone.

If the pain is unbearable after just two to three minutes then you may have overdone it and injured something. What kind of guitar are you playing? Acoustic or electric. Acoustic will be much harder due to thicker strings that are under more tension to create the sound. Electrics are easier but offer some other drawbacks. Whichever you have you can have the guitars "action" distance between string and frets lowered so you don't have to press down so much. Also put some lighter guage strings on. Ernie Ball makes a nice light gauge but any brand that says 9 or 10 on them would work better for you. The guitar shops have techs that can do all this for you. It's part of a "setup" usually around 40-50 dollars. Or there is an online guitar tech on this site who can help you. He has many tips on here on how to do this yourself if your willing. His name is Stephen White. Go to the home screen and scroll down to the bottom and you'll see his thread.

Also I went through a lot of this myself so I'm just basically telling you what was passed on to me. If everything above checks out and you feel there is something else causing it you could try asking some of the instructors. It could be the way your fretting the notes. Maybe pressing down too hard or not placing the fingertip properly behind the fret. These are all things that are covered in Fundamentals one. Beginners have a tendency to grip too hard when first learning something. I still do it from time to time. Just relax and follow the instructors advice on proper fretting and hand / finger position.

Good Luck,

Moe

Here are some references about building calluses. IMO, few of the suggestions are more than anecdotal other than the key recommendation, i.e., play guitar. There is no other choice... if one wants to build calluses for guitar playing, one must play guitar. Still, no one should fight through 'unbearable pain.' Play in moderation; play more, shortened sessions if necessary, but the bottom line is to build calluses ya' gotta put fingers on the strings.

Some of the stuff listed below may help. YMMV.

Guitar calluses: how to toughen your fingertips for guitar https://guitaradvise.com/guitarcalluses/#:~:text=Eric%20Clapton%20himself%20advises%20for%20using%20isopropyl%20alcohol%2C,that%20would%20otherwise%20take%20a%20month%20to%20develop.

How to build guitar calluses - 5 quick & effective steps https://zinginstruments.com/how-to-build-guitar-calluses/

The secrets to building the perfect calluses https://www.guitarmasterclass.net/guitar_forum/index.php?showtopic=40260

How to toughen fingertips

https://healthyliving.azcentral.com/how-to-get-rid-of-black-toenails-12392861.html

One other reference I forgot, you might recognize the source ;

How to toughen up your fingers https://www.guitartricks.com/blog/How-to-Toughen-Up-Your-Fingertips

excruciating pain.

[/quote excruciating pain]

Don't give up. It will get better.

"During the end of the 18th take, he threw his drum sticks across the studio and screamed, "I got blisters on my fingers!"

Beatles, Ringo Starr. Helter Skelter. The White Album, 1968.

Thanks everyone

As noted above, have the action on the guitar checked. The action may be causing you to press to hard.

You will still have a break in period for you fingers. The pain will go away.

Originally Posted by: jadaldouglas

Musicians practice glove! Seems too good to be true. Ordering it RIGHT now on Amazon. My only concern is that it will prevent calluses from forming! I would eventually want to be able to play without it. It's so discouraging to have to put the guitar down after only 2-3 minutes because it is unbearable. I think it may be bruised. I'm no a wimp lol. Thanks for the advise everyone.

Did you get the glove? Did it work out, how does it effect your playing?

Are you now a permanent member of the Michael Jackson School of Guitar Playing?

Originally Posted by: john of MTDid you get the glove? Did it work out, how does it effect your playing?

As of the most recent report, appears changing to these strings with a truss rod (action) adjustment have provided a solution to the fingertip pain ..so far.

Originally Posted by: manXcat

Originally Posted by: john of MTDid you get the glove? Did it work out, how does it effect your playing?

As of the most recent report, appears changing to these strings with a truss rod (action) adjustment have provided a solution to the fingertip pain ..so far.

But what about that Amazon order..?

Stay focused but remember this is a LONG DISTANCE ENDEVOR... THIS IS NOT A SPRINT! Stay focused but relax if it doesn't work right away. This real benifit of this pursuit is to enjoy the joruney, not fixate on what you can't do yet. Most all things guitaristic take time. Getting your concious brain to play nice with your Muscle Memory is not a straight path and it goes where it goes. The trick is to figure out how you can enjoy that surprising ride. This more than anything is how the guitarist get seperated from the wantnabes....

Worring about what you will become in some distant future is a great way to needlessly stop playing guitar.

IT DOES NOT HAVE TO HURT. Learning to play guitar is hard enough without putting yourself through that BS. Get yourself a Musician's Practice Glove. Problem solved. And ignore everyone who tells you it has to hurt. It doesn't.

I'd lay off the ice. That water is no way to buld calluses.

Originally Posted by: singletonamos50

IT DOES NOT HAVE TO HURT. Learning to play guitar is hard enough without putting yourself through that BS. Get yourself a Musician's Practice Glove. Problem solved. And ignore everyone who tells you it has to hurt. It doesn't.

You should give credit to faith83 for the quotation, see #3 above.

Still waiting for a review from someone who has tried a 'musician's practice glove', re #11 and #13 above.

There are some YouTube vids John. Kind of mixed. Whatever floats the boat I guess.

Originally Posted by: john of MTYou should give credit to faith83 for the quotation, see #3 above.

It's a bot John. Thought you'd have been among the first to spot it.

Check the join date, number of posts, registered only membership status and tell in the post's scripted mimicry.

Originally Posted by: manXcat

Originally Posted by: john of MTYou should give credit to faith83 for the quotation, see #3 above.

It's a bot John. Thought you'd have been among the first to spot it.

Check the join date, number of posts, registered only membership status and tell in the post's scripted mimicry.

To be sure, all those are legit features of illlegit posts. But failing to see any spam or personal advertisements I rushed to the assumption it was just an impolite newbie.