lowdowner Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 Hi folks Just a request for a little advice from some who may be older and wiser than me I've been playing bass for about 10 months now (since jumping ship from classical!) and due to increasing amounts of obsession and 'can't get enough of that fat string funkiness' i've been playing my bass more and more every day. Over the last week or so I've had a slightly painful, burning, pain in my right hand index and middle fingers - just where I'm stroking my strings... It feels like a friction burn... Is this common, and will it pass. Should I stop playing for a while (as if!)? Am I being a wuss and should just keep playing until my fingers 'man up'? Advice welcome.. david Quote
Judo Chop Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 Your fingers will man up, that's pretty normal Quote
lowdowner Posted July 13, 2012 Author Posted July 13, 2012 OK, thanks - thought that might be the case (though a little sympathy wouldn't have gone amiss - they sting even when i'm sitting here watching QI!) Quote
Bassman Steve Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 I found (and still do) that if you put your fingertips in the hottest water you can stand it'll help. Apparently the veins in the fingertip get crushed with all the pushing down on the strings and the hot water opens them up again, allowing the blood to flow freely again. Quote
risingson Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 This will go with time I should imagine. Obviously the callouses on your fingers will still be developing as a relatively new player so it will be some time before they are thick enough. The nerve endings in your fingers will soon learn to deal with what you're doing to them. Quote
Mog Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 Is it just on the skin or is it a deeper pain, ie something internal? Quote
lowdowner Posted July 13, 2012 Author Posted July 13, 2012 I think it's just the skin - it really does seem like friction burns (or even mild heat burns, you know, when you touch a hotplate for an instant by mistake). Just surface... I suppose I have to suffer for my art - it was never like this with plinky-plonky classical guitar that's for sure. Quote
Cameronj279 Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 Ive only ever had right hand fingertip pain if I was tapping (i mean trying to tap). I powered through it now I don't get it any more! Quote
discreet Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 Surgical spirit is thought to harden your fingertips. I use it on my fretting fingertips. Quote
lowdowner Posted July 13, 2012 Author Posted July 13, 2012 I will try surgical spirit then - i need to do *something* to stop the stinging! Quote
Mog Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 Yep discreet beat me to it. Surgical spirit works wonders. If I havent played for a few days I brush a few layers of Loctite on my fingertips before a gig to stop the skin breaking. Works well for me and I dig in heavily. Quote
lowdowner Posted July 13, 2012 Author Posted July 13, 2012 loctite? jeesh, you're hard! something else to add to my gig bag! Quote
chrismuzz Posted July 13, 2012 Posted July 13, 2012 [quote name='Mog' timestamp='1342205551' post='1731780'] Yep discreet beat me to it. Surgical spirit works wonders. If I havent played for a few days I brush a few layers of Loctite on my fingertips before a gig to stop the skin breaking. Works well for me and I dig in heavily. [/quote] My uncle told me about this trick, apparently it's a good method if you gash your finger open before a gig! Tried it myself but I found my fingers didn't 'stick' to the strings as much as im used to! Quote
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