If your fingers hurt from playing guitar and you want to find a way to ease the pain, you’re in the right place! In today’s article we’re going to highlight the best solutions for that problem. Although I’m an advanced guitar player, I remember my beginnings. My fingers hurt like hell and the pain wouldn’t go away for weeks! This feeling can be really discouraging and it can stop you from playing more. Nevertheless, here’s a brutal fact – it’s totally natural. Your fingertips need some time to adjust. After a few months, you will se that your fingers are much less sensitive and you will be able to play for hours without any discomfort! Why do your fingers hurt? Let’s start with a short video.
Fingers Hurt From Playing Guitar? Here’s What You Can Do Right Now
All you need is time. But what can you do right now to stop your fingers hurt from playing guitar? Well, there’s a few options. I created an infographic which you can see below. Once you finish reading, we’ll cover it all in more detail.
1. Relax
Trust me, the worst thing you can do right now is to practice every single day. For example, it’s pretty much the same as going to the gym. After the first workout, you feel sore as hell! And you need to take a few days off to rebuild your muscles. Before you started playing guitar, your fingertips never experienced this kind of effort. Make sure to relax and take it easy. If your fingers really hurt, don’t force yourself to play. The world won’t collapse if you take a short break from the guitar. Just remember to come back once the pain goes away!
2. Choose Right Strings
If you keep on experiencing discomfort in your fingertips and it doesn’t go away, perhaps the problem lays somewhere else. Think about your guitar strings – have you ever changed your strings? Do you use the same strings from the beginning? In fact, some guitar manufacturers don’t really care about the quality of strings on their guitars. As a result, this low-quality gear can actually affect your playing. If you’re interested in changing your acoustic guitar strings, make sure to check out my guide about the best guitar strings. There are a lot of brands out there, so I’m sure that you’ll find a perfect fit for you. If you don’t know how to change your strings, I included a short guide by Fender below.
3. Adjust String Action
Another common problem that causes fingertips pain is the high action of strings. In fact, the higher the string action, the more difficult it is to play and bend the strings. Again, some manufacturers don’t care about setting up guitars properly and they sell guitars with a really high string action. As a result, it’s super uncomfortable to play and it can really hurt your fingers. In fact, it’s painful even for more experienced players. If you feel like there’s something wrong with your string action, think about adjusting the string action. You can take your guitar to your local luthier or try doing it on your own. Nevertheless, if you’re a complete beginner, setting up your guitar strings can be really challenging. If you feel like you can do it, here’s another guide below.
4. Be Patient
The truth is, guitars are about patience. You won’t become an advanced guitarist in a month and your fingertips won’t be made of steel in a few weeks. It all takes a lot of time and patience. Try to not overthink it too much, take time to rest and be patient. For some people it takes a few weeks and for others it can take several months. In my case, after three months of playing I felt really comfortable with playing guitar for a few hours per day. If you feel discouraged because of sore fingertips, just remember that eventually your calluses will be much stronger!
5. Get Some Help
If the pain and swelling doesn’t go away, think about visiting your doctor. Who knows, maybe the problem lays somewhere else? Here’s a great article about that problem. Building your calluses takes time, but there are some other treatments that you can use to ease that pain. In fact, you can use either numbing creams or cold compresses. You can try these options if anything else won’t work. But remember to consult it with your doctor before applying any creams!
Summary
As you can see, there’s a few ways to ease your pain if your fingers hurt from playing guitar. Nevertheless, most importantly you have to relax and stop forcing yourself to play everyday for a few hours. Although it’s really exciting and tempting, it’s important to take breaks. Remember than eventually all of this discomfort will go away and you will be able to practice for hours every day without any problem!
Thanks for checking out Best Guitars Now. I hope that this article was helpful for you! If you enjoyed this article and you’re a beginner guitarist, you may also like:
