Learn how to overcome sore guitar fingers and continue playing the way you love. These tips will help ease the pain and get you back on track in no time!
Do you have sore fingers when playing the guitar?
You’re not alone. Many beginner guitar players face this problem and it can be discouraging. But there is hope!
When you are playing the guitar, sore fingers can be a real nuisance. Some guitarists learn to play with sore fingers. You might be one of those if you aren’t aware that you’re doing it, but as soon as you notice the symptoms, there are a few things you can do to fix it. It’s not hard to deal with sore guitar fingers once you know how.
The symptoms of playing with sore fingers include:
- Pain after playing guitar
- Soreness in specific places on your fingers or hand
- Difficulty playing notes, strings, and chords
How to Overcome Sore Guitar Fingers
Granted, there are some days when you just can’t play as well as you normally do. But if you find that it’s a consistent problem, there are some things you can do to fix the issue. Here is a list of possible solutions for dealing with sore fingers in guitar playing:
1. Quit playing so much.
Don’t play for too long or intensely until your hands are in pain. Practice daily for about 10-15 minutes a day. Playing excessively will only make your fingers more tired and create muscle tension that adds to the already existing stress on your joints and muscles, creating fatigue. Take a break after playing for a while. Give yourself about 15 minutes to recover before practicing again to give your fingers time to rest between sessions.
2. Use heat and ice.
Heat and ice are great ways to deal with sore fingers in guitar playing. Heat from warm water can be used to relax your muscles which are being strained during practice. Heat also increases blood flow, which is good for sore fingers. Ice can be useful in the opposite way. Icing sore fingers reduces pain and swelling, but it will also make you less flexible.
3. Try removing rings before playing guitar.
Rings can put too much strain on joints and muscles. You can put it back after playing the guitar. If your fingers are seriously sore, take time to heal before wearing it again.
4. Utilize proper technique.
Adjust how you play. When you are learning to play the guitar, it is essential that you use proper technique so you don’t develop bad habits that can lead to injuries. One of the top reasons for sore fingertips is incorrect playing style.
Use less force when you play guitar and don’t play the guitar with a flat hand, as this cuts off blood flow to your fingers and can cause pain and soreness after playing for an extended period of time or at all.
Relax your shoulders and hands while playing guitar. It’s easy to tense up when you’re stressed out about something, but this extra stress can cause strain on the joints that cause pain in your fingertips. When you feel yourself tensing up, shake it off and relax.
5. Allow the calluses to form.
Moderate pain is inevitable when you’re new to playing guitar. Practicing for short periods consistently everyday will speed up callus formation. Once these have hardened, it will be much more comfortable playing the guitar and protects you from getting sore fingers.
How to Prevent Sore Guitar Fingers
Don’t let sore fingers keep you from strumming your favorite tunes. Prevention is often the best method for dealing with sore fingers in guitar playing. Try these tips to make sure your fingertips don’t get too sore for guitar playing.
1. Warm up before you play.
Warm up before playing for longer periods of time or trying more difficult songs. If you warm up, your fingers will be ready for playing guitar and well-prepared to handle it. Spend about 10 minutes doing some finger and wrist warm ups before playing. Finger exercises will prevent future problems. You can use tendon glides. These are exercises that will strengthen your tendons so they don’t get injured as often.
2. Keep your nails short and filed down.
Shorter nails will require less pressure on your fingertips when playing guitar. Longer, thicker nails will intensify the pain in your fingers after playing for a long time.
3. Practice with a metronome.
If you want to avoid developing sore fingers, one of the best things you can do is practice with a metronome. A metronome will help control your speed so you can keep track of timing and will prevent you from straining yourself with excess force or picking too fast. Using a metronome will teach you to play at the right speed and improve your coordination as well!
4. Get the right strings.
Make sure you’re getting the right strings for your guitar. The thicker the string, the more force you have to apply. Heavy, medium, light, and extra-light are terms used to describe the thickness of your guitar’s strings. Start with light or extra-light strings to make it easier to press down on them.
Also, if your strings are old, rusty, or have been unwrapped for a week or so it’s probably time that you change them.
5. Adjust the guitar action.
Action refers to the distance of the strings from the fretboard. If your guitar strings are too high, you might get sore fingers. You can lower the strings so that they are closer to the fretboard. You might need to ask a local guitar shop if they can help you with this.
That’s it for our list of ways to deal with sore fingers in guitar playing. If you try these tips, hopefully your experience with pain and injuries will be less than it was before.
Understand How Calluses are Formed
One of the best ways to prevent getting sore fingers is to understand how calluses are formed. Calluses are areas of thickened skin that form in response to repeated friction or pressure. They typically form on the hands and feet, but can also develop on other parts of the body.
When you play guitar, the strings put pressure on your fingers, which can cause calluses to form. The thicker the skin, the more pressure it can take before it starts to hurt.
Is It Okay to Have Guitar Calluses?
Guitar calluses are not bad. In fact, they can actually be a good thing. They protect your fingers from the repeated pressure of the strings and help you play guitar for longer periods of time without pain.
Callus Building Tips for Beginner Guitarists
If you don’t have guitar calluses yet, don’t worry. They’re easy to build up. Just follow these steps:
- Start by playing for shorter periods of time.
- Gradually increase the amount of time you play each day.
- Once calluses start to form, continue playing as usual.
- If the calluses become too thick, you can use a pumice stone to file them down.
- Do not play the guitar right after washing your hands.
- To avoid unnecessary pressure on your fingers, use guitar picks that are the correct size for them.
- Use a guitar strap to relieve some of the pressure on your hands.
- Take breaks often to give your fingers a rest.
- Practice regularly so that your fingers can get used to the pressure of the strings.
- Be patient! It takes time to build up calluses.
Don’t expect them to form overnight.
Once you have guitar calluses, you’ll be able to play for longer periods of time without pain. But, if you start to experience discomfort, take a break and give your fingers a rest.
Don’t worry if you already have calluses on your fingers. They can actually be helpful in preventing sore fingers, because they provide a layer of protection for the skin underneath. Just make sure to keep them clean and moisturized so they don’t crack or break open.
Keep on strumming and make your fingers tougher!
There are two things I want you to know about guitar playing and calluses:
Your fingers will hurt!
It’s inevitable. You’ll have this before your fingertips develop calluses. But, with time and practice, the pain will go away and you’ll be able to play guitar for hours on end without any discomfort.
Finger pain is only momentary.
It will pass. Don’t quit playing just because your fingers are sore. Play a little and frequently to minimize any pain, and keep playing until you acquire calluses.
Now get back to playing those beautiful songs on your instrument of choice! We know how much fun it is when we finally learn something new after putting in hours of practice, so don’t give up now! Keep going until your dream comes true. It might take some time, but we believe in you and know that if anyone can do it, it’s YOU!
So what are you waiting for? Get back into the game already!!
