Can your fingers really bleed? - Page 2

ethic · January 15th, 2006

You know, from playing the guitar? Like in that one song by Bryan
Adams. The one where he got his first real 6-string that he bought
at the five-and-dime, and played it until his fingers bled during
the Summer of '69.

I even remember Billy Corgan saying he worked on a certain
solo until his fingers bled.

My fingers have never bled, but they have started to hurt.
Any of you ever played until your fingers actually bled?

Kirk Lorange · #16 January 15th, 2006

My fingers have never bled in all the 46 of playing. They've got pretty sore sometimes, though.

bluesguy · #17 January 15th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by allthumbs

SRV used to play so hard with 13 guage strings that he would rip his calluses off. He had to have his fingers wrapped after every gig till he changed his top string to an 11.

SRV was also known to have tried to either use superglue to glue his calluses back on or put superglue on his fingertips, put the fingertips on his forearm let the glue set and then tear of some skin off his forearm.

how true that last one is.

As for me my fingertips just get real sore.

Vorrin · #18 January 15th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Carey

I've seen players use superglue to re-attach torn calluses. Works pretty good, too!
Dan

If I have to ever take up Superglue to continue playing guitar, I am going back to Poker

allthumbs · #19 January 16th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluesguy

SRV was also known to have tried to either use superglue to glue his calluses back on or put superglue on his fingertips, put the fingertips on his forearm let the glue set and then tear of some skin off his forearm.

how true that last one is.

As for me my fingertips just get real sore.

I heard the same thing. A friend of mine knew a guy who was a roadie at one of SRVs gigs. He got to try out stevies number 1. This guy has been a player for over 15 years and thought he was going to rock out on Stevies axe. He was shocked to discover that he couldn't play it at all. The action was so high and the strings so heavy he couldn't do anything with it. No wonder Stevie tore up his fingers.

Jean · #20 January 16th, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vorrin

If I have to ever take up Superglue to continue playing guitar, I am going back to Poker

I'm sorry that guitar didn't agree with you!

Just Kidin'!

Rocker Biker Dude · #21 January 19th, 2006

What happened to Good Ol' blisters?

Mike832 · #22 January 22nd, 2006

To be honest when I first started learning to play, I would practice until my fingers literally bled. Wiping the strings off when I was through. Some friends quit playing because "it's too hard" I thought if it was easy, everyone would play. All that was about 25 years ago

delondcosta27 · #23 January 23rd, 2006

yup!
trying to learn jimi hendrix-little wing

i kept starting over again if i made a mistake and the start of the song requires u to slide from the 12th fret all the way down,so i had to keep doing that and tht eventually busted my fingers up bad.........BUT IT WAS WORTH IT!I KNOW A HENDRIX SONG!kekekek

most shredders start bleeding also..............kirk hammet(metallica) for example..im not sure if u have seen him play ..but in some concerts he puts a white band around his palm when he plays....it was thought that this would help him with his dexterity and shredding ability earlier but in a latter interview he told them that ...on your palm below your pinky finger there are some lines well since he is a huge guitarist and in an amazing band he has to play often so all those hammer ons...pull offs.slides and whippin of his guitar eventually made those lines start to crack and then he started putting this white band to stop any blood from gettin on his guitar while playin..(which noone would want)

coldethyl · #24 January 23rd, 2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dan Carey

I've seen players use superglue to re-attach torn calluses. Works pretty good, too!
Dan

Yeah, I heard that Eric Clapton used to do something similar to that.

PickNGrin · #25 January 23rd, 2006

Yes, one can bleed from playing, if conditions are right and the indiviual can bare the discomfort.
I have never played till bleeding, BUT -I have had several occaisions of bloodying up my guitar neck, strings and fretboard due to other injuries. Injuries from working on cars to simple kitchen accidents have cut my fingers, then when playing -aside from the fact it stings like carzy, the cuts open up and bleed.

lezenko · #26 January 26th, 2006

I extremly doubt it, what happens is

When you first start your fingers get sore because the skin and muscle isnt used to it, however after time it gets harder and tougher...

Aunt Doty · #27 January 30th, 2007

My fingers didn't bleed but I definitely had some humongous blisters the 1st couple of weeks, then they peeled and YUK!!! I have pretty good callouses now but have to trim them sometimes as they get rough edges!!!!!!!!

eXperiment63 · #28 January 30th, 2007

Yes, your fingers can bleed... You work on a bunch of slides and bends with no calluses, you can bet if you do it enough you will bleed. I've ripped calluses off while practicing before on the B string, didn't bleed though.

Here is a pic from a Halestorm concert in which the singer, Lzzy Hale, ripped her fingernail off on one of the strings while playing... She didn't miss a beat!

I've also seen footage of Terry Balsamo, ex COLD guitarist, with blood on his fretboard from a ton of tapping.

737blues · #29 January 30th, 2007

I recall watching an interview where BB King told the interviewer that in the early days some of those famous bends he played would make his fingers bleed. Difficult to say whether he was speaking figuratively or not, but I had the impression he was serious.

Catching your fingernail and tearing it off would make anybody bleed and that's the only way I can imagine it happening, but I think that would qualify as an accident, not normal playing. Kudos to the lady for not stopping the show though!

Stratrat · #30 January 30th, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by ethic

You know, from playing the guitar? Like in that one song by Bryan
Adams. The one where he got his first real 6-string that he bought
at the five-and-dime, and played it until his fingers bled during
the Summer of '69.

I even remember Billy Corgan saying he worked on a certain
solo until his fingers bled.

My fingers have never bled, but they have started to hurt.
Any of you ever played until your fingers actually bled?

I think a lot of the references to bleeding fingers in songs and interviews/quotes are figurative rather than literal.....it signifies the ultimate "rawk guitar" dedication.

That said, it would certainly be possible to play until your fingers bled IF you were willing to ignore the pain and keep playing....especially in the beginning when you haven't developed calluses yet. I've played until I had some pretty deep furrows in my fingertips, and they've been sore for a day or two - but have never reached the point of bleeding!