[Jekyll]

OK. Bit of a wierd one this.

I've been trying to play for a few weeks now. Hard skin is developing on the fingertips of my left hand which is good cos now the pain has vanished.

However after I have been practicing for 30 minutes or so I find the strings have made deep grooves in my fingertips. I wouldn't worry about this but when I am trying to change chords the groove marks keep tripping over the wrong strings. I have to stop for a 10-15 minutes till the grooves disapear. (this seriously cuts down practice time)

My question is, will this always happen and if so is there anything I can do (any creams etc. available)?

Or is it just that there is so little circulation in my hands now that I have to live with it, but not to worry cos a heart attack is on the way??



Jekyll

[eCowboy]

Hi Jekyll,

What you are experiencing is quite normal. As the calouses build the grooves will not be as deep but they will remain.

Rick

[starsailor]

I could break windows with my fingertips now, I get grooves in them after playing for a while, as above they do lessen, just a thought, my guitar has a really low action so I don't use a lot of pressure on the strings, I assume that the higher the action, the more pressure you use, I have an electro acoustic with a high action and the grooves are more pronounced after playing this guitar but not as bad as they used to be, just a thought.

Cheers

Chris

[wcostley]

You are extremely lucky Jekyll, if your fingers don't hurt any more after such a short time.
Those grooves you're talking about gave me a fit when I first started playing which was just 8 months ago, I assume I still get them but never even notice anymore, so I guess they no longer cause me any problem, my sore fingers lasted for possibly 6 months or so though.
I'm retired though so have my guitar in my hands for many hours a day, so guess that's why my sore fingers lasted so long.
Skip

[6string]

Originally Posted by starsailor

I could break windows with my fingertips now,

Beware the secret weapon of Starsailor

[skinnybloke]

Jeckyll, here's a pic of eddiez's fingertips, it'll give you an idea of what to expect after the tips toughen up¿

[pamelody]

Jekyll, that was so funny! I know your pain! Sometimes my finger tips look like groovey crisscrossing railroad tracks! You could try using different chords for a while so the strings don't slip as easily into them. It will get better, but I find creme and water makes my finger tips more sore.

[scorpius]

I think this is normal and part of the learning process. Creams usually make the skin soft, so it won't help much because the pain will be back again.

[Stratrat]

The grooves will get less deep and less painful with more practice time, as your fingertips toughen up and develop calluses.

Personally I'm against the idea of using lotion/cream, etc. to soften them up - it goes against what you're trying to do (toughen them up and develop calluses) and only prolongs the suffering.

[Noreen]

Jekyll,
I feel your pain. I have started playing my guitar after about a thirty year layover to raise my kids. I have finally built us enough of a calous on all fingers so that it is not very painfull. As far as the roughness, find a woman who plays and she will be more understanding......

[foxden]

Is it normal to have calluses but still find your fingertips to be a bit sensitive? I have developed calluses but I am aware of the fingertips all day when I am touching things. It isn't painful like the first few days but my left hand fingers feel so differently than the right ones.

[jcoreyc]

I'd agree with foxden. I've just started playing also. I work as a police dispatcher and the calluses have changed the way the keyboard feels when I type. That's taking some real getting used to.

Have fun,

Corey

[starsailor]

Think that's normal Foxden, it just changes the way you feel, my hands are quite hard anyway as I use hedgecutters etc. but the fretting hand has felt different since I started to play Guitar again, nothing to worry about though, we have a big Health safety drive at work at the moment over Vibration White Finger don't know if you have heard of it Coal Miners got it a lot, if I got that It would probably be the end of my Guitar playing. It's a very debilitating illness and your hands can become useless.

[Jekyll]

Thanks for the advice all,

Starsailor. I assume by a 'high action' you mean the space between the strings and the frets (a bit new to all this lingo). I only have the one guitar so I din't know if mine is considered high or low but since everyone else seems to get the same thing I won't chuck it out just yet

Pamelody I'll take your advice on changing chords. Since I'm still hopeless at changing from one chord to another I spend a lot of time going A to D to A etc. trying to improve. I suppose this does dig the grooves in the same place all the time. I'll change the pair of chords every 10 minutes or so.

..so the feeling in my fingers is gone forever -ah well I was never that close to my left hand anyway..

Jekyll

[wcostley]

Originally Posted by Noreen

Jekyll,
I feel your pain. I have started playing my guitar after about a thirty year layover to raise my kids. I have finally built us enough of a calous on all fingers so that it is not very painfull. As far as the roughness, find a woman who plays and she will be more understanding......

Noreen,
Will you please explain how an understanding woman comes into play on the grooves in Jekyll's fingers.
Skip..........