Why do my hands hurt so much while playing guitar?

Question

Guitar can be painful when just starting out. My fingertips and my hands hurt so bad and it doesn't seem to be getting any better. Why is this, when will it go away and what can I do to make it better?

Answer 1

Learning to play guitar is the same as learning any other physical activity, whether hiking, lifting weights, or archery. It all takes practice and muscle memory, with guitar, however, you are pressing your fingers against metal-wound strings. You can try putting half rounds on your guitar to try and mitigate some of the initial pain, but it may also result in tone loss. When I started playing, it took years for my fingers to get used to playing. This happens to most everyone. If you have muscle or joint pain that hurts very bad you may want to have that looked at.

Answer 2

For all beginners, especially acoustic guitar learners, It is very normal to have an adjustment period where their fingers need to adjust to the right strength and angles to put on each strings, especially in practicing playing chords for the first time.

The key to practice in this period is to find out:

1. The least amount of force needed for the string to actually make resonance
2. In playing chords: The right angles for each finger placement on the guitar that does not interfere with the resonance of any other strings while making resonance on that string

Tackling these challenges usually take beginners weeks or months as your finger muscles and skin have to adjust. Cocoons will be formed naturally on your fingertips the more you practice pressing the guitar and the pain will eventually subside as the skin and muscles will adjust to the strengths needed to accomplish the above. With that said, every time to get through this stage varies but the following will help you during your practice to get through.

I always recommend my students at this stage to do the following 3 things during practice:

1. Start smaller with the duration of practice and the number of strings to tackle : Let's say it takes you 15 min to feel the pain being too unbearable, try doing interval of 5min each time you sit down to practice. But do it consistently everyday until you see progress. If you are practicing a particular chord formation, break it down to each string: Do not move on till you find the optimal force to exert on each string for it to resonate.* Always plug the string with your other hand to determine if it's resonating
2. Stay relax to avoid stiffness and unnecessary force applied to the guitar
3. Always know your limit, especially if bruises and cuts happen during the process. Stop. Give your fingers enough time to recover and form cocoons needed to protect you. Then practice pressing again
4. Give yourself time: Everyone has a different time frame to get through this first challenging stage of guitar learning. As long as you stay consistent with your practice and check in with your instructor during lessons, you will eventually be able to play painlessly
5. Stay consistent and stick with your practice routine: Progress happens every time you practice. No matter how small it seems at first, each learning experience accumulates to the tipping point. It is important to not give up and give it the time for your muscles to learn how to play painlessly

I hope these advices help with your practice and you get through this adjustment period smoothly as soon as possible.

For more information, customized practice routines for quicker progress, contact me via my profile.

Best,

Vincent

Answer 3

Hello Prospective Guitar Students,

It really depends. Often beginning guitar students, without meaning to, seem to play the guitar with every muscle in her body clenched. This includes the hands. And it includes pushing much harder than is necessary on the strings.  As beginners progress, however, they learn that they can do just fine by using a minimum amount of pressure on their fingertips, ultimately saving their fingertips from developing painful blisters. I spend a lot of time with my students encouraging them to never hurt their hands and to use a minimum amount of pressure while maximizing their pleasure and still getting the best sound out of their guitar.

Take care and I hope to meet you,

Steven Elster, PhD.

Answer 4

Oh, how this question takes me back to the good ‘ol days! While some legends may include grandiose prerequisites of “playing ‘till your fingers bleed” in order to prove your dedication to the craft, rest assured that “slowly but surely” still wins the race.

While there’s really no specific time frame to answer this question, there are a few things to keep in mind as you fight the good fight and make your way through this temporary struggle.

Generally speaking, consistency is key. If you were to actually “play until your fingers bled,” after you stopped the bleeding, it would probably be quite a while before you could play again b/c it would literally be too painful. Even further, when you were able to play again, your fingers would be tender without any callous.

That being said, play in short spurts starting out and you will build callouses on your fingers quicker.

As for your hands, if you feel any strain at all, stop and rest immediately. A brief pause to relax your hand may be enough. If you try and tough it out, you’re likely to injure yourself worse than the bleeding and not be able to play for even longer.

It’s not forever, so don’t give up! There is also a hand soap that’s actually a “skin cleanser” that I think really helps keep your finger tips healthy called Hibiclens.

Keep Pickin’

Answer 5

I do not belong to the school that believes in the inevitability or necessity of heavy calluses. A light patina on the fingertips is required but it should not be painful developing them.

The reason you have pain or heavy calluses is, simply because, ... wait for it ... you’re pressing too hard.

Whether you’re playing an acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mandolin, etc., you do not need to press any harder than is required to sustain the pure sound of a note. Place your fingers as close to the frets as possible and use the weight of your arm (not pressure against the thumb) to apply the force needed to fret the string. Using pressure from the opposing thumb, only in exceptional situations, not as a matter of routine.

Answer 6

When you pick up a guitar for the first time, your fingers aren't used to the pressure created by pressing your finger tips down on metal strings. It takes time but you begin to build up callouses on your finger tips that protect you and create a hard barrier that stops the metal strings from actually hurting. Even as a seasoned professional player, if you play guitar one day way more than usual you can have some finger pain.

Answer 7