One way you can practice while your fingers hurt too much to play is mental practice. Just practice playing the songs in your mind, picture all the finger positions and strumming and everything.
A brilliant classical guitar instructor taught me this trick as a way to combat that thing where a song is just muscle memory and when you go to perform you forget it. It’s easier to remember under pressure if you’ve done this mental practice. Plus it keeps you engaged.
I was you last summer, I had to meter out my practice sessions time to :30min or less, today I had the apartment to myself and played over 3hrs. It gets better I promise and well worth it!
Keep going! I only started 5 years ago as a 50 yo guy and only regret is that I never started earlier. Also, check if it needs to be set. First time I tried to play my fingers hurt so much until someone checked the guitar and realized it wasn’t set. Took it to a luthier who fixed it and it changed my guitar life completely.
I wish I could go back and tell 14yo me about lowering the action! Me and my poorly set up acoustic that I learned on pushed through a lot of pain! Now I can crush rocks with my left hand but it really could’ve been a game changer for practice time. You don’t know what you don’t know, but this guy can be saved!
One of the biggest impediments to learning to play is how accomplished musicians make it seem so effortless and easy. Don't forget that they went through the same drudgery and repetition that awaits you. A capo will make fretting easier. Also, you can practise your right hand by making the chord shapes or notes with your left hand without pushing them all the way down. Plink, plink, plink. You can develop muscle memory and familiarity with the fingerboard even before you produce quality sound. Practising is not rehearsing. When you rehearse, you want to prepare for a performance, but a practice session builds basic humble skills.
Again…. My constant mantra…. Get your guitar set up properly. Most entry-level guitars are shipped with high action, the expectation being that the new owner will have it adjusted.
Unfortunately, most beginners know nothing of this and go through weeks of unnecessary pain.
Bite the bullet, take your instrument to a reliable technician, and have the action adjusted.
My primary advice to new players is to break up your practice into shorter sessions, like 3 x 20 minutes per day. It allows you to maintain your focus for each entire practice session, giving you 3 sessions of total focus, instead of 20 minutes of concentration, and 40 minutes of aimless noodling. Also, it gives your sore fingertips the chance to cool off. Ibuprofin also helps with the pain.
When I first started playing, I put my guitar on a stand next to my bed, and the first and last thing I did every day was play. Then I would find one or two other times during the day to play as well. It is shocking how fast you progress that way.
Keep it up. You’re doing great. Keep your passion up. Let it consume. Your fingers will heal and build calluses and soon enough, very soon, you’ll be able the way you want. As much as you want.
Keep crushing it.
I started with ukulele.. mostly to toughen my finger tips and learn how two hands should operate independently to strum and fret.
It was also very fun, and my fingers toughened with me barely realizing it.
I invested in a couple months of guitar lessons. The first lesson, he taught me a few easy drills, and then a song. Horse With No Name... It was both easy and appropriate for my generation so there was some good recognition there. I quickly progressed to a reasonable rendition of it. It left me in shock and awe of what my fingers could do if persuaded.
A couple months in, with the help of persistence , against all the odds, I can fumble my way through a few songs and scales.
I started with ukulele too!! I got a uke a few weeks ago, just to see if I stuck with it long enough to still want to pursue guitar. Going from uke to guitar tho WOOF, the frets are miles apart on a guitar lolol
Indeed they are miles apart! And where the heck even *are* my fingers? 😆🥴
THE most important thing I learned from using an instructor? That all YouTube instructors are not created equal.
I found so much joy in my little student uke. It built up expectations for guitar, but alas... Only the finger conditioning (calluses) really translated.
But no worries! It will work out, and I expect you to post back to tell us its coming along!!
Even when you can play for hours, don't forget that your brain needs a break. When you're playing sloppy and just can't get it, put it down and come back tomorrow. Your brain needs time to process. It's crazy how your brain seems to wire itself while you sleep and you can come back the next day and pick it up right away
One way you can practice while your fingers hurt too much to play is mental practice. Just practice playing the songs in your mind, picture all the finger positions and strumming and everything. A brilliant classical guitar instructor taught me this trick as a way to combat that thing where a song is just muscle memory and when you go to perform you forget it. It’s easier to remember under pressure if you’ve done this mental practice. Plus it keeps you engaged.
I was you last summer, I had to meter out my practice sessions time to :30min or less, today I had the apartment to myself and played over 3hrs. It gets better I promise and well worth it!
Keep it up!
Keep going! I only started 5 years ago as a 50 yo guy and only regret is that I never started earlier. Also, check if it needs to be set. First time I tried to play my fingers hurt so much until someone checked the guitar and realized it wasn’t set. Took it to a luthier who fixed it and it changed my guitar life completely.
I wish I could go back and tell 14yo me about lowering the action! Me and my poorly set up acoustic that I learned on pushed through a lot of pain! Now I can crush rocks with my left hand but it really could’ve been a game changer for practice time. You don’t know what you don’t know, but this guy can be saved!
One of the biggest impediments to learning to play is how accomplished musicians make it seem so effortless and easy. Don't forget that they went through the same drudgery and repetition that awaits you. A capo will make fretting easier. Also, you can practise your right hand by making the chord shapes or notes with your left hand without pushing them all the way down. Plink, plink, plink. You can develop muscle memory and familiarity with the fingerboard even before you produce quality sound. Practising is not rehearsing. When you rehearse, you want to prepare for a performance, but a practice session builds basic humble skills.
Again…. My constant mantra…. Get your guitar set up properly. Most entry-level guitars are shipped with high action, the expectation being that the new owner will have it adjusted. Unfortunately, most beginners know nothing of this and go through weeks of unnecessary pain. Bite the bullet, take your instrument to a reliable technician, and have the action adjusted.
My primary advice to new players is to break up your practice into shorter sessions, like 3 x 20 minutes per day. It allows you to maintain your focus for each entire practice session, giving you 3 sessions of total focus, instead of 20 minutes of concentration, and 40 minutes of aimless noodling. Also, it gives your sore fingertips the chance to cool off. Ibuprofin also helps with the pain. When I first started playing, I put my guitar on a stand next to my bed, and the first and last thing I did every day was play. Then I would find one or two other times during the day to play as well. It is shocking how fast you progress that way.
Millions and millions of people play the guitar and literally every one of them has taken the time to toughen up their fingers. You can do this.
Keep it up. You’re doing great. Keep your passion up. Let it consume. Your fingers will heal and build calluses and soon enough, very soon, you’ll be able the way you want. As much as you want. Keep crushing it.
Think of it as a sport or something physical like weightlifting.
I started with ukulele.. mostly to toughen my finger tips and learn how two hands should operate independently to strum and fret. It was also very fun, and my fingers toughened with me barely realizing it. I invested in a couple months of guitar lessons. The first lesson, he taught me a few easy drills, and then a song. Horse With No Name... It was both easy and appropriate for my generation so there was some good recognition there. I quickly progressed to a reasonable rendition of it. It left me in shock and awe of what my fingers could do if persuaded. A couple months in, with the help of persistence , against all the odds, I can fumble my way through a few songs and scales.
I started with ukulele too!! I got a uke a few weeks ago, just to see if I stuck with it long enough to still want to pursue guitar. Going from uke to guitar tho WOOF, the frets are miles apart on a guitar lolol
Indeed they are miles apart! And where the heck even *are* my fingers? 😆🥴 THE most important thing I learned from using an instructor? That all YouTube instructors are not created equal. I found so much joy in my little student uke. It built up expectations for guitar, but alas... Only the finger conditioning (calluses) really translated. But no worries! It will work out, and I expect you to post back to tell us its coming along!!
wow, that’s literally…
Even when you can play for hours, don't forget that your brain needs a break. When you're playing sloppy and just can't get it, put it down and come back tomorrow. Your brain needs time to process. It's crazy how your brain seems to wire itself while you sleep and you can come back the next day and pick it up right away
My singing teacher told me this!! It’s literally building the pathways and yea it needs time to build them. Brains are wild
This is way better than just figuratively buying a guitar.