Sore fingers!! Dangit...

[CrawfordCentury]

Even though I've been playing for 20+ years, I can relate to the OP.

For the past couple years, the guitar's been mostly collecting dust. (Occasionally, I'd imagine it crooning plaintively to me, "You don't give me flowers, you don't sing me love songs...").

Got back into playing a couple hours a night a while back. Had to go through the same callous reformation as though I was learning to form an open G7 from a chart in a Mel Bay beginners book.

Of course, with the 40th anniversary of the Charles Manson episode in the news, the song Helter Skelter was never too far from my mind. So too were the six words shouted by Ringo at the end of that tune!

[Turtle]

That was Ringo? All these years I have thought it was John. You learn something new every day on this forum ....

[JeremyG]

Thanks for all the replies folks.

This next bit is a bit odd!

I was merrilly riding home from the D.Q. (Dairy Queen for those not familar) with a nice sized (BIG) ice cream cone last night and I got to staring out the window, deep in thought. The fingers were pinging me...

When my bride asked "where I was" I asked her if she thought it was just a case of callouses or maybe it's even more to do with "...driving back the nerves in your fingertips" that makes playing less troublesome.

I immediately got the eye-roll thing and she said something about me focussing more on getting the lawn mowed...

I think it might be a function of both!

And the lawn got mowed so she left me alone!!

Thanks for the input.

[Chicago Sandy]

Nothing like playing 17 shows in 5 days to make one aware of one's left fingertips. By midmorning of day 3, blisters had begun to form; by day 4 they were hurting like nobody's business. I found that on day 5 little rubber finger cots helped somewhat--by keeping the skin over the blisters intact. If you avoid sulfurous veggies or eggs--or don't mind black fingertips--NuSkin works too. But just as important, IMHO, as keeping up the playing, is taking a day off. We hit the road for Memphis the day after Day 5 of the Coffeyville Humanities Project (the source of said blisters); by two days into our inter-city journey (without touching a guitar), the blisters had hardened into EXCELLENT and painless calluses. That night, I began practicing again. So when the blisters form, protect the skin, take a hiatus, and when they turn to calluses keep playing consistently to keep them in shape. They do sometimes get a little raggedy, but a fine emery file used gently smoothes them out without softening them.

[CrawfordCentury]

Originally Posted by Turtle

That was Ringo? All these years I have thought it was John. You learn something new every day on this forum ....

I remember hearing that years and years ago. After posting it here, I wanted to make sure my memory was accurate. Had it not been, I'd have fessed up.

http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=169

Ringo played the drums so forcefully that his shout of "I've got blisters on my fingers!" accompanies the musical fadeout. Ringo explained what happened in The Miami Herald June 29, 2008: "The track was actually very long, and we were just pounding. It was a jam, really, it turned into that. And at the end, the only way off the kit was, 'Look, my fingers are bleeding, and I just have to get up.'' And I decided to shout it."

Some context explaining why Ringo was all blistery:

The first version was a 27 minute jam that was never released. During the July 18, 1968 sessions, The Beatles recorded this version, which was much slower and much more tame than the album version. Another recording from the same day was edited down to 4:37 for The Beatles Anthology, Volume III. For the album version, recorded September 9, 21 takes of approximately 5 minutes each were recorded, and the last one is featured on the official LP.