Sore finger tips on finger picking hand, callouses?

[Rauland]

Does anybody get sore finger tips after playing fingerstyle for a while?
I mean the fingertips from the right hand (or the finger picking hand). On the fretboard hand I have callouses so ok there.

I've been trying to get volume out of the guitar lately and have sore fingertips. I was wondering if anybody else get them too, is it common to get callouses on the finger tips of the finger picking hand?

Thanks!!

[The Bard Rocks]

When I was playing autoharp more, you should have seen my right hand calluses. (I didn't use picks.) At least as prominent as those on the left. So, yes, it is very possible. Even now, with just guitar picking calluses on both hands, I wonder how fingerprinting would go.

[Steve DeRosa]

Happens to me whenever I haven't played bass for a long time - but I use heavy-gauge strings so that may or may not apply to you...

[Charlie Bernstein]

Or you might try wearing fingerpicks. There are a lot of good choices out there.

I like Fred Kelly's Delrin thumbpicks and Acri's brass fingerpicks. And Dunlop and National are big sellers.

[gfirob]

+1 on finger picks. Hard to get used to, but you get a very different sound, more volume, more power, more metalic ring (if you like that)

[mr. beaumont]

Just like fretting hand fingers, the more you use them the more they toughen up.

[davidbeinct]

I play thumb, index, middle all bare flesh and have calluses on all three, especially my thumb.

[Glennwillow]

I remember Tommy Emmanuel in a workshop talking about playing with bare fingers (not fingernails) and he commented that he did get calluses on his right picking fingers and that helped to provide more volume.

- Glenn

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by Rauland

Does anybody get sore finger tips after playing fingerstyle for a while?
I mean the fingertips from the right hand (or the finger picking hand). On the fretboard hand I have callouses so ok there.

I've been trying to get volume out of the guitar lately and have sore fingertips. I was wondering if anybody else get them too, is it common to get callouses on the finger tips of the finger picking hand?

Thanks!!

Hi Rauland
The callus on my right hand fingertips are never as 'obvious' as on my fretting hand. But I know they are there because I play for hours without issue.

Stay with it and actually, I never really dedicated myself to getting more volume…it came with time. I'm sure if you are dedicating yourself to the task, just as with the fretting fingertips, the plucking ones will build callus as well.

I do not recommend fingerpicks. They are a nuisance, and if you every lose one or forget to bring them along, you are 'crippled'…or at least out of your element, and with non-fortified finger tips.

[tinnitus]

When OP says cites sore fingertips "lately," I have to wonder how long they're been fingerpicking.

As a rare/infrequent hybrid picker, it takes me just a song or two to make my middle and ring fingertips burn and sting. Conversely, my BIL is a pure fingerpicker and can play for hours with no discomfort. But he's been at it for years.

I'm guessing that 15-30 minutes a day for a month might make a big difference for the OP.

[leew3]

yes. and some extra words as required by the forum for a post

[Rauland]

Thanks for the great answers!! very helpful.

Originally Posted by tinnitus

When OP says cites sore fingertips "lately," I have to wonder how long they're been fingerpicking.

I've been playing fingerstyle for several years now, but never thought much about volume. I usually pick lightly with fingerpicking hand. I started playing in other rooms of the house, which are bigger and there I sensed the guitar had much less volume. I've decided that I should work on getting more volume out of the guitar, by picking the strings harder. So when i say 'lately' I'm referring to this, I'm working on trying to get more volume out of the guitar. (I should have been more specific)

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

I remember Tommy Emmanuel in a workshop talking about playing with bare fingers (not fingernails) and he commented that he did get calluses on his right picking fingers and that helped to provide more volume.

- Glenn

This is very useful, I never thought about callouses of the fingerpicking hand, I always thought of them only on the fretting hand. Great to know that it's something I can work and focus on, see how they build up.

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi Rauland
The callus on my right hand fingertips are never as 'obvious' as on my fretting hand. But I know they are there because I play for hours without issue.

Stay with it and actually, I never really dedicated myself to getting more volume…it came with time. I'm sure if you are dedicating yourself to the task, just as with the fretting fingertips, the plucking ones will build callus as well.

I do not recommend fingerpicks. They are a nuisance, and if you every lose one or forget to bring them along, you are 'crippled'…or at least out of your element, and with non-fortified finger tips.

Thanks for the answer! very kind, I'll keep at it and keep an eye out for the callouses on the right hand. Yes, I'm not sure I'd get on very well with the fingerpicks. I'll keep at working on volume, something I really never thought of before.

Originally Posted by Charlie Bernstein

Or you might try wearing fingerpicks. There are a lot of good choices out there.

I like Fred Kelly's Delrin thumbpicks and Acri's brass fingerpicks. And Dunlop and National are big sellers.

I have never considered fingerpicks. I think would find them very hard to get use to, but I should give them a try.

I don't really even use nails; I like to keep them very short. I also enjoy the tone I get out of the flesh of the fingertips, even without nails, sometimes you can use them slightly and get different sounds. So, mixing playing with only the flesh or partly with the short nails and flesh.

Originally Posted by leew3

yes. and some extra words as required by the forum for a post

Can you elaborate a bit more? What should I do next time I post? thanks

[Mr. Jelly]

I use finger picks. There are many upsides to using them. There are many upsides to using bare fingers. I would like to play with bare fingers, sometimes, but since I don't do it enough, I end up abandoning the bare fingers and revert back to finger picks. Mainly because I just want to play guitar. Plus, when the sound on stage isn't perfect, I reach for more volume from finger picks. I don't feel like dedicating playing time to get my bare fingers in shape.

[6L6]

Learn to use these and you'll never look back.

[CharlieBman]

Normal stuff. Your fingers will toughen up.