[Closed] Oww, my fingers! Guitaring content.

what do I need to do to my fingers……

Play.  Until it hurts, and then a bit more.  It'll gradually take longer to start hurting until you can play for as long as you need and then a bit.

Funnily enough I was playing my guitar today for the first time in about 3 months and I noticed the finger pain and the muscles being well out of practice.

Also, make sure your technique is good from the outset. I know from experience that practicing hunched over with an arched wrist can lead to painful problems down the line. Learn a warm-up exercise - I just play (from lowest string) open then 1st fret, 2nd fret, 3, 4 then repeat on the next string to the G (assuming it's a 4 string), and then back down again. Start slow, and then build up the speed concentrating on clear, even notes - don't worry about the actual musicality of it. Do that a few times and you should be nicely warmed up.

Try and start with a 'floating' right (plucking) hand technique too, as it can help later on when you need to move up and down the strings a bit more. I can do it when I'm thinking about it, but not when I'm not (if that makes sense?).

it'll go away fairly quick.. don't fret (har har)

rocksmith is fun if you have a console.. (it snot a replacement for learning, despite their claims - but its good for dexterity and spacial awareness around the fingerboard)

yep, I'm sure technique is awful (will seek out an online tutor) but i can play music (Grade 7 recorder no less!) so I can listen to a tune and work out how to repeat it, and with a bass tab and nothing too challenging I can now already play something recognizable (at least the starts to)

and a messy version of

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWXazVhlyxQ

(not the first bit, obviously I can play that bit.... I mean a messy version of 0:42 on)

Any other recommendations for easy but recognisable stuff (and you can see my favoured genre too)

Also, make sure your technique is good from the outset.

I assume by technique you mean stripped to the waist, body of guitar somewhere about knee height, and cigarette hanging out of mouth? Is there more to know 😉 ?

Any other recommendations for easy but recognisable stuff

Well, you can't call yourself a bass player if you can't play the middle riff in The Chain... 😉

Soak your fingers in the juice that comes in tins of tuna. Every day for 10 minutes.*

I can listen to a tune and work out how to repeat it

That's how I learnt. In the 80s though, so playing along to Bauhaus and Theatre of Hate 🙂 (oh and (the Stranglers, but he's so damn good!)

Ah, them were the days.

*won't help toughen em up, but might make you feel you have a rock n roll lifestyle.

Have a look at a product called Fast Fret. Helps keeps the strings lubed and in good nick. I also put lemon oil (buy furniture stuff from tk Maxx, not the 10x price one from guitar shop) on the neck. Only for dark wood necks though, not maple.

As above, keep playing. You will develop callouses

what do I need to do to my fingers……

Play.  Until it hurts, and then a bit more.  It’ll gradually take longer to start hurting until you can play for as long as you need and then a bit.

Yeah, something like that really.

And find some songs that make you move around the fretboard a bit.

Then go onto YouTube and find some bass tabs to follow of the songs you want to learn, plenty out there.

When I want to learn a new song I’ll search for, say, Love x Love chords by George Benson and there will be literally 00’s of folk willing to teach you.

Then, when happy with the method and genre follow/subscribe to thier channel and go searching for other stuff.

Saves all that pissing about replaying songs over and over again.

Learn some scales and it’s the law that you must know how to play a minimum of two Chic tracks and one by Primus.

Most importantly have loads of fun

Play little and often daily and the skin will toughen up.

If if there’s any pain elsewhere, ligament or muscle, stop and look at your technique. Don’t push through that.

Surgical spirit can can be used to toughen skin but wouldn’t recommend it. Playing little and often is a good habit to get into and the rest will come.

Sounds like you are plucking the strings to hard.  You only need to lightly touch them and let the amp do the rest.  A light touch also makes it easier to play fast.

The strings may not be helping at first either - if you have stainless round wounds they are going to hurt your fingers more than nickel.  Or just put on some flat wounds and make it easier (and with no strings noise) although will produce a different tone.

I always found bass easy on the fingers compared to an acoustic guitar which is painful on the fretting hand finger tips.

Without wanting to derail the thread, just listening to that RATM link, is there an album that still sounds as timeless and authentic today as the day it was released?

That debut album is a masterpiece - to me it hasn’t aged a bit.

The godfather of beautiful bass intros.....

Bach has the best base lines according to Jack Bruce (younger members will need to google that). He claims that's all he ever played with Cream.

If you can find some bass Tab for for Metallica's black album I seem to recall there's a couple of nice onea on there (the god that failed springs to mind) and the opening to anaesthesia on Kill Em All.

Other RATM tunes off that first album are good too. 😀

Megadeath - Countdown to Extinction (esp Foreclosure of a Dream) but I know they're a bit marmite.

Learn some scales and it’s the law that you must know how to play a minimum of two Chic tracks and one by Primus.

True story.

Picked my bass up for the first time since July today in anticipation of a rehearsal next weekend - blimey, good job I did as my fingers are killing me!  😀

Particularly wet and miserable down this way today, so a run early on and on and off about 5hrs funking out.

🎸🧟‍♂️💦💨🌬