Even though guitar is suppose to be enjoyable, there are times when you may feel some pain as you play. Discomfort is natural, pain is bad. The first step is realizing the difference between discomfort and pain.

If you are just learning to play the guitar, just about everything you do will not feel comfortable. You are using different muscles, and holding your hands in ways that you have not done before. Pain is a different animal, and everyone has a different tolerance for pain. If you have every played a sport, then you have learned a very dangerous saying "NO PAIN, NO GAIN". Pain is the sign to the body that something is wrong and that you should stop. The saying should be "NO DISCOMFORT, NO GAIN". OK, so maybe it doesn't get the testosterone pumping like the previous saying, but it is more accurate. You are the only one that can judge the difference between the two. Some people stop when they feel some discomfort, some people try to "run off" a broken leg.

"The tips of my fingers hurt when I play…"

One of the first uncomfortable experiences for a new guitar player is that the tips of your fingers will get sore. Here are a few suggestions on how minimize that discomfort.

When first learning to play guitar it is important to develop calluses on the entire surface of all 4 fingers. After you are finished playing for the day, irritate the entire surface of your fingers by pressing down on the strings with different parts of your finger. It is that irritation that causes the development of calluses.

NO DISCOMFORT, NO GAIN

Sometime when your are just playing normally you will develop a callus on only one part of the tip of your finger. Therefore when you are playing and do not hit the callused part of your finger it is uncomfortable. Not to say that irritating the entire surface of the tips of your fingers will not be uncomfortable at first, but it will help you develop better calluses more quickly. Doing this will also help make playing easier since pressing down on a hard surface (the callus) takes less pressure that a soft surface. Not pressing as hard my help prevent other pain and or injury.

Next time we will take a look at some muscle discomfort.

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, and therefore will only be giving tips and advice on ways to minimize discomforts, and prevent injury. If you are experiencing pain when you play on a regular basis, see a doctor as soon as possible. It is best to go to a sports medicine, or performance injury doctor. All advice, and suggestions are given as is. Therefore I take no responsibility for any injury and/or damage this advice my cause you. Always seek the advice of a qualified medical professional.