LeftyBassist.com

recently i have been trying to pick with my fingers and they hurt really bad and i've got bad blisters on my index and middle finger and my thumb is this usual is it okay am i doing something wrong should i continue to just play thru the pain and not worry about it please help me out thanks.

Keep doing it and just clean up the blood along the way. It'll stop and you'll callous. You'll be fine.

ok thank you Matt

Are you trying to be a "real" bass player?

andrew wrote:Are you trying to be a "real" bass player?

Matt R. wrote:Keep doing it and just clean up the blood along the way. It'll stop and you'll callous. You'll be fine.

However, I would think of slowing down the practice schedule a bit if you should see bits of bone poking up from your fingers.

Otherwise, you'll be OK.

andrew wrote:Are you trying to be a "real" bass player?

no i just wanna be a well balanced player to be able to play with a pick and my fingers

put super glue on the ends of your fingers
it will protect your finger tips for a while

bugsy wrote:put super glue on the ends of your fingers
it will protect your finger tips for a while

Just don't touch your fingertips together until the super glue dries!

yikes, it's been sooooo long since I've had that happen to me I can't even remember what it feels like ( not that I would want to remember that )

ah, the days of beating the strings so hard my fingers hurt...well back then I had no "real" amp/cab setup and unless I beat the s**t out of the strings nobody heard me.
so I ask you PunkRB, are you playing out of a small combo amp trying to compete with the drums/guitars with no PA support?

christ I can't tell you how many times NOW, that the other members tell me to turn my compressor on so the volume is not so dynamic. Also some fingernail action helps in the tick-tick that a pick is famous for

even with a pick, I still play very gently, and let the amp do it's thing.

amimbari wrote:yikes, it's been sooooo long since I've had that happen to me I can't even remember what it feels like ( not that I would want to remember that )

ah, the days of beating the strings so hard my fingers hurt...well back then I had no "real" amp/cab setup and unless I beat the s**t out of the strings nobody heard me.
so I ask you PunkRB, are you playing out of a small combo amp trying to compete with the drums/guitars with no PA support?

christ I can't tell you how many times NOW, that the other members tell me to turn my compressor on so the volume is not so dynamic. Also some fingernail action helps in the tick-tick that a pick is famous for

even with a pick, I still play very gently, and let the amp do it's thing.

+1. I can remember I used to dig in all the time and I'd constantly break strings in my early years.
I haven't broken a string in over 25 years! It did take me years to realize that you don't have to dig in hard to sound your instrument, and if you're going for an aggressive sound even the slighest amount of digging in with a good amp setup will imply exactly what you want. Thankfully, Mr. Gore has provided us with a wonderful outlet for sharing our tips and secrets! (If only I knew then what I know now). Set your EQ/levels higher and work on a lighter, more consistent touch. Blisters are probably still par for the course, since, IMO, you actually want to develop calluses over time, which will help your attack. (Fleshy fingertips always seem to contribute to a certain amount of "drag" in my playing). Oddly enough, though, in all the years I've been playing my calluses are much harder on my fretting hand and barely visible on my plucking fingers, probably due to the amount of constant pressure required to fret (or maybe I've been playing with too high action all these years).

Oh My!
When I was a new bassplayer I started out on an old Kay SG bass that had a timezone between the strings and the board, you could grate cheese on that sucker! Starting with my little Univox 30 watt amp and then "progressing" to the mighty Sunn Combo 50, believe you me, my blisters had blisters! I remember when Punk first came on the scene and it was thought to be soooo edgy when the bass or guitar player would have blood and sweat all over his instrument, I thoght "what's the big deal, I used to do that all the time?!" Once I got a pro quality instrument I learned I didn't have to fight the instrument but by then I had calluses like saddle leather!

Then I got to play a gig through a double fridge SVT rig - let's just say it was an education.

well my main amp well my only amp is a ampeg ba-115

PunkRockBassist wrote:well my main amp well my only amp is a ampeg ba-115

nothing wrong with that except if you have to use it with other musicians. Those are great sounding if there is PA support, but at practice trying to compete with the other players?...oh wow

amimbari wrote:

PunkRockBassist wrote:well my main amp well my only amp is a ampeg ba-115

nothing wrong with that except if you have to use it with other musicians. Those are great sounding if there is PA support, but at practice trying to compete with the other players?...oh wow

belive it or not i most of the time i drown out everyone lol my drummer always has to tell me dude turn down your bass lol

I learned to play mostly being unplugged and definitely developed the habit of playing too hard. Still do. Still break strings constantly.