Numb fingertips

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Saldawop

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I have googled, and got conflicting results.
The tips of my left hand fingertips are feeling a little numb. ALthough I am not sure that is the truly accurate description.They are a little tender,but they feel tougher although that wouldnt happen so soon right? (Only been practising for a week)
Have read people say it is perfectly normal, just dont practice for too long.
Shake it out and you will be good to go again etc

But mine still hurt me (not hurt, but can feel it even though I havent played for over 24 hours), specially my index finger.

Now my question.
Should I still practice daily? Again, read somewhere that the worse thing you can do(may have been on here) is stop playing and letting the fingers heal for want of a better word?
But it is quite painful to play after a little while, so much so that I spend my time just trying to get the right shape without pressing down hard enough to get a clean,or really any sound.Or practising strumming patterns.
Or should I practice daily, but once I start feeling it just put the uke away until the next day?Presumably this will toughen them up more gradually?
 
I'm currently getting this from steel string guitar. When it hurts I quit. By then my fingertips have dents. For the first two to three months (not a daily player) I had a sort of numbness, which depending on if I played until the tips of my fingers were tender to where I had to stop it would last for a few days. Now I have callouses and I can go longer. If it hurts to play then I also say give it a rest rather than repeat the trauma to the tissue. I think better results come from practicing daily but stopping before you have tenderness. Also since you just started it's perfectly normal. You can try tuning your uke down a step to reduce the tension, but firstly and most importantly make sure your action isn't too high, which would make you have to press much harder to fret cleanly.

Excellent idea to practice chord shapes by just touching the strings lightly to work on muscle memory. You can still strum while doing that, and practice timing, accents and chunking. you can also work on fingerpicking patterns.
 
At first, mine hurt every day. Then they got so numb that I had a trouble picking change up off my dresser, but didn't hurt. After a few months it started getting a little better. After six months the numbness went away but the toughness stayed.My advise, and I say this with no malice, just suck it up.
 
Practice in short sessions of 20 minutes or so. I frequently practice 4-5 times during the day and rarely go longer than 30 minutes in a session. I trained as a trumpet major in college and brass players use this tactic. The idea is to train your chops but never to exhaustion. I've used this strategy on the uke and have had good results.
The nice thing about the uke is you can practice any time of the day and not bother anyone. I could never do that during my days as a working trumpeter. I'm usually up way before my wife and can practice downstairs at 6 am and never bother her.
 
Wait 'til they peel! They will.

You are just working at something new. Quit when it hurts too much. Eventually you will build up calluses and it won't be a problem.
 
When I started, I limited my playing to 15 minutes 3 times a day, gradually increasing. One of the biggest mistakes beginners make (and a few seasoned players that aren't careful all the time) is pressing too hard on the strings. That alone could cause your problem which is likely due to some nerve damage. When I get caught up playing with a group, I sometimes forget myself. When my fingertips start to hurt, I quickly have to consciously lighten up. You only need to press the string hard enough for it to come into firm contact with the fret. As has been mentioned, another contributing factor is an action that is too high. Steel vs nylon...pressing too hard is pressing too hard.
 
I guess that I should say as well, that I have a high tolerance to discomfort.
 
It goes with the territory. Welcome to the world of stringed instruments. :)

Your finger muscles will strengthen in a few weeks if you keep at it. Your calluses will build up even sooner and relieve some of the pain.

As some others said, we just have to suck it up and work through it. It's important to distinguish "good" pain from "bad" pain, though. Soreness, tenderness, cramping are normal. If you are truly experiencing numbness, or you get shooting pains that travel up your arm, then stop and pick it up again tomorrow. Double-check your posture and hand positioning. Squeeze the neck with as little force as possible to get clean sounding notes. If that kind of pain persists, see a doctor. Otherwise, consider it part of the growing process.
 
Thanks guys. Will be a brave little soldier and carry on practicing, but breaking it down into 15 minute chunks.
 
Saldawop said:
Or should I practice daily, but once I start feeling it just put the uke away until the next day?Presumably this will toughen them up more gradually?
Click to expand...
This would be my advice.
Playing ukulele should be fun in any case, don't let your brain build a negative connection between uke and pain. Especially in the beginning you get enough "frustration" from lacking muscle memory and the like, no need to add "real" physical pain to that.
There is no need to rush, practicing takes time, lots of time....
 
It is definitely normal, and it is only temporary. As others have said, the probably best approach is to practice regularly for shorter periods (this is also benefial for learning a new skill in general). If the numbness lasts for a whole day, you almost certainly press down the string harder than is necessary, or the instrument isn't set up properly if less pressure doesn't get you a clean sound.

This is much worse with metal strings, by the way. I tried mandolin once and those strings really bit. :)
 
My finger ends went numb for four days when I first started playing.

I had read the advice about playing for say twenty minutes at a time, to reduce the discomfort, but I ignored it. It's very good advice. The numbness goes away but you just have to put up with it!
 
lovedcfc said:
I've heard of putting some glue on the tips of your fingers if you want instant calluses while you're a beginner. Other than that though, I think it's safe to say to just stop when your fingers are hurting too badly.
Click to expand...

I have heard of people using glue, too. I have also heard of people using liquid band-aid stuff. I have never tried this, but I assume it would only slow the process of getting the callouses. Once the skin peels, the OP will probably be fine.
 
D3B7 said:
I have heard of people using glue, too. I have also heard of people using liquid band-aid stuff. I have never tried this, but I assume it would only slow the process of getting the callouses. Once the skin peels, the OP will probably be fine.
Click to expand...

Stevie Ray Vaughn was known to repair his calluses with Super Glue, but that was because he HAD to play gigs, and he used heavy gauge steel strings. I wouldn't go near glue unless it was an emergency and I HAD to. Just let nature take its course, and don't pick and peel at your fingers (I know, it's tempting).
 
One other piece of advice is to remember to relax when you are playing. Watch your posture and try to avoid a lot of body tension. Excess tension will cause you to press too hard.
I once asked singer/songwriter Michael Johnson (Bluer Than Blue) a few questions regarding fingerpicking. He's a very accomplished guitarist and his first piece of advice was to relax. He teaches privately in the Minneapolis area and he said that most of his students play with too much tension in their bodies. When I find that my shoulders are tensing up I start to use too much finger pressure as well.
I am a big fan of the late Chet Atkins and loved to watch him play. He never seemed to play in a stressed out manner, very relaxed and fluid. He was such a great player but it all flowed so naturally. Chet never stopped trying to learn new things and his playing was always evolving and improving.
 
Saldawop said:
Thanks guys. Will be a brave little soldier and carry on practicing, but breaking it down into 15 minute chunks.
Click to expand...

I'm a beginner as well although I'm getting quite a bit better. I started playing about a week ago and my fingers were killing me, but after a few days they stopped hurting and feel tougher. I'm really interested in the uke and I practiced for around 3-4 hrs daily! Maybe because of my constant practice my fingers stopped hurting quick?
 
I have learned to lessen the weight I put on the strings, except for when using all four fingers in very close proximity. I can feel myself pushing quite hard.
I'm hoping that will lessen , the more experienced I get. Only a few days ago, I never thought I would be able to get all my fingers to fit in a Cdim chord, but it's getting a lot easier. Next up are the chords where you have to stretch your pinkie!! But I will get there.
 
OregonJim said:
Stevie Ray Vaughn was known to repair his calluses with Super Glue, but that was because he HAD to play gigs, and he used heavy gauge steel strings. I wouldn't go near glue unless it was an emergency and I HAD to. Just let nature take its course, and don't pick and peel at your fingers (I know, it's tempting).
Click to expand...

I'm with you, on that. No superglue for me. Maybe that's the reason that some folks use liquid band-aid. They probably figure it's less toxic.
 
OregonJim said:
Stevie Ray Vaughn was known to repair his calluses with Super Glue, but that was because he HAD to play gigs, and he used heavy gauge steel strings. I wouldn't go near glue unless it was an emergency and I HAD to. Just let nature take its course, and don't pick and peel at your fingers (I know, it's tempting).
Click to expand...
I wouldn't use glue, but there is a product that gives you some temporary artificial callous– Rock Tips. http://rock-tips.com
Just paint it on the tips of your fingers, and let it dry (it takes a little time). It seems to last several days.

–Lori
 
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