SanODidi
New member
I just got my ukulele yesterday and I had never played before. I guess I'm so used to a guitar and a pick. My strumming skills suck. Now my finger hurts. Is that supposed to happen or am I doing it all wrong?
Dude! Are my fingers supposed to hurt?!
- Thread starter SanODidi
- Start date
SweetWaterBlue
Well-known member
Yes. They are supposed to hurt at first, as you toughen them up. Mine hurt for a week or so, until the callouses came in good. Its just part of the tuition. Your fretting hand should already have calouses, if you play the guitar.
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KC8AFW
Well-known member
I remember when I first started strumming the uke...I didn't have good control and kept smacking the fretboard with my finger (ouch!!). It will come. Oh...and welcome to UU!!
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Welcome to UU. Yes, your fingers are supposed to hurt. Well, not actually supposed to hurt, but yeah, they do hurt. It's a good thing.
Doc_J
Well-known member
I started by playing each night until it my fingers hurt. They were better (enough) by the next day.
It took a month before my finger tip calouses were thick enough so that I could play as long as I liked.
It took a month before my finger tip calouses were thick enough so that I could play as long as I liked.
Welcome to Ukulele Underground. If you mean your strumming hand then it really depends on how you play. I let my finger-nails grow out so that i'm not actually strumming with skin but the nail, the sound is also louder and richer imo. If you mean your fretting fingers then yes they are supposed to hurt until you build callouses on your finger tips.
austin1
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seven months into my ukulele playing and my general strategy thus far has been: if it feels comfortable, I'm probably doing it wrong. and so far, that's been a pretty accurate rule to go by! hopefully that will change in like, ten years or so.
Ukulele Dude
Well-known member
Sorry it took me so long to reply. But I would say if you're referring to your strumming hand...seems a little odd...I never had much pain in those fingers. You might need to adjust the strum a little bit. Or just practice another right hand technique, like some thumb picking/strumming until your finger feels better. In the long run you will want to learn several strumming/picking approaches anyway to be able to use different sounds for different songs.
Oh, and welcome to UU.
But I would say if you're referring to your strumming hand...seems a little odd...I never had much pain in those fingers. You might need to adjust the strum a little bit. Or just practice another right hand technique, like some thumb picking/strumming until your finger feels better. In the long run you will want to learn several strumming/picking approaches anyway to be able to use different sounds for different songs.Oh, and welcome to UU.
haolejohn
Well-known member
I don't understand, when I came to the uke from the guitar my fingers rejoiced. Of course I didn't use a pick to strum and i still don't but if you just owned a guitar and played it sparingly then after some time your fingers won't notice the pain. Just remeber that pain is weakness leaving the body
OP
OP
SanODidi
New member
Thanks everybody for your feedback. I'm gonna keep at it. And, hopefully, come into some greater technique of strumming that is lighter across the strings (and easier on my index finger.) Next up: finding chords. I should've gotten a chord book, but I figured they're posted on the internet...like, somewhere.
Papa Dave
Well-known member
Let me start off with saying hello and welcome to UU! Congratulations on your uke, dude! Here is a link that might help you with some chords Chord Chart
What a great post. Too funny.
ukulelegal
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no pain no gain My thumb and index finger was sore but it went away after about a week. Welcome to UU.
My thumb and index finger was sore but it went away after about a week. Welcome to UU.
funkyjedi
Well-known member
me too, mine were numb for a couple of days, but now they are like little leather covered anvils. or not.
At first I imagined my hands would look like Kevin Spacey's in Seven when he walks into the police station, but now they are good. Oh, and a little lower action on the strings never hurt anyone either.
Welcome! This place RULES!
At first I imagined my hands would look like Kevin Spacey's in Seven when he walks into the police station, but now they are good. Oh, and a little lower action on the strings never hurt anyone either.
Welcome! This place RULES!
P-co
Well-known member
Man you are not going hard enough. Your fingers are supposed to BLEED!
