wimpy fingers - beginners issues

Hey guys, I am really enjoying the Uke, it seems so much more accessible then the violin or piano which I have dabbled with but never got past a few weeks in.

I like being able to play in my bed, or anyplace I like.

My 4yo has had two lessons so I've learned C and A, and I went online and found out about the strum pattern: Down, Down up, up down up.

I've also seen videos on all the different ways to strum with your fingers. So I've basically been alternating how I strum because it hurts my skin/side of the fingers in particular if I use my index finger. I could use a pic I know but I like the idea of NOT needing a pic because my kids will loose them.

How long would it take to toughen up the fingers, based on practicing 15 minutes a day-ish?

It'll take awhile to get your fingers toughened up. But....it WILL happen. And then just when you think they are tough, you'll try a new technique and they will peel again. Fun, huh? The first couple of weeks are the worst, I think. I don't use a pick because I finger pick. Not that there is anything wrong with a pick...I just don't like them.

You can also substitute picking or plucking the strings when your finger starts to hurt from the strumming.

Did you just say PEEL? ugh.

Are you strumming too hard? I never had problems with my strumming hand hurting, but rather my fretting fingers.

I putzed around a few months, got caught up in a marketing scheme and bought a video course, tried noodling songs I wanted to learn, none of it did much for my playing.

Then I discovered Uncle Rods ukulele Bootcamp. This combined with two videos out of the hundreds I watched on YouTube clicked. Now I'm almost ready to make a video and jump in the forum contest.

Kyle23 said:

Are you strumming too hard? I never had problems with my strumming hand hurting, but rather my fretting fingers.

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That's my question too. I need to keep my fingers sensitive (for reading Braille) but never had problems with my strumming hand. If it continues and you have no history of finger issues, try changing strings. Works wonders for many things.

I have nice strings the Nylagut ones. Maybe I am doing it too hard. I will try again.

Kyle23 said:

Are you strumming too hard? I never had problems with my strumming hand hurting, but rather my fretting fingers.

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You're right. I was thinking of my fretting hand when I responded. It didn't occur to me it would be the strumming hand.

Beginners frequently create problems when they:
- press harder on the strings than is necessary to cleanly fret the string
- strum harder and/or faster than their skill level allows.

Fretting and strumming are skills that develop over time. It is more important that you learn them "correctly", so go as slow as you need in order to do them well. The speed comes automatically with practice. I still sometimes get caught up in group playing and when my fingertips start to get sore, I have to remind myself I'm pressing too hard on the strings.

As a general rule, you can do 15 min at a time, twice a day for the first week, and gradually increase by 5 minutes or so. On average, it may take you a little over a month before you can sit in a uke club and play for an hour or so...but that varies from person to person. Some folks have tough fingers and hands. Practice and it will come grasshopper.

I eased up and now my right hand is okay, but my LEFT fingers is sore as heck from practicing today! I was determined lol! Its hard not to press super hard on the fret board, I think I'll be able to loosen it up as I get more muscle memory.

https://giveit100.com/@pixiepurls/n9wk8h/1

Thank you this post was very helpful.

First, a tip: If you keep holding the same frets with the same fingers, of course it will hurt (I learned this the long hard way).
First practice using each finger (index, middle, ring, pinky) going up and down the fretboard, and see how much gentler it is than holding the same couple of frets for a long time. Basically, you have to move, or it will hurt, so it won't do to just know two or three chords, that will hurt. I find it helps to practice picking as well as chords, so my fingers get more different angles on the strings, instead of the same ones over and over.
Second, a relevant anecdote:
I was ready to give up on guitar, when I got the tip from a veteran player that one of the things he'd noticed over the years is that he was able to press the strings lighter and lighter, and consequently he could play for longer and longer, with less pain.
After hearing that, I went from being able to practice for 5 minutes, to going for 20 minutes or more. I still don't have the skill to press as lightly as him, so it will keep getting better.
I worked on figuring out the best spot to press the fret, so I didn't need so much oomph. (For steel strings at least, it seems to be almost on the fret, but just behind it)
Uke is much more gentle than guitar, and easier to fret, but I got sore fingers at first too. The type of strings matters (some are harder, or more abrasive).
Go easy at first, pick it up for 5-10 minutes, then give it a rest, and pick it up again in half an hour or an hour. It won't take long before you can play longer and longer. Part of it is our fingers get used to it, muscle/tissue becomes a little more plump and firm. But they can't do this as rapidly if we keeping using them for so long that we mush them down and they become sore. It's little by little at first, but the duration starts going up steadily. It's a lot like building muscle: You build faster if you leave the muscles time to recover.

You may get a slight tenderness on your strumming finger (fore-finger ...pointer) around the nail at first...however the wimpy strings that these things come fitted with these days probably won't do that to you....(joke..) . If it does then that is an opportunity to use your middle finger to strum with ...try it ..it does exactly what the forefinger does....

You WILL bash your finger on the top of the uke IF you are learning on a Soprano..or possibly a Concert...I cannot speak for the miniature guitars of the tenor upward range...as I have never played one ....(and it took a great deal of inner wrestling to try a Concert .......but yes I can see the tonal ...well hear the tonal advantages of the larger size....but come on I am a dinosaur....)sorry I digress....
Left hand ...some chords will hurty poo a lot at first ...some won't mix and match and as Warbulele says ...when it hurts ..take a break.....