Sore fingers

I have been playing for a couple of weeks ago and am finding that while I would like to practice longer I cannot. My fingers are too sore! My pointer finger, (first finger,) has to press very hard on the 2nd string to get the simple a-minor cord to work.

My question is, should I just continue with shorter practice sessions or stop playing for a few days to let my finger recover.

It's important to not damage/seriously hurt your fingers. It's best to go slow, not push.

When I started playing again after a multi-decade break I had beginner's fingers. After a couple days of struggling through 30-minute sessions I changed to multiple ten-minute sessions, e.g., one in the morning, one in the afternoon. Things eventually got better as they always do with practice but I think the multiple short sessions toughened up my fingers faster than when I first started playing as a kid.

One has to press hard enough to make a note ring true... but no harder. If by 'very hard' you mean you are struggling to make the note sound cleanly consider having a guitar tech look at your instrument. A set-up or maybe different gauge strings might be warranted.

Good luck... have fun.

John has said it all. I'll reinforce what he said more or less. Mainly, apply common sense.

Continue if you can. That's important. But try several short sessions daily, three ×15 minutes each would be sufficient, but 20 minutes each would give you a full hour's practise. And have a day off every three of four if you need to, without feeling guilty. But then discipline yourself to attack it fresh the next day.

If that doesn't work for you, have an extended break, but only as long as necessary. IME, even at their noobie sorest and lacerated, two or three days was sufficient for painful tips to recover or heal sufficiently to play again. Raw apple cider vinegar applied externally dermally to the tips with a cotton bud or ball will both alleviate the soreness and accelerate toughening of the tips.

Pressing too hard when fretting is a common noob trait, especially on acoustics. Be aware, and try not to apply vice like pressure when you play. That will be difficult initially with all the other things you are learning which are new to you, not the least of which being it's a motor skill we have to learn to control in each finger. It takes time.

String gauge and type/brand? Lesser gauge and quality strings can help. If the strings are really old ditch them. Old strings will tear up your fingertips, very quickly if corroded.

Lastly, check the action (string heights) on your guitar, and that frets are level. Particularly around the first four frets when learning open chords. The how to info is out there on the net. A steel rule or something as simple as the straight edge of a piece of paper with increments marked on it will do as a basic checking tool. In the final analysis, it could nothing to do with your guitar and just noob hands, or that exacerbated by high action or dodgy strings fixable with a simple neck relief adjustment or a set of new strings.

Thank you for the input. I have broken my long practice session into shorter ones and it helped a lot.

I've started back learning to play (starting over from ground zero again) after a 50 year layoff. Now have the time and additional focus that I probably lacked as a young teanager. We'll see how that goes but darn it, I'm giving it my best shot this time. Been at it for a few weeks and remembered from my first go around, you have to pace yourself or you can really mess up your fingertips if you don't. Three 10 minute sessions with a break in between and rubbing the tips as you rest is more than enough to get a good start. One thing that has really helped build up my callusses is an old trick that I heard Eric Clapton swears by. Instead of vinigar, he uses rubbing alcohol, either dipping the tips of your fingers in a pool on a plate or dabbing with a cotton ball. Very cooling effect after practice and a quick drying effect that I'm sure is helping to toughen up my tips. Been working great for me! No blood blisters this time around.

Originally Posted by: Steve Aphugh

One thing that has really helped build up my callusses is an old trick that I heard Eric Clapton swears by. Instead of vinigar, he uses rubbing alcohol, either dipping the tips of your fingers in a pool on a plate or dabbing with a cotton ball. Very cooling effect after practice and a quick drying effect that I'm sure is helping to toughen up my tips. Been working great for me! No blood blisters this time around.

I remember hearing about that years ago, but had completely forgotten about it until reading your post. Great tip. I hear saltwater actually works well also, though I've never tried it.