Hey Erik,

When your left-hand fingers start getting too sore, ease up for sure. You probably want to avoid blisters because then the skin will start peeling more, and once your fingers are too sore you will be hating it. Better to build up the callouses more slowly.

Good news is, you can practice plenty with your picking hand. (And also a good time to work on some ear training, reading, or music theory!)

Never too early to do a One On One. Just decide when you want some specific feedback and then go for it! One of our instructors can quickly point out any basic errors you're overlooking.

-Carl.