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Question: Question on learning to play acoustic guitar!?
I am 15 and I've started learning to play the acoustic guitar, I'm learning 'dead or alive' by bon jovi, off of youtube!. My fingers really hurt and bleed a little, how long until they are used to it!? I know I just started today, but Im having trouble playing fast and holding my fingers down on the strings, is having long fingernails getting in the way of playing!? Any other suggestions!?!? thanks :)Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
1!.) You'll need to cut your fingernails! On your left hand at least!. No question about it!.
2!.)Don't worry about playing fast right now!. That will come with time and practice!.
3!.) Your fingers will hurt for a while!.It takes me a few weeks to get my calluses back after a long off time from playing!. they shouldn't be bleeding though!. I'd recommend you play only to "sore" and not to "bleeding" LOL!.
That's why I usually recommend to guitar beginners who haven't yet bought their guitar to get a nylon stringed "classical" guitar to start out with!. It's much easier on a beginner's fingers!.

Since you already have a steel string acoustic guitar, I'd suggest you cut back to, say a half hour to an hour max a day!. Or an hour one day and rest one day!. Gradually you'll build up strength in the skin of your fingertips and you won't bleed or even be sore after a while!. But you'll have kinda grody looking fingertips :-) especially after a bath!. (I know!)

Another thing you can do as a beginner is get the thinnest strings you can to start with!. And then move up in thickness as you get stronger!.

You need what is called "Extra Light Gauge" strings!. or !.009 gauge!. You probably have !.010 or !.011 right now and those are harder to push down on at first than the !.009's

Good Luck and Have FunWww@QuestionHome@Com

I cut my nails short on my left hand and long on my right hand!. I always felt silly doing this until I went to a guitar work shop at a university and everyone there had short left and long right fingernails except the left handers, they had short rights and long lefts!.

You should be developing callouses soon!. If this bothers you alot, try switching to classical, learning to read notation and get a nylon stringed classical guitar!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

hello :) im 15 too haha and started playing guitar!. yeah it hurts like hell at first but its good coz the faster your fingers get used to it, they will harden so that it wont hurt anymore!. I dont play much because of that haha but its good!. my friend asked me to put this liquid on my fingers to soften it so it wil hurt more so that it will harden quicker but !.!. maybe not such a good idea haha!.

it starts to harden pretty soon just keep playing!. And yeah long finger nails get in the way!. my friend has short finger nails on the side holding down strings and long on the plucking side hahaha really werid!. but i guess it depends how u play!? generally short is better!. your fingers just have to get used to the position so it will move faster and such :)

play everyday and it wil get better!.Www@QuestionHome@Com