I've been playing guitar for
about 40 years and just assumed
that sore finger tips were inevitable after long sessions. Recently,
after
putting the guitar away because my fingers just couldn't handle any
more playing
that evening, I took some time to look closely at my left hand
fingertips. It
occurred to me that the problem was the tips had callused so thickly
that the
finger tip had lost the ability to "spring back" after pressing the
strings down.
I took the Revlon shaping/finishing file I use for my nails and
"sanded" each left hand finger tip, being careful to stay on the
toughened (callused) tips. I kept checking the results by
playing a few
chords during the process. Since that first experiment I've made this
process a
part of my weekly nail-care ritual! By keeping the finger
tips from becoming
overly callused, I can play longer with less discomfort. This
method also works
to avoid (or to repair!) torn calluses, something that usually happens
when
sliding a note up the neck which allows both the string windings and
the frets
to tear at the finger tips.
William J. Lawyer