finger picks hurt

[Dave Grothusen]

I solved that problem after 20 years by going to the "Hi Rider" picks made by John Pears. I think you will find them if you google them.

[Bo Borland]

I only get some cuticle discomfort after I am playing non stop for a couple hours & never have a problem keeping the picks on.
I found that after a couple years the inside of the picks tarnish, I may try to put them into a kids rock tumbler with fine sand to remove the tarnish.

No eye glass pads, tape, stick-um, etc are ever needed.

[Alan Brookes]

Yes, they are uncomfortable, and I've developed the bad habit of playing without them, whether it's pedal steel, banjo, guitar, or whatever. Most of us old geezers have callouses on our fingers from using a dip pen at school when we were infants. The sides of the nibs used to cut into our fingers. I don't think anyone uses pen and ink any more, but the legacy is fingers that don't take kindly to finger picks.

(I put them on if I'm in public !)

By the way, metal picks can be bent easily to shape; plastic is difficult to bend without breaking.

[Joe Butcher]

One thing thats important is to get yer cuticles trimmed......you can buy a cuticle trimmer but its not easy to do yourself.....I had alot of pain and my cuticles would split and crack. I put some neosporin on them and covered them with bandaids for a few days to soften them, then trimmed them.

Shaping yopur finger picks with pliers is important too as metioned before. Try making the bottom of the pick "bell out" a little.

[Chip Fossa]

I've had it. With fingerpicks. I've been on this forum since August 1998, and have heard many pros and cons on this very subject.

So I decided to change horses in the middle of the river.

I play guitar, banjo, a bit of dobro; as well as pedal steel.

As all you guys are espousing about, I decided about 3 months ago to go the Bobbe Seymour route. No finger picks; only a thumbpick.

I've had the same 'pick' problems that ya'll are discussing here. I've tried to put emery cloth inside the picks so as to grab better; but sooner or later they get hung up on an unwanted string.

Anyway, Bobbe Seymour speaks very well on playing with no 'fingerpicks'.

I just love the mellowness and sustain and no obtrusive metal pick sound. You can actually grab and feel the string you're going for. To me, it's a
gas.

I'm not s super fast picker, and really enjoy playing chord-style. So gradually, I guess, I'll be able to get quicker without the 2 fingerpicks.

You can't believe the tone and warmth and blending you get with using just your bare fingertips.

And another thing - you get a bit of confidence booster when not using the fingerpicks - you know that nothing will get hung up or sprung away.

Right now, I can see that I'm gonna hafta get some callouses going on fingers 1 and 2.

Try it out, guys.

Of course, as I expressed above, your style of playing will have a lot to do with your determination whether to go fingerpick or fingerpickless.

Give it a try, man. I just love the beauty and tone of it.

[Jerry H. Moore]

I sat down with a pair of needle-nose pliers and just made-em fit like a glove. Saturday night went without discomfort. I hit a guy with a bar stool that I thought was about to touch the picks and he's now recovering nicely. Thanks for all the tips everybody. I still want to try the open end looking Pro-pik. And the hi rider type,too. I tried the padding but couldn't "feel" the strings if that makes sense. Merry Christmas

[Chris Schlotzhauer]

Those Perfect Touch picks go high up on the finger, either on or past the first knuckle. How do you bend the knuckle with those on?

[John Roche]

[quote]Those Perfect Touch picks go high up on the finger, either on or past the first knuckle. How do you bend the knuckle with those on?.
I have a pair of them and have no trouble bending my knuckle, I must say again once you try them you will never go back to you old ones . My picking is now much faster and never miss a string and the tone is amazing..try them .

[Jerry Meek]

Make sure your hands are clean get your picks to form fit the contour of your fingers by shaping with a couple of pairs of needel nose pliers when they feel comfortable and not tight enough to make your fingers ache stick the apropriate finger in your mouth to get the area where the pick will fit wet and put the pick on your finger repeat with the rest of the picks including the thumb pick let dry[ which in colorado doesn't take but about five seconds] and the picks will stay put unless you hook the picks under the string. or if you're picky [no pun intended] you can get a little travel size can of hair spray at Wal-Mart and spray your fingers instead of licking them. I personally lick mine but I know where my hands have been and keep them clean.this is no joke it works great for me no more fingers going to sleep or losing my picks& keeps people from using your picks and that is a good thing. Jerry P.S I always use an ignition point file on the edges of my picks to make sure they are smooth and buff to a smooth surface so you don.t get a scratchy pick noise.

[Alan Brookes]

Chip, you're right. I actually prefer the sound without picks, and if you have a multiple-course instrument, such as a 12-string guitar, playing without picks is vital if you're to pick both strings simultaneously,

Playing pedal steel, without picks you have a much more intimate communication with the strings,

[Charlie McDonald]

Right on, Alan. I like to actually feel the strings.
Wouldn't play a piano with gloves on.

[Ben Jones]

no pain, no gain