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Fingertip soreness from playing too hard


Dave Bryce

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Anyone else get it? :idk:

 

Sometimes I just enjoy myself a bit too much, and end up with one or two fingertips that are sensitive to contact for a few days. Got one finger with that issue today, and I have a gig tonight... :eek:

 

Wish there was a quick fix.

 

dB

 

 

 

:snax:

 

:keys:==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <==:rawk:

 

Professional Affiliations: Royer LabsMusic Player Network

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Do you mean the split skin/cracks along side the nails? I get those a lot but have learned to deal with them.

No, I mean tenderness in the fingertip itself, right where it strikes the key.

 

Best way I can describe it is that it feels sort of like the tip of the finger bone bruised it from underneath.

 

dB

:snax:

 

:keys:==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <==:rawk:

 

Professional Affiliations: Royer LabsMusic Player Network

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I usually use Band Aids the plastic kind that glide off a piano key. In my case, the pad goes right over the split, but I think you'll get enough padding on your fingertip if you place the pad there.

 

Cloth fingertip bandages with the fold-over straps will work too, but they get grimy quickly and are impossible to wash clean. If you use a simple Band Aid, washing is easier.

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Rod

Here for the gear.

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If you have not tried it yet some day when you are free to experiment there is a product called Penetrex you might find helps. It works on a range of aches in my hands like stiff joints, sensitive skin, aching muscle (doesn't get to deep tissue in legs for instance but hands and arms yes). It takes a few minutes to take full effect. It can be applied and gently massaged to the point that it does not leave a film but you can wipe off or even wash your skin after rubbing it in and it will retain its effect.
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Perhaps you could play more softly and change the velocity curve of the keyboard to compensate.

You've met me, and you still posted this??? :roll:

 

In all seriousness, this is not a constant problem - only happens once in a while when I'm really having fun, and usually when I'm bashing out some rock tune. :idk:

 

Also happens occasionally when I can't really hear myself in the mix as well, usually because of an overly loud drummer and a guitar player that feels the need to match him. :facepalm:

 

 

:snax:

 

:keys:==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <==:rawk:

 

Professional Affiliations: Royer LabsMusic Player Network

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That's why I sold my P90. The action was too heavy to play, too much force to push the keys down. And I'm a lifetime piano player. After playing a gig with the P90 the fingers would hurt too much, both the tips and the finger splits.

 

That's my biggest pet peeve with most new weighted action DPs.

 

Band aids aren't great in that the adhesive rubs off and I have to clean the keycaps.

 

Someone clued me in to the liquid soap dispensers, and my fingers did get better when I quit using them. Also don't neglect drinking plenty of water, and I don't mean the kind found at watering holes...

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Anyone else get it? :idk:

 

Sometimes I just enjoy myself a bit too much, and end up with one or two fingertips that are sensitive to contact for a few days. Got one finger with that issue today, and I have a gig tonight... :eek:

 

Wish there was a quick fix.

 

dB

 

 

Only if I cut my fingernails too short.
Casio PX5s, XWP1 and CPS SSV3
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Yes. I get it. Never really had an issue until Kronos 2 became my de facto synth and Controller. I've wondered if Jordan Rudess has ever modded the weights in his Kronos actions to be a lighter balanced action. Never looked at how the action is physically constructed. I would buy the parts from Kirg if my tech could do the weight replacements .... If it's possible and wouldn't wreck instrument.

 

As far as pain I just grin and bear it. Hoping for the best this weekend. It's a 4 gigs in 3 days Weekend.

 

We some Korg guys here I think I might start a thread.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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Hey Dave,

I used to have this issue in the rock band until I went to in-ear monitoring for gigs.

I found I was almost subconsciously over compensating for perceived lack of attack/volume by playing harder.

 

Once I went to ears, I haven't had the issue of the sore/bruised fingertips.

David

Gig Rig:Depends on the day :thu:

 

 

 

 

 

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I typically only get this on my 5th finger. More so on the right than left. On the pointer finger right I often crush the nail. Thankfully the hectic schedules pass and my hands get a break for a while. Of course playing hard is the culprit, aggressive playing, and repetitive over he course of a few weeks.

Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560

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Weighted actions with aftertouch seems to be the worst. Whatever was in the KS-32 was a crippler.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

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Also happens occasionally when I can't really hear myself in the mix as well, usually because of an overly loud drummer and a guitar player that feels the need to match him. :facepalm:

 

 

Same here. I also used to get sore fingers when I would play solo rock on my AP. Thanks Elton John, I tried to play like you. ~BOB

I'm practicing so that people can maybe go "wow" at an imaginary gig I'll never play. -Nadroj
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You want pain?

 

Play bass, even lightly, when you've let your callouses lapse (like mine, now). You will have actual blisters and SERIOUS pain. You need thick, near-leathery callouses to play bass. Man, if the phone rings and someone wants me to come play bass, like, for real? I'm going to be in a heap o' trouble.

 

Keyboards? Huh...keyboard players ain't gots no callouses. Keyboards are what I play when I can't play bass.

 

Grey

I'm not interested in someone's ability to program. I'm interested in their ability to compose and play.

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Your tips will get soft if you dont play for a while, similar to a guitar player losing their blisters. Increase your playing frequency.

Not the problem here.

 

I play keyboards daily, and make sure to put in a decent amount of time on acoustic...and I keep an acoustic guitar around that I play pretty regularly.

 

dB

 

 

:snax:

 

:keys:==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <==:rawk:

 

Professional Affiliations: Royer LabsMusic Player Network

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Dave I get the same intermittent soreness in my finger pads, and I have callous biuld up on my left hand from playing guitar.

 

I put it down to bottoming out on the keybed and um - dare I say it - age. There is only so much hammering a finger pad can bear.

 

With my rig when as volume creeps up I notch up the output on my interface rather than hammer harder on the keys cause there lies pain.

A misguided plumber attempting to entertain | MainStage 3 | Axiom 61 2nd Gen | Pianoteq | B5 | XK3c | EV ZLX 12P

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Another example of why I get so much value from this group. You guys have (yet again) helped me think some things through.

 

I think my problems are multiple: (1) lousy monitoring; (2) a tendency to get too physical when I play -- I used to injure myself playing tambourine until I started wearing gloves; and blood pressure medicines that probably thin my blood a bit, making me bruise (and bleed) easily.

 

I play a PX-5S (heaviest action I have ever owned) with a band that does backline amps instead of IEMs. At the midpoint of a gig this past autumn, I noted that my right thumb was bruised purple, going on black. I made it through the second set, but there was quite a bit of pulling back, out of fear that the thumb would burst like some rotten fruit.

 

 

-Tom Williams

{First Name} {at} AirNetworking {dot} com

PC4-7, PX-5S, AX-Edge, PC361

 

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Older we get we lose some cushioning. Anything electric obviously need to adjust volume to not kill fingers. And concious of touch not bottoming out key too hard. Easier said than done depending on the gig. Also hard felts?

 

Solo AP gigs can really test fingers. No fun at all if you split skin and nail. Kills my playing. CA glue instant fix. I used to use it after the cut. Now I put it on before it happens and I don't get cuts. I don't like bandages on fingertips.

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yes, Mr OP - My right index finger - right on the tip, just as OP described - like the tip of the bone is bruised. Donlt listen to these naysayers and scoffers - its a real thing! I had that just ... 2-3 weeks ago, lasted for a week ... for no obvious reason. Only that one finger tip - weirdest thing. I hadnt been playing a lot, hadnt been not playing, just a normal midling level of playing. Its not like im heavily pounding with just that one right index finger and no other fingers. Maybe its an arthritic related thing ... that was my wifes guess. not sure.
The baiting I do is purely for entertainment value. Please feel free to ignore it.
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