hours of playing

[keymandoguy]

Have been playing allmost 2 years now Play at least a 1/ hour every day and about 3 hours once a week in a jam My fingers still get sore after 3 hours I have 2 mandolins dont matter which one I use. Am I ever gonna get more calloused up? or how do I toughen up my fingers ? http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[PCypert]

There are some good techniques demonstrated in the film Kung Pao Enter the Fist.
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Paul

[Dedian]

Do your fingertips hurt, or is it more your joints? I find my fingers start hurting after a while (>1 hr probably) when I'm fretting too hard -- something I've got to work on. I've been playing for far shorter than you, but I seem to have good enough callouses that my fingertips don't hurt (I think I'm still building them up though).

[Ken Sager]

I had to learn how to fight the tendency to tighten up my left hand with a monster grip whenever I had to play louder. Use only enough left hand pressure to fret cleanly and use your right hand to give the volume. That lesson by itself greatly reduced my left hand fatigue. It also extends the life of your frets.

Best,
Ken

[John Flynn]

I agree with Ken. For some reason, the mando is a real challenge for "death grip." I played guitar for 20 years and never had these issues with the 6 string. Mando is rough on calluses and takes just the right touch. Too little and you get muting/buzzing. Too much and you get hand problems and your speed is limited.

I have been playing mando for 12 years now. I am finally improving in this hand tension area, but now I am playing more than I ever have, so I have to be even more aware of it.

[duuuude]

Building callouses takes time, just don't try to force it and end up with blisters instead. Jammin' last night I looked down at my left hand and noticed the dreaded "death grip" without even realizing I was doin it, took awhile to get my brain to convince the hand to loosen up, but guess that comes with time as well, and better technique.
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