The pain of learning guitar chords for songs

When starting out it's not unusual to find that learning guitar chords for songs can cause quite a lot of discomfort and pain. Your fretting hand can cramp up and pressing strings will cause pain in the tips of your fingers. The only solution to this is regular practice to build up callouses and get the muscles in your hands used to the unfamiliar contortions.

There are a few things that will help ease the pain - if your hand cramps up then stop, lay your hand out flat and stretch your fingers. Don't start playing again until you can fret a chord without cramp setting in, it's better to practise in short sessions at first and build up as your playing develops. Some players paint their fingertips with a little superglue to help the callouses develop but be carefull if you try this one. Make sure you use the glue sparingly and don't touch anything until the glue is dry. The last thing you want is a visit to the emergency room to have your guitar removed from your fretting hand.

One other thing to bear in mind - it's not normal for your fingers to bleed when you're playing. If this happens then you're either pushing too hard or your strings need replaced. I once cut my index finger on an old E string while playing barre chords and it wasn't a pleasant experience. I couldn't play at all for almost a week after that and it taught me to clean the strings between sessions and replace them regularly.