Advice please- index finger joint pain

[Hydro120]

1. Yeah I know that most of the time I am probably pressing down on the stings harder than needed. I need to try and press lighter. It just seems that I need to press hard to make it sound good.

2. I know im definitely using my finger tips cause they are literally destroyed! I have very green(from the strings) caullosed fingertips/

Did you guys have this when you first started playing? or am I just crazy for playing so damn much

1. are you using acoustic or electric guitar? based on my experience with acoustic guitar playing, pressing down TOO hard will actually raise the tone and make things sound out of tune (but only if pressed down extremely hard). pressing down too hard also limits your ability to mute other strings effectively.

2. lol yep. good times =) the first thing i remember when i was learning to play is my fingertips hurting like crazy, until i developed calluses, and it stopped hurting my fingertips.

[ut4ever8]

im interested, i was gonna come to that meeting but i was out of town i think, couldnt make it

what part of cincy are you from?

wyoming you?

[neophyte]

1. Yeah I know that most of the time I am probably pressing down on the stings harder than needed. I need to try and press lighter. It just seems that I need to press hard to make it sound good.

2. I know im definitely using my finger tips cause they are literally destroyed! I have very green(from the strings) caullosed fingertips/

Did you guys have this when you first started playing? or am I just crazy for playing so damn much

1. are you using acoustic or electric guitar? based on my experience with acoustic guitar playing, pressing down TOO hard will actually raise the tone and make things sound out of tune (but only if pressed down extremely hard). pressing down too hard also limits your ability to mute other strings effectively.

2. lol yep. good times =) the first thing i remember when i was learning to play is my fingertips hurting like crazy, until i developed calluses, and it stopped hurting my fingertips.

Yeah Im using an acoustic guitar.

I should clarify that its more stiffness than pain really. Just in the morings and at work during the day my index finger on left hand doesnt like to bend as freely as the other hand. Then I get home and start playing again and dont really even notice it. I wonder if this is bad. I dont know how it would even be possible for me not to play every day haha.

[sfmartins]

1. Yeah I know that most of the time I am probably pressing down on the stings harder than needed. I need to try and press lighter. It just seems that I need to press hard to make it sound good.

2. I know im definitely using my finger tips cause they are literally destroyed! I have very green(from the strings) caullosed fingertips/

Did you guys have this when you first started playing? or am I just crazy for playing so damn much

1. are you using acoustic or electric guitar? based on my experience with acoustic guitar playing, pressing down TOO hard will actually raise the tone and make things sound out of tune (but only if pressed down extremely hard). pressing down too hard also limits your ability to mute other strings effectively.

2. lol yep. good times =) the first thing i remember when i was learning to play is my fingertips hurting like crazy, until i developed calluses, and it stopped hurting my fingertips.

Yeah Im using an acoustic guitar.

I should clarify that its more stiffness than pain really. Just in the morings and at work during the day my index finger on left hand doesnt like to bend as freely as the other hand. Then I get home and start playing again and dont really even notice it. I wonder if this is bad. I dont know how it would even be possible for me not to play every day haha.

I don't think that's good.

I suggest you reduce your playing time for a week or something, until your left fingers get completely operational.

Be careful, because you might cause real damage to your fingers!

EDIT: And again, make sure your left hand is RELAXED while you play. On harder songs that might not be easy, but try to avoid them until your fingers are ok.