What's a good way to build and maintain finger strength and toughness for a beginner guitarist?

Question

I am just starting out trying to teach myself to play the steel string acoustic a few chords at a time. Right now I can onl play for about 30-45 minutes tops because after that my fingers hurt and have string imprints on them. How can I build better endurance and technique to stop this? Also what part of my finger should I be playing on....close to my nails ( which are cut low), on the tips, or another part? I will go to lessons pretty soon i think but in the mean time what can I do?

Answer 1

Pretend your finger are ballerinas dancing on the strings on the fingerboard. Way UP on their tippy tippy toes, arched HIGH like a bridge over the other strings and thumb is pressed firmly in the center of the back of the neck. The elbow should be pushed forward as well. The only fingers laid across strings is to make barre chords. (later)

Exercises; Look up scales and run scales (or sound them out, first on one string, then several) do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do Then sound out easy simple little tunes, "Mary Had a Little Lamb" etc.,etc.,etc.,

Here, play these chords "C", "F" and then "G7"

later you can add Am to it.    

This is how you strengthen fingers, basically by playing, you finger muscles will hurt as well, just like after  visiting the Gym. The tips will begin developing callouses after awhile and not be as painful. GOOD LUCK

Answer 2

Practice.

Answer 3

Exercises, as suggested, can help, but your fingers will still hurt even so.  The best way to really build and maintain finger strength is simply time.  If you are consistent in your practicing, you will over the course of time build up callouses on your fingers and it will get easier and easier on your fingers.

Be patient and keep practicing!

Brian

http://www.guitarfriendly.net

Answer 4

You should start with finger exercises. Play the second and fourth fret on each string with your middle finger and pinky, for example. Make up your own finger exercise, so it doesn't seem so boring. As for the part of the finger you should play with. There isn't much right and wrong in guitar. Try to play close to the tip of your finger. If that's incredibly unconfortable, go a little lower. And the more you practice, the tougher your fingers get. Theres no way except practice to toughen up your fingers.

Answer 5

Use finger exercises.

http://www.cyberfret.com/chops/finger-st...

Answer 6

It's very simple.

It took me a while when I was younger to develop my finger strength, mainly because the only knowledge I had of the guitar was "If it sounds good, play it".

What I did back then, was do:

e-------------------------------------...

B-------------------------------------...

G---------------------------------5--7...

D------------------------5--7---------...

A----------------5--7-----------------...

E----5-----7--------------------------...

With each finger (For example, index finger, than middle, ring, etc.) And just keep going. I know it hurts, but it will REALLY help.

Hope this helped!

-Nakayama Akira

P.S. This answer just made me Lvl. 3 on Yahoo Answers! (w00t!)

Answer 7

My husband has given me a tiny foam ball to squeeze one finger at a time.  I keep it in the car and squeeze it in time to the music, switching hands as I get tired.  Great way to spend time while stuck in traffic