Jesus Christ can solve your soul pain!! He says in Matthew Chapter 11 28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Trust in him and your soul will be lifted
As a guitarist who has watched your videos in complete awe of your talent and abilities, I find watching you struggle with guitar somehow comforting. 😂
Guitar is a very analogue instrument. It's also very unforgiving. After playing guitar for 30 years I realise that for the first 10 years I thought I knew it all 😂. Next 10 years I doubted everything I was learning (especially at college). The last 10 years was when it all started to take effect. 😅. The big one to look out for when starting is try not to think about pressing down too hard, instead think about just playing. It's an incredible lifelong journey that I'm still on to this day. Best of luck Nahre! 🎉❤ you got this!
There's just so many things that go into sounding good on the guitar before you even touch any knobs or toggles: the phrasing, legato\glissandro vs picking all the notes, bending, vibrato, tapping, picks vs fingers vs nails, overtones, how hard or soft you play, what angle to pick at, which part of your pick\finger\thumb to pluck with, whether you're picking closer to the neck or the bridge, the works. All these little nuances add up, and you can play the same phrase in so many different ways. It can be daunting, but it's also the exact reason why the guitar's so great and getting our individual style and personality across. There's no two people whose vibrati or tone sound the exact same, and it's beautiful.
I love all the comments on this post…. I play violin and started learning guitar and I would say guitar is way more forgiving than violin… the thicker strings are more painful than violin strings though! 😁
The thing with picking up an instrument like this later in life is that it’s still fairly challenging when you haven’t grown up with it-the knowledge that was encoded in you from the day you’ve learned the piano is part of your developmental stages and thus comes easier. What everyone should understand though is that it’s _never too late_ to learn a language, musical or not! As long as you employ the correct tactics to your routine and get rid of all disturbances, you’ll be able to develop further with your new instrument of choice. Will come like the snap of a finger!
It's also psychologically much harder to learn a new instrument when you're proficient with a different one. I've attended multiple workshops in improv for strings, and getting adults - who are voluntarily attending - to actually play is like pulling teeth. Kids have far less inhibitions about sounding bad, and thus can learn much faster.
@EvanTreempire Yeah, the last bit you said has always fascinated me in regards to human development. There’s a lot of things that encapsulates learning capacity, and the freedom of exploring your self and your environment is able to be shamelessly reliant on creativity/intuition, and the image your life tutors project on to you seriously affects just how far you get.
@@SaberTooth_TFGman this hit really deep with me, i mean even after my 10 years (and counting) and hours since learning my main instrument, i now understand the need to let loose your instilled notions of excellence to be able to actually branch out and grow more musically. Also i theorise that as musicians once we start learning a 2nd instrument, if we are also seasoned musicians, tend to overextend in expectation about how fast or capable we can grasp the instrument, and understimate how it would still require good chunk of time before it actually gets better, sometimes makes it more frustrating than for regular people who are doing any music-related skill for the first time
@@EvanTreempireThat's odd because I grew up playing guitar, trombone, and a little bit of piano. Always wanted to learn drums, so I had a friend teach me the basics and then bought my own electric kit to practice shortly after high school. I picked it up incredibly fast and ironically, drums are the only instrument I have gigged with despite learning it so late. I always found that odd because I noticed drums were an instrument most other instrumentalists struggled with because it's so different from most instruments. I was one of the few non-drummers who picked up drums fairly easily and I learned it as an adult. Albeit, a very young adult. Also, let me quickly admit I'm no savant. If you asked me to play super technical freeform jazz with constantly changing time signatures, I'd struggle. I'm good enough to gig in random local bands, but not good enough to be going to music school with super nerds playing super technical music. So depending on your definition of "proficient," I might not be there.
It's not just the calluses that make it hurt less. When you get to the first level of skill, you start being able to ignore the pain because you're enjoying what you're playing.
I play fingerstyle and spanish classical among other genres on acoustic steel strings. When I first started playing and had those all-nighter sesh's, my fingers were fully raw after. But the calluses after so much playing, is a sort of pride I covet the experience of learning from Yvette
Im both a guitarist and pianist but have spent the last 10 years mostly on piano. I recently dug up my acoustic guitar and the pain has been crazy! So I know what you are going through!! Just make sure you stop when the pain gets too much!
what a coincidence ! I'm a pianist and i also tried guitar during the last two weeks and felt the same difficulties. The worst isn't the pain on the top of finger but the tightness of my left hand
Yes!! I feel this. I haven't tried guitar but am a classically trained flautist and self-taught piano player, and decided to pick up the ukulele a couple of years ago. I soon got over the finger pain (guitar is far worse I think due to longer strings!) but the cramping from tensing up and having poor left hand position still gets me when I try to play something new!
Be careful not to overly strain your hands! It takes time to build the muscles and muscle memory required to play guitar. Play short pieces in the beginning and when you play chords, think about what notes and stings you’re playing and put pressure on those strategically instead of pressing everything at once.
When I first studied classical guitar, my teacher gave me a number of hand and finger exercises to do during my non-practice time. That was a big help.
Make sure to do some stretching exercizes on your fingers and hand muscles, your should keep them nice and loose rather than tensed up. The angle at which your fretting hand connects to the back of the guitar neck can also help a lot, you might need to adjust your position depending on whether you're doing chord play, melodies, sequences that require big stretches and what not. There's also no shame in practicing slow, simple stuff, better to learn how to be slow and clean than to pick up bad habits by playing fast but sloppy.
I’m so happy to see a video like this! Everyone starts guitar like this. It’s hard! That being said as someone who’s played guitar longer than piano but is learning a variety of piano pieces, I would say exercises to strengthen the autonomy of the ring finger and pinky finger are indeed painful.
“they’re just, like, pathetic” lmao relatable. if you don’t play for even 3-5 days they get weaker. the pain is telling you to stop for the day! it’s a marathon, not a sprint :) i must admit, part of what i like about electric bass (and thicker guitar strings, like 11s or 12s) is they shred-up your fingers waaaay less. fwiw violinists cellists etc can get it even worse, because of the different way they do vibrato with lots more sliding! being “gut” instead of steel helps a little, but then all the extra allowing more than makes up for it… at least for my pals in school who played the violin family.
honestly I've had the opposite bass experience - if I don't play for a while, and then pick it up and start enjoying myself too much, there's a good chance I'm getting blisters! And the first time I did a slide on flatwound strings, yikes. I guess that's a bit like what violinists have to deal with right? More friction and uh ohs if you overcommit guitar strings are thin which can make them feel a bit like cheesewire at first, but once you get a callus that sensitivity goes away. Whereas for me a lot of the fun in bass is how reactive it is to how hard you play it, it's a very physical instrument and those chonky strings can hurt you if you're not careful!
As others have mentioned, a Spanish guitar with nylon strings can be a little gentler on beginner fingers. Also, using a capo on any guitar will shorten the scale thereby making it easier to press the strings to the frets. And you can detune to make the strings more slinky and pliable.
I've typically heard an acoustic guitar is harder than electric because of the wider neck and often thicker strings. Idk if a "Spanish guitar" is any different tho. You can also adjust the action. That's a big one. I bet Yvette has her guitar setup very well, but I remember buying a few cheap guitars/basses where the action was insanely high.
@@urphakeandgey6308Electric is definitely the easiest. It has the lowest tension and thus requires the least amount of force to depress the strings. A nylon string guitar still has much less tension than a steel string acoustic, but also has a much higher action that an electric doesnt which means the amount of force required to depress a nylon string is not much different than on an electric with the added disadvantages of having a wider neck, requiring a more precise touch, and having a non-radiused fretboard that makes chording (especially barre chords) more difficult. An electric is where I would start someone if comfort was an issue.
Keep in mind posture and that guitars can be adjusted. Some players have a more sensitive touch and other hard. As you grow as a guitarist you will realize that you won’t need to put too much strength into your playing.
Those first several months are the hardest. I was 10 when I started and it’s a miracle I didn’t quit it hurt so much. But like the other comments, your calluses will grow and it will become easier. You got this!
I, selfishly, would love to see a series where you as someone with an extensive musical background, map out your approach to re-apply your theory knowledge to the guitar.
I think if you really love any instrument or have an interest in learning, you’ll go through anything to learn and play good. I’ve been playing mine on and off for a year now and have some skills but lack the notion of frets, chords, and understanding why certain strings sound better together. What really got me interested was seeing the solos which grabbed my attention completely undermining the fact that I came to see an artist at a concert. I have felt pain and continue to do so but I try to be patient and determined to learn. Best advice I can give to anyone and please if not a professional by any means so do with my advice as you please. If you really want something, shoot for it and keep pushing. Keep in mind that all the pros you see were in the same place as you at some point in their lives. It just so happens that you need to get out and keep going forward. I’m now looking to play bass as well so I hope to learn both instruments! Good luck out there and don’t let anyone discourage you. 🎸🤘❤️
The answer is yes, every guitarist has gone through the pain 😂 I remember trying to play on my dad's steel string that had 0.13 thickness and it felt like a knife to my fingertips. 12 years later I feel nothing :D
I remember learning an actually being kind of proud of the big calluses I was developing lol. After a while though they level out and don’t feel them catching on things anymore. Just work on that muscle memory you’re already head of most guitarist knowing how to read sheet music so well
imo if you play nylon, whenever someone hands you a steel string you won’t be able to play. i think it’s better to learn on steel and get those calluses
Most of us that have been playing many decades have forgotten just how hard it is to master the physical aspect of learning guitar. And after you get through that, it becomes a mental struggle. And once you get pretty good without learning notation, once you try to read it, that's a whole other struggle. And if you don't play for awhile, you have to refresh your physical ability.
A lot of truth to that. Do know the concept of “the burden of knowledge” or something like that? It’s a common obstacle for teachers. For example if you play the guitar for a while you might actually forget what it feels like to not be able to play the guitar, to not know that E is the fifth of A etc. Like, you know there was a time but there’s no going back mentally, you can’t un-know something. When I started teaching guitar a couple years back I suffered from that; I literally could not understand why folks had such trouble pressing down the strings, I forgot how physical the guitar is.
A good set-up is worth a lot too. Many guitarist I've serviced instruments for didn't know that a properly set-up instrument doesn't require too much pressure on the strings at all, even with heavier gauge strings.
@@urphakeandgey6308exactly. I was gonna say the same thing. It's most likely the higher strings tearing into her fingertips that she's talking about. That's unavoidable no matter how well your guitar is set up.
Honestly, I find it hard to believe that "many guitarists" dont know a better setup plays better, and requires less pressure. Unless maybe they just started last week or something. It's kinda just common sense really. And also, it's not just the pressure that gives you callouses tho. Simply pressing the string actually doesn't give you callouses nearly as badly as when you are sliding your fingers up, and down the strings. The movement gives you far worse callouses than just the pressure alone. Think "friction burn." You get what I'm saying? And yes, at first it is most definitely painful. Especially on steel strings. 🙂
@@kloroform1681 I agree with your sentiment but a week is a very short amount of time to understand things like action and set ups. A month or even a couple of months is more ideal.
I love guitar in a way for the tenacity thats required to just play the instrument. You do have to push through a lot of discomfort to just unlock the ability to use the instrument effectively, but its so worth it.
Don't press down too hard. Not really harder than a piano key. It is more important to press down near the fret than to press down hard. You could intentionally produce the buzzing sound with a too light grip and then press just a little harder till all the buzz is gone and keep this, go no harder.
Whoever your teacher is. It won’t let you magically skip the time you have to put in yourself to make progress on any instrument. its such a cool and unexpected collaboration to see these two together
Finally we get some respect from the Classical pianist community😂. All jokes aside I love your channel so much and it's one of the most worthwhile things to watch TH-cam🙌🎸🎶♥️
I'm also a pianist who's learning guitar. A thing that really helped me "suffer" less was changing my string gauge from 10-46 to 9-42 (I use ernie ball super slinky). You don't have to press as hard, and you even SHOULD NOT press too hard with theses lighter strings. But I like it this way, it forces me to stay more relaxed when playing.
Yes and for me it wasnt about building calluses but more hand muscle cramps that lasted months ...wishing you more music and less pain . It does go away after a while abd it is worth it ...❤
Learn with a Spanish Guitar with nylon Strings first. Less pain. If I haven‘t played for a few weeks, I have to start slowly again to not overdue it and give my fingers time to adapt!
Something about Yvette young is that her guitar style comes from her pianist background. It's really cool to see how she started seeing the guitar and her approach when she does music on it. As someone that started playing guitar and after it piano is interesting to see how your way to see the instrument can change your way to make music on it. Somehow even doing tapping feels way more natural if you see it as a pianist 😅
She's already finger picking and unplugging. She may as well go all in. Maybe take a couple of lessons with a teacher to avoid picking up any bad habits.
There are so many subtleties involved in developing good touch and tone on the guitar, not to mention muting, ghost notes, intricacies like slides, and so on. Getting over the pain is the easy part! Left hand technique is to me the deepest and most challenging aspect of learning to play the guitar well.
Yes. I used to play bass and guitar many years ago. Recently I decided to start playing guitar again and I was able to remember some tunes, but...I also got the finger memories. So I went and got a piano and now my forearms feel tired but it doesn't hurt as the tip of my finger do with the guitar.
I can’t wait to see what you play after Yvette teaches you ! Also it’s a bit reassuring to see that as a guitarist who listens to you play piano and is in complete awe that you also have the ability to be a beginner too ! I mean this in the nicest way possible though, you’re awesome Nahre! A few ideas to reduce pain , 1. Guitar strings . If you have 0.10 gauge strings , it may be worth trying 0.9 or 0.8 gauge strings. 2. A setup by a luthier would also be worthwhile and make a new guitar so much more playable . 3. Rock on into infinity and I’ll be looking forward to hearing you play Under the glass moon by Dream Theater after you’ve been playing a few Months ! ( so that song is crazy and I’m only joking !😂) :)
I've had my guitar playing quite occasional for the last decade but i recently started to more. I noticed it took two weeks and tens of hours of playing to form these guitarists fingertips again. The first couple of days was quite painful indeed. Awesome to follow this!
A short scale guitar and some super light strings will help. The tone will probably be weaker, but if you're a beginner, that's a good trade off at that point.
Yes, everyone goes through this, but it gets better over time 😊. I am a classically-trained and electric guitarist and I am currently learning to play keyboard. It also kind of hurts because the positions and stretches are so different to what I am used to 😊
When I was in grade 8, I played guitar but those strings hurt my finger tips so bad (for pressing down the string against the bar), but I didn’t have money to buy the better string. I saw some people play it with ease and I wondered if they have the string that doesn’t hurt
Keep at it! The pain is temporary when sized up to a lifetime of playing and expression. “It’s just a phase, it’s not forever. It’s just a phase, but I still might have a way to go”(Mayer - Whiskey, Whiskey, Whiskey)
Me too!! I love it!!!you can take the guitar wherever you like!!! I played for many years piano and got my teaching license many years ago.. But I love guitar
You could start with a shorter scale guitar, and thinner strings, that would really help to reduce the pain in the beginning. For example, try a Fender Mustang or Jaguar with a set of 0.08 gauge strings, or 0.09 at the most. Personally, I would also recommend always using a Compressor pedal between your guitar and Amp. But guitarists usually take pride in their calluses, just like bodybuilders usually take on their sore muscles.
I had a guitar teacher who told me long ago to just take a break for an hour, and put some type of oil on my finger tips. Then I met a metal guitarist who said to just use a bic lighter to strengthen my callouses when I wasnt playing guitar. (ie: almost burn my finger tips) Then I met a chef at a restaurant who could basically dip their fingertips into a deep fryer...and I laughed.
I’m a classically trained pianist as well, but have been playing guitar and bass for a while. Yes, the initial callous phase is rough. Btw, you’re fortunate to have such a high end guitar to start out on! Very cool!
Learning ANY instrument requires two different vectors of skill acquiring: Mental Knowledge + Physical Adeptation. My fingers had to strengthen for Piano 🎹. If I play for a long time my fingertips will get MILDLY tender... but YES, it is absolutely more pronounced on Guitar! 🎸 There is a period of mutation/transformation where your finger tips toughen up to resist the thin, hard strings AND you have to maintain it (play regularly) or you will revert/atrophy. VERY similar to Piano. Also similar- you have to maintain keeping your fingernails short (for optimal form) Also similar - your pressing hand should be curved/arched like Piano. No "flat hand" 😊❤
Yeah that is one thing about guitar…finger pain is part of it. Your musical ability is tremendous though so if you want you will become great on it. Acoustic guitars are even harder to fret by the way😁
I think the biggest challenge would be the fingers to get used to the pain and positioning on the fret. But it is also the change in the mindset and constant tuning of sound. I remember I appreciate the piano more after learning the guitar. It is already tuned (mostly) and easy to find the tone and I found the positioning of the hand makes more sense...
Yes and let's not even mention the asymmetric note arrangement as you go down the fretboard, all these shapes and patterns that need to be internalized, so much headache !
Been through the pain countless times. Especially when I got my fingertip torn off at work, and had an artery spraying, but I built callous on top of the scar, and am still playing, and refuse to quit!
“I don’t remember feeling pain” was the exact same thing I thought when I picked up guitar. The only thing that kind of hurt playing piano was my wrist but I never felt pain like playing guitar
Yes. Calluses will fade away eventually. Apparently that´s not the same for everyone, seeing Yvette still has them. I would pay attention to tension and stress in muscles and ligaments. Be careful, rest when needed. You don´t want to meet a tendinitis, right? Good luck :D
Physical pain for only first couple of months until calluses are formed, but the soul pain is for the entire life.
Lolol.. so true..
And then you start playing bar chords for longer periods then more pain
More like 1 - 2 weeks
Beautifully put.
Jesus Christ can solve your soul pain!! He says in Matthew Chapter 11 28-30 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Trust in him and your soul will be lifted
For piano, you get mental pain. For guitar, you get mental and physical pain.
Piano is easy
Guitar is hard
Guitar is easy
Pisno is hard
@@Fernando-zptpianos hard to get good at meanwhile guitar is hard to learn
Pianos are easier for music beginners rather than guitar
@@Fernando-zpt
That's subjective
As a guitarist who has watched your videos in complete awe of your talent and abilities, I find watching you struggle with guitar somehow comforting. 😂
Give her some time tho and she’s gonna be shredding soon enough
We all walk before we can run
same here haha
Ha ha ha ha ha ha 😊😅
Yeah, Eddie Van Halen made guitar 🎸 look ridiculously easy and effortless too. And it is... if you have 2 billion hours of XP! 🤪 😅
Learning guitar with Yvette Young is learning guitar with cheat codes 😂
She's probably the closest a guitarist can be to a piano player (in fact, she's an amazing piano player herself)
and yet Yvette’s secret is also….decades of dedicated practice and hard dang work 🙂
From her music she is probably extremely well versed in music theory too if she is the composer
@@wallthemart of course she is, she is a Julliard graduate
up, up , down , down left , right , Left , right, A , B
“Teaching myself”
Bro got the best guitar tutor possible probobly
yeah, isn't Yvette clasically trained in piano too?
Wait...that's a guy?!
@@kloroform1681 bro has become pretty much gender neutral in recent times
@@kloroform1681 no she's not, "bro" is just a slang term for both sexes
@@kloroform1681 bro is gender-neutral, bro
Guitar is a very analogue instrument. It's also very unforgiving. After playing guitar for 30 years I realise that for the first 10 years I thought I knew it all 😂. Next 10 years I doubted everything I was learning (especially at college). The last 10 years was when it all started to take effect. 😅. The big one to look out for when starting is try not to think about pressing down too hard, instead think about just playing. It's an incredible lifelong journey that I'm still on to this day.
Best of luck Nahre! 🎉❤ you got this!
There's just so many things that go into sounding good on the guitar before you even touch any knobs or toggles: the phrasing, legato\glissandro vs picking all the notes, bending, vibrato, tapping, picks vs fingers vs nails, overtones, how hard or soft you play, what angle to pick at, which part of your pick\finger\thumb to pluck with, whether you're picking closer to the neck or the bridge, the works.
All these little nuances add up, and you can play the same phrase in so many different ways. It can be daunting, but it's also the exact reason why the guitar's so great and getting our individual style and personality across. There's no two people whose vibrati or tone sound the exact same, and it's beautiful.
I love all the comments on this post…. I play violin and started learning guitar and I would say guitar is way more forgiving than violin… the thicker strings are more painful than violin strings though! 😁
I have been on that journey for over 60 years. The more genres you branch out into, the more there is to learn.
The thing with picking up an instrument like this later in life is that it’s still fairly challenging when you haven’t grown up with it-the knowledge that was encoded in you from the day you’ve learned the piano is part of your developmental stages and thus comes easier.
What everyone should understand though is that it’s _never too late_ to learn a language, musical or not! As long as you employ the correct tactics to your routine and get rid of all disturbances, you’ll be able to develop further with your new instrument of choice. Will come like the snap of a finger!
It's also psychologically much harder to learn a new instrument when you're proficient with a different one. I've attended multiple workshops in improv for strings, and getting adults - who are voluntarily attending - to actually play is like pulling teeth. Kids have far less inhibitions about sounding bad, and thus can learn much faster.
@EvanTreempire Yeah, the last bit you said has always fascinated me in regards to human development. There’s a lot of things that encapsulates learning capacity, and the freedom of exploring your self and your environment is able to be shamelessly reliant on creativity/intuition, and the image your life tutors project on to you seriously affects just how far you get.
@@SaberTooth_TFGman this hit really deep with me, i mean even after my 10 years (and counting) and hours since learning my main instrument, i now understand the need to let loose your instilled notions of excellence to be able to actually branch out and grow more musically. Also i theorise that as musicians once we start learning a 2nd instrument, if we are also seasoned musicians, tend to overextend in expectation about how fast or capable we can grasp the instrument, and understimate how it would still require good chunk of time before it actually gets better, sometimes makes it more frustrating than for regular people who are doing any music-related skill for the first time
@@EvanTreempireThat's odd because I grew up playing guitar, trombone, and a little bit of piano. Always wanted to learn drums, so I had a friend teach me the basics and then bought my own electric kit to practice shortly after high school.
I picked it up incredibly fast and ironically, drums are the only instrument I have gigged with despite learning it so late. I always found that odd because I noticed drums were an instrument most other instrumentalists struggled with because it's so different from most instruments. I was one of the few non-drummers who picked up drums fairly easily and I learned it as an adult. Albeit, a very young adult.
Also, let me quickly admit I'm no savant. If you asked me to play super technical freeform jazz with constantly changing time signatures, I'd struggle. I'm good enough to gig in random local bands, but not good enough to be going to music school with super nerds playing super technical music. So depending on your definition of "proficient," I might not be there.
@@mousi9736so true for me
It's not just the calluses that make it hurt less. When you get to the first level of skill, you start being able to ignore the pain because you're enjoying what you're playing.
Yvette x Nahre collab let's gooooo
🎉
exactly my thought😊
that would be hypeee
that'll be liiiit
I’m just going to enjoy watching you not be amazing at something for a few months until you get really good.
I like that the pianist bought a guitar that were the colors of Piano keys.
Omg. Was not expecting Yvette to be in this. Super cool!
I play fingerstyle and spanish classical among other genres on acoustic steel strings. When I first started playing and had those all-nighter sesh's, my fingers were fully raw after. But the calluses after so much playing, is a sort of pride
I covet the experience of learning from Yvette
Yvette started on piano, so she seems like a good choice for a teacher!
Im both a guitarist and pianist but have spent the last 10 years mostly on piano. I recently dug up my acoustic guitar and the pain has been crazy! So I know what you are going through!! Just make sure you stop when the pain gets too much!
CanNOT wait for a guitar video in which you make all us guitarists quit. Love your videos!
"How Do I make this not hurt?"
*"LAUGHS"*
what a coincidence ! I'm a pianist and i also tried guitar during the last two weeks and felt the same difficulties. The worst isn't the pain on the top of finger but the tightness of my left hand
Yes!! I feel this.
I haven't tried guitar but am a classically trained flautist and self-taught piano player, and decided to pick up the ukulele a couple of years ago. I soon got over the finger pain (guitar is far worse I think due to longer strings!) but the cramping from tensing up and having poor left hand position still gets me when I try to play something new!
Same but guitar is so beautiful and you can easily lug it around 😉
Be careful not to overly strain your hands! It takes time to build the muscles and muscle memory required to play guitar. Play short pieces in the beginning and when you play chords, think about what notes and stings you’re playing and put pressure on those strategically instead of pressing everything at once.
When I first studied classical guitar, my teacher gave me a number of hand and finger exercises to do during my non-practice time. That was a big help.
Make sure to do some stretching exercizes on your fingers and hand muscles, your should keep them nice and loose rather than tensed up. The angle at which your fretting hand connects to the back of the guitar neck can also help a lot, you might need to adjust your position depending on whether you're doing chord play, melodies, sequences that require big stretches and what not. There's also no shame in practicing slow, simple stuff, better to learn how to be slow and clean than to pick up bad habits by playing fast but sloppy.
I’m so happy to see a video like this! Everyone starts guitar like this. It’s hard!
That being said as someone who’s played guitar longer than piano but is learning a variety of piano pieces, I would say exercises to strengthen the autonomy of the ring finger and pinky finger are indeed painful.
“they’re just, like, pathetic” lmao relatable. if you don’t play for even 3-5 days they get weaker. the pain is telling you to stop for the day! it’s a marathon, not a sprint :) i must admit, part of what i like about electric bass (and thicker guitar strings, like 11s or 12s) is they shred-up your fingers waaaay less.
fwiw violinists cellists etc can get it even worse, because of the different way they do vibrato with lots more sliding! being “gut” instead of steel helps a little, but then all the extra allowing more than makes up for it… at least for my pals in school who played the violin family.
honestly I've had the opposite bass experience - if I don't play for a while, and then pick it up and start enjoying myself too much, there's a good chance I'm getting blisters! And the first time I did a slide on flatwound strings, yikes. I guess that's a bit like what violinists have to deal with right? More friction and uh ohs if you overcommit
guitar strings are thin which can make them feel a bit like cheesewire at first, but once you get a callus that sensitivity goes away. Whereas for me a lot of the fun in bass is how reactive it is to how hard you play it, it's a very physical instrument and those chonky strings can hurt you if you're not careful!
As a guitarist who has the utmost respect for your skills and knowledge on the piano I cannot help but find this reaction really cute :D
As others have mentioned, a Spanish guitar with nylon strings can be a little gentler on beginner fingers. Also, using a capo on any guitar will shorten the scale thereby making it easier to press the strings to the frets. And you can detune to make the strings more slinky and pliable.
or you can suck it up (i never sucked it up, i bought a classical guitar and used 9s for years)
I've typically heard an acoustic guitar is harder than electric because of the wider neck and often thicker strings. Idk if a "Spanish guitar" is any different tho.
You can also adjust the action. That's a big one. I bet Yvette has her guitar setup very well, but I remember buying a few cheap guitars/basses where the action was insanely high.
@@urphakeandgey6308it’s nylon vs steel strings not the guitar as such
@@urphakeandgey6308Electric is definitely the easiest. It has the lowest tension and thus requires the least amount of force to depress the strings. A nylon string guitar still has much less tension than a steel string acoustic, but also has a much higher action that an electric doesnt which means the amount of force required to depress a nylon string is not much different than on an electric with the added disadvantages of having a wider neck, requiring a more precise touch, and having a non-radiused fretboard that makes chording (especially barre chords) more difficult. An electric is where I would start someone if comfort was an issue.
@@mazeradeville2911Having tried all three, I agree. Electric was the easiest on the fingers.
Keep in mind posture and that guitars can be adjusted. Some players have a more sensitive touch and other hard. As you grow as a guitarist you will realize that you won’t need to put too much strength into your playing.
Have you ever tried a classical guitar? They are much more forgiving and sound lovely too 😇
I feel like an electric guitar is a lot more forgiving, since the action is a lot lower
Electric guitar is nothing. Try acoustic without an amp.
Classical guitars with the top few being nylon strings are sooo gentle on the fingers
Meanwhile steel string acoustic: 💀
Classical is more difficult by a long shot.
Guitar is really hard to learn and it’s such a beautiful 🤩 instrument. Don’t quit it takes time to learn I have felt the frustration many times
Absolutely love the contrast between Nahre vs Emily (Harp Lady) guitar lessons by Yvette lol
Haha yeah this video is actually sfw 😂
Those first several months are the hardest. I was 10 when I started and it’s a miracle I didn’t quit it hurt so much. But like the other comments, your calluses will grow and it will become easier. You got this!
I, selfishly, would love to see a series where you as someone with an extensive musical background, map out your approach to re-apply your theory knowledge to the guitar.
I think if you really love any instrument or have an interest in learning, you’ll go through anything to learn and play good. I’ve been playing mine on and off for a year now and have some skills but lack the notion of frets, chords, and understanding why certain strings sound better together. What really got me interested was seeing the solos which grabbed my attention completely undermining the fact that I came to see an artist at a concert. I have felt pain and continue to do so but I try to be patient and determined to learn.
Best advice I can give to anyone and please if not a professional by any means so do with my advice as you please. If you really want something, shoot for it and keep pushing. Keep in mind that all the pros you see were in the same place as you at some point in their lives. It just so happens that you need to get out and keep going forward. I’m now looking to play bass as well so I hope to learn both instruments!
Good luck out there and don’t let anyone discourage you. 🎸🤘❤️
The pain subsides, then you fall in love.
❤❤❤❤❤
So happy to see you connect with Yvette!!! She’s also one of my favourite pianists, on top of being an incredible guitarist!!!!
The answer is yes, every guitarist has gone through the pain 😂 I remember trying to play on my dad's steel string that had 0.13 thickness and it felt like a knife to my fingertips. 12 years later I feel nothing :D
I remember learning an actually being kind of proud of the big calluses I was developing lol. After a while though they level out and don’t feel them catching on things anymore. Just work on that muscle memory you’re already head of most guitarist knowing how to read sheet music so well
Try a classical nylon string guitar, the tone also suits your compositions better!
imo if you play nylon, whenever someone hands you a steel string you won’t be able to play. i think it’s better to learn on steel and get those calluses
Most of us that have been playing many decades have forgotten just how hard it is to master the physical aspect of learning guitar. And after you get through that, it becomes a mental struggle. And once you get pretty good without learning notation, once you try to read it, that's a whole other struggle. And if you don't play for awhile, you have to refresh your physical ability.
A lot of truth to that. Do know the concept of “the burden of knowledge” or something like that? It’s a common obstacle for teachers. For example if you play the guitar for a while you might actually forget what it feels like to not be able to play the guitar, to not know that E is the fifth of A etc. Like, you know there was a time but there’s no going back mentally, you can’t un-know something.
When I started teaching guitar a couple years back I suffered from that; I literally could not understand why folks had such trouble pressing down the strings, I forgot how physical the guitar is.
A good set-up is worth a lot too. Many guitarist I've serviced instruments for didn't know that a properly set-up instrument doesn't require too much pressure on the strings at all, even with heavier gauge strings.
I agree, but I highly doubt Yvette of all people is setting up her guitar poorly.
@@urphakeandgey6308exactly. I was gonna say the same thing. It's most likely the higher strings tearing into her fingertips that she's talking about. That's unavoidable no matter how well your guitar is set up.
Honestly, I find it hard to believe that "many guitarists" dont know a better setup plays better, and requires less pressure. Unless maybe they just started last week or something. It's kinda just common sense really. And also, it's not just the pressure that gives you callouses tho. Simply pressing the string actually doesn't give you callouses nearly as badly as when you are sliding your fingers up, and down the strings. The movement gives you far worse callouses than just the pressure alone. Think "friction burn." You get what I'm saying? And yes, at first it is most definitely painful. Especially on steel strings. 🙂
@@kloroform1681 I agree with your sentiment but a week is a very short amount of time to understand things like action and set ups. A month or even a couple of months is more ideal.
@@fixthat3269 You misread.
I love guitar in a way for the tenacity thats required to just play the instrument. You do have to push through a lot of discomfort to just unlock the ability to use the instrument effectively, but its so worth it.
Don't press down too hard. Not really harder than a piano key. It is more important to press down near the fret than to press down hard. You could intentionally produce the buzzing sound with a too light grip and then press just a little harder till all the buzz is gone and keep this, go no harder.
Whoever your teacher is. It won’t let you magically skip the time you have to put in yourself to make progress on any instrument. its such a cool and unexpected collaboration to see these two together
"Pain is the best teacher"
- Bowser
Finally we get some respect from the Classical pianist community😂. All jokes aside I love your channel so much and it's one of the most worthwhile things to watch TH-cam🙌🎸🎶♥️
Tim Henson is so kind for helping you personally!
In any case you got this!
Tim Henson wasn't in this video
Exactly how I felt and am still feeling actually! Piano is pain free indeed… guitar playing can be very frustrating in many ways….
I'm also a pianist who's learning guitar. A thing that really helped me "suffer" less was changing my string gauge from 10-46 to 9-42 (I use ernie ball super slinky). You don't have to press as hard, and you even SHOULD NOT press too hard with theses lighter strings. But I like it this way, it forces me to stay more relaxed when playing.
Hendrix used lighter strings, everyone says thick strings sound better but it's not true
Yes and for me it wasnt about building calluses but more hand muscle cramps that lasted months ...wishing you more music and less pain . It does go away after a while abd it is worth it ...❤
Nah.
Once the callouses thicken you'll be rockin it. For sure. 🤙
Rock! 🙋🎸🎶
Onw question tho, is it okay I'm playing through the pain to thicken it faster?
OMG YVETTE IS JUST EVERYWHERE hanging out with all the other creators I also love. Frickin’ guitar wonder woman out here, sheeeeeeessssshhhhh 🖤
Learn with a Spanish Guitar with nylon Strings first. Less pain. If I haven‘t played for a few weeks, I have to start slowly again to not overdue it and give my fingers time to adapt!
Definitely great advice to not scare people off from ever breaking through.
Nylon acoustic guitars are nice and soft to play.
or use a capo. Can be a bit easier
It's good that you already know music! But just like anything else if you want to get good at it ... lots and lots of practice!!!
Is that Yvette !?
Something about Yvette young is that her guitar style comes from her pianist background. It's really cool to see how she started seeing the guitar and her approach when she does music on it. As someone that started playing guitar and after it piano is interesting to see how your way to see the instrument can change your way to make music on it. Somehow even doing tapping feels way more natural if you see it as a pianist 😅
Nahre, You are the most brilliant and beautiful person to explain Mahler!
Honestly for a month or so in your technique looks good! Clean tones out of each note, you’re definitely progressing.
Gorgeous!
It might be interesting to hear you take on Classical guitar. You may want to try a nylon string guitar and see how you feel! :)
She's already finger picking and unplugging. She may as well go all in. Maybe take a couple of lessons with a teacher to avoid picking up any bad habits.
The minute I learned Barre Chords existed I gave up 😂so kudos to you for still pushing through the struggles that come with learning an instrument
There are so many subtleties involved in developing good touch and tone on the guitar, not to mention muting, ghost notes, intricacies like slides, and so on. Getting over the pain is the easy part! Left hand technique is to me the deepest and most challenging aspect of learning to play the guitar well.
Yes. I used to play bass and guitar many years ago. Recently I decided to start playing guitar again and I was able to remember some tunes, but...I also got the finger memories. So I went and got a piano and now my forearms feel tired but it doesn't hurt as the tip of my finger do with the guitar.
For the first time building REAL physical connections with the instrument can be Rewarding❤
Yvette!!! Best teacher you could ever want
for your fingers that play the strings use a pick. you can also use those finger covers that you can order online for it to lessen the pain again! :)
I'd forgotten all about the pain, now I never experience it. Lovely to see your journey through your shorts
Keep at it Nahresol, you will thank yourself in time.
I would rather watch her play piano brilliantly than watch her struggle through guitar. Who wants to watch THAT?
I can’t wait to see what you play after Yvette teaches you !
Also it’s a bit reassuring to see that as a guitarist who listens to you play piano and is in complete awe that you also have the ability to be a beginner too ! I mean this in the nicest way possible though, you’re awesome Nahre! A few ideas to reduce pain , 1. Guitar strings . If you have 0.10 gauge strings , it may be worth trying 0.9 or 0.8 gauge strings.
2. A setup by a luthier would also be worthwhile and make a new guitar so much more playable .
3. Rock on into infinity and I’ll be looking forward to hearing you play Under the glass moon by Dream Theater after you’ve been playing a few
Months ! ( so that song is crazy and I’m only joking !😂) :)
I've had my guitar playing quite occasional for the last decade but i recently started to more. I noticed it took two weeks and tens of hours of playing to form these guitarists fingertips again. The first couple of days was quite painful indeed. Awesome to follow this!
A short scale guitar and some super light strings will help. The tone will probably be weaker, but if you're a beginner, that's a good trade off at that point.
Yes, everyone goes through this, but it gets better over time 😊. I am a classically-trained and electric guitarist and I am currently learning to play keyboard. It also kind of hurts because the positions and stretches are so different to what I am used to 😊
Suffer through it, the pain is SO WORTH IT
As a pianist, picking up guitar was excruciating but well worth it
Need some full length Nahre + Yvette vids pls 🙏
Yes! Have going through the same process..it hurts!
If I didn't have calluses I would die
When I was in grade 8, I played guitar but those strings hurt my finger tips so bad (for pressing down the string against the bar), but I didn’t have money to buy the better string. I saw some people play it with ease and I wondered if they have the string that doesn’t hurt
😂, there's no such thing as those strings that causes no pain
Reply and I ll tell what's the difference between high price strings and cheap one's.
@ yeah thank you. Replying
Yes, the pain is real, but you’re doing great, keep going, it doesn’t last forever ❤
Keep at it! The pain is temporary when sized up to a lifetime of playing and expression. “It’s just a phase, it’s not forever. It’s just a phase, but I still might have a way to go”(Mayer - Whiskey, Whiskey, Whiskey)
Definitely goes from finger pain being an issue into posture and back discomfort as major physical barriers to playing for long periods
PAIN IS TEMPORARY, GLORY IS FOREVER... Or something like that
Me too!! I love it!!!you can take the guitar wherever you like!!! I played for many years piano and got my teaching license many years ago.. But I love guitar
❤❤❤ love u. I just started getting into ur music love it
I once was a classically trained pianist who taught myself guitar. The pain is worth it, and will subside. You got this Nahre!
Amazing piece! And very impressive progress :)
You could start with a shorter scale guitar, and thinner strings, that would really help to reduce the pain in the beginning.
For example, try a Fender Mustang or Jaguar with a set of 0.08 gauge strings, or 0.09 at the most.
Personally, I would also recommend always using a Compressor pedal between your guitar and Amp.
But guitarists usually take pride in their calluses, just like bodybuilders usually take on their sore muscles.
Lol. It stops hurting after a while. I remember my finger tips hurting, but also not caring because I was finally playing guitar! Lol. Awesome! 👍
I had a guitar teacher who told me long ago to just take a break for an hour, and put some type of oil on my finger tips.
Then I met a metal guitarist who said to just use a bic lighter to strengthen my callouses when I wasnt playing guitar. (ie: almost burn my finger tips)
Then I met a chef at a restaurant who could basically dip their fingertips into a deep fryer...and I laughed.
That’s so cool haha and yes when you stop for a while and play again ya gotta build that up again lmao
I remember the pain was there till I learned to play barre chords while relaxing my hand about 2 years in
Yes, all guitarists go through this, you're going to develop calluses. Using smaller gauge (0.008-0.009) / lighter tension strings also helps.
I’m a classically trained pianist as well, but have been playing guitar and bass for a while. Yes, the initial callous phase is rough. Btw, you’re fortunate to have such a high end guitar to start out on! Very cool!
This is why rock music sounds the way it does, everyone's hands hurt.
Learning ANY instrument requires two different vectors of skill acquiring: Mental Knowledge + Physical Adeptation. My fingers had to strengthen for Piano 🎹. If I play for a long time my fingertips will get MILDLY tender... but YES, it is absolutely more pronounced on Guitar! 🎸 There is a period of mutation/transformation where your finger tips toughen up to resist the thin, hard strings AND you have to maintain it (play regularly) or you will revert/atrophy. VERY similar to Piano. Also similar- you have to maintain keeping your fingernails short (for optimal form) Also similar - your pressing hand should be curved/arched like Piano. No "flat hand" 😊❤
You have a damn good teacher ^^
Yes , no pain no gain. Rock n roll 🤘🏽
oh i feel so much better about playing guitar. thank you for your piano, and opening up and sharing ! :)P
Not a collab I was expecting but I highly appreciate it
Yeah that is one thing about guitar…finger pain is part of it. Your musical ability is tremendous though so if you want you will become great on it. Acoustic guitars are even harder to fret by the way😁
I think the biggest challenge would be the fingers to get used to the pain and positioning on the fret. But it is also the change in the mindset and constant tuning of sound. I remember I appreciate the piano more after learning the guitar. It is already tuned (mostly) and easy to find the tone and I found the positioning of the hand makes more sense...
Yes and let's not even mention the asymmetric note arrangement as you go down the fretboard, all these shapes and patterns that need to be internalized, so much headache !
Been through the pain countless times. Especially when I got my fingertip torn off at work, and had an artery spraying, but I built callous on top of the scar, and am still playing, and refuse to quit!
“I don’t remember feeling pain” was the exact same thing I thought when I picked up guitar. The only thing that kind of hurt playing piano was my wrist but I never felt pain like playing guitar
You have a great teacher!
Yes. Calluses will fade away eventually. Apparently that´s not the same for everyone, seeing Yvette still has them. I would pay attention to tension and stress in muscles and ligaments. Be careful, rest when needed. You don´t want to meet a tendinitis, right? Good luck :D
Can always go lighter to 8s and even 7s that usually makes things easier. Yes we all do, just apart of trade off lol