My last gig was a duo at a restaurant/bar with the co-owner (he was the guitarist/singer; me- Bass), 3 nights/week (Thurs/Fri/Sat), for two solid years, sometimes for 6-7 hours straight (6PM-midnight, or longer marathons if big-spenders brought their axes and wanted to sit-in until the wee-hours). A thin coating of Super Glue on the finger-pads helped quite a bit. I played exclusively round-wounds because I liked the piano-like tone they gave my '96 Warwick Thumb.
Good topic. I definitely notice myself playing harder live. Here’s a topic suggestion: breathing and other relaxation strategies while playing live. I tend to start holding my breath and tensing up.
Great vid, Mark. You've always been so generous in opening up and revealing the myths around the Bass in all its glory. I'll never get to where you are but at least I can follow your path.
I also think that sweat has an impact on blisters. If the stage lights are heating you up and/or the temperature (because there are so many people in the room or it’s a outdoor party) you might sweat more. The slipperiness of your fingers on your strings might cause friction blisters… I use Crazy Glue on my finger tips when blisters have burst or calluses rip off…
When I was young and playing upright bass, whenever I noticed I was going to be entering a blister-causing situation, I wouuld brush on some "New Skin", a product which covers scratches and scrapes..and can be found in most pharmacies here in the US.... You'll never have another blister again. It forms a second skin over the spot that might get blistered. Some have mentioned super glue, but I'm not sure if there are negative effects from using Superglue. NewSkin is made for use on skin...
Once you go 1000w, you'll never go back! It's the Gary Willis style of turning up to play softer. The iPad controller of the mix doesn't always agree but in the end there's no getting around developing calluses in both hands. You're spot on Mark! Btw, my pub used to be the Princess in Leeds. Is it still there?
Nice advice Mark. I love these videos that give you tips. These are always good for beginners but also a nice refresher for someone who has been playing a while. Funny, I've been busy with work and have't played as regularly as I usually do and just yesterday when I picked up my bass, the round wound strings felt a bit more sensitive to my fingers. Haha, one way I get around blisters is playing with a pick, but I do use my fingers as well. I've used flats for a while, and certainly easier on the fingers, but eventually I got tired of the tone. Thanks for sharing! Cheers!
Great video topic, I've felt this to in a band setting. Another problem i found that i haven't solved yet is how to prevent blisters when playing in cold venues, any thoughts?
I have noticed after changing to elixir coated strings that I lost my calluses. Dont know if thats an option for avoiding blisters but for me it seems to be
Sweat can be my friction issue. If I am dripping in sweat then everything is nicely lubricated (although it kills the strings). The stage where my hands are a little bit sweaty makes my fingers sticky and therefore more friction. I wash my hands before every set, and wear sweatbands to reduce sweat running down my arms. Turning your amp up is spot on. Turn up and then try and play as quietly as possible. It took me 30 years to work all this out!! I am not the cleverest bass player.
I use flatwound strings on all of my bass guitars. It's easier on my fretting hand. But my picking fingers always get calluses and if I don't play regularly enough the soreness will always reappear. Playing harder to be louder is definitely a problem I've encountered in rehearsal rooms, especially when the guitarists tweak their volumes up. In ear monitoring for the whole band has changed the game somewhat though. It's a very different experience.
I started 9 months ago and never once I got blisters on either hands, but last month I got a blister on my plucking index finger after I started practicing slapping.
it's very odd - when i was a teenager playing bass my left hand finger tips were absolutely solid, smooth, hard skin. after a 34 year break (!), i started playing bass (same bass, same strings) again with my original teenage bandmates, and my left hand finger tips have hardly reacted at all (still completely soft). it must be an age thing...
I didn't know most people struggle with their picking hand. I only rarely get tiny blisters and I usually pick aggressively. My fretting hand however, is constantly getting all sorts of messed up. Like just recently, I had a MASSIVE blister on my index finger that was pretty much half the size of the finger. Waited for it to turn into a callus, then I played again and during that session the callus completely eroded.
I put a bit of Ballistol on the strings and the fretboard. It's natural, protects from the wood drying out and gives a bit of slidyness. Maybe weird but works for me.
to the top the more you play the easier it gets, yes there are sore fingers and blisters at the beginning, just tough up and keep playing 3 months of daily playing and I can play for hours at any speed, fingers don't get sore and left hand's finger tips are as solid as a rock roundwound strings :)
they'll come anyways, been playing for 8 years and they come and go as they please. really just depends on how old your strings are and how hard you play
Friction creates heat and that's why blisters appear on your fingers. Before the gig, apply a layer of superglue to your fingertips and the problem is solved. This has proven itself several times.
Good advice Mark, here's a question for you, I have a active Bass,new strings,new battery, sounds awesome, couple days later it all sounds flat,dead , I always unplug when finished practice ,it did rain intensely for few days, would it be the moisture in the air?
My last gig was a duo at a restaurant/bar with the co-owner (he was the guitarist/singer; me- Bass), 3 nights/week (Thurs/Fri/Sat), for two solid years, sometimes for 6-7 hours straight (6PM-midnight, or longer marathons if big-spenders brought their axes and wanted to sit-in until the wee-hours). A thin coating of Super Glue on the finger-pads helped quite a bit. I played exclusively round-wounds because I liked the piano-like tone they gave my '96 Warwick Thumb.
Good topic. I definitely notice myself playing harder live. Here’s a topic suggestion: breathing and other relaxation strategies while playing live. I tend to start holding my breath and tensing up.
Great vid, Mark. You've always been so generous in opening up and revealing the myths around the Bass in all its glory. I'll never get to where you are but at least I can follow your path.
As a drummer and bass player... i am the super blister man
I also think that sweat has an impact on blisters. If the stage lights are heating you up and/or the temperature (because there are so many people in the room or it’s a outdoor party) you might sweat more. The slipperiness of your fingers on your strings might cause friction blisters…
I use Crazy Glue on my finger tips when blisters have burst or calluses rip off…
When I was young and playing upright bass, whenever I noticed I was going to be entering a blister-causing situation, I wouuld brush on some "New Skin", a product which covers scratches and scrapes..and can be found in most pharmacies here in the US.... You'll never have another blister again.
It forms a second skin over the spot that might get blistered. Some have mentioned super glue, but I'm not sure if there are negative effects from using Superglue. NewSkin is made for use on skin...
Once you go 1000w, you'll never go back! It's the Gary Willis style of turning up to play softer. The iPad controller of the mix doesn't always agree but in the end there's no getting around developing calluses in both hands. You're spot on Mark! Btw, my pub used to be the Princess in Leeds. Is it still there?
Nice advice Mark. I love these videos that give you tips. These are always good for beginners but also a nice refresher for someone who has been playing a while. Funny, I've been busy with work and have't played as regularly as I usually do and just yesterday when I picked up my bass, the round wound strings felt a bit more sensitive to my fingers. Haha, one way I get around blisters is playing with a pick, but I do use my fingers as well. I've used flats for a while, and certainly easier on the fingers, but eventually I got tired of the tone. Thanks for sharing! Cheers!
coated strings will reduce the impact of the fingers greatly!
I play with gloves like Scott at SBL kind of cool actually it helps with muting strings and such.
Great video topic, I've felt this to in a band setting.
Another problem i found that i haven't solved yet is how to prevent blisters when playing in cold venues, any thoughts?
I have noticed after changing to elixir coated strings that I lost my calluses. Dont know if thats an option for avoiding blisters but for me it seems to be
Sweat can be my friction issue. If I am dripping in sweat then everything is nicely lubricated (although it kills the strings). The stage where my hands are a little bit sweaty makes my fingers sticky and therefore more friction. I wash my hands before every set, and wear sweatbands to reduce sweat running down my arms. Turning your amp up is spot on. Turn up and then try and play as quietly as possible. It took me 30 years to work all this out!! I am not the cleverest bass player.
I use flatwound strings on all of my bass guitars. It's easier on my fretting hand. But my picking fingers always get calluses and if I don't play regularly enough the soreness will always reappear.
Playing harder to be louder is definitely a problem I've encountered in rehearsal rooms, especially when the guitarists tweak their volumes up. In ear monitoring for the whole band has changed the game somewhat though. It's a very different experience.
Calluses from finger picking on flats? :O
@@yeoldefoxeh254 sure thing 😄
Good advice
I tried tea tree oil on a suggestion. It seemed to make the blister to callus process go way faster!
Finally someone validating our decades of zombie fingers...only other advice I've found is Flea saying superglue
I started 9 months ago and never once I got blisters on either hands, but last month I got a blister on my plucking index finger after I started practicing slapping.
it's very odd - when i was a teenager playing bass my left hand finger tips were absolutely solid, smooth, hard skin. after a 34 year break (!), i started playing bass (same bass, same strings) again with my original teenage bandmates, and my left hand finger tips have hardly reacted at all (still completely soft). it must be an age thing...
I didn't know most people struggle with their picking hand. I only rarely get tiny blisters and I usually pick aggressively. My fretting hand however, is constantly getting all sorts of messed up. Like just recently, I had a MASSIVE blister on my index finger that was pretty much half the size of the finger. Waited for it to turn into a callus, then I played again and during that session the callus completely eroded.
Mark, what's your take on a volume pedal for gigs?
great advice!
Tapewound are most gentle I find.
To avoid bursting blisters on my picking hand, I switch to practice playing with a pick for a while, hehe
I put a bit of Ballistol on the strings and the fretboard. It's natural, protects from the wood drying out and gives a bit of slidyness. Maybe weird but works for me.
The bass way to prevent them is just to keep playing as much as possible and build up your calluses .
to the top
the more you play the easier it gets, yes there are sore fingers and blisters at the beginning, just tough up and keep playing
3 months of daily playing and I can play for hours at any speed, fingers don't get sore and left hand's finger tips are as solid as a rock
roundwound strings :)
Instructions unclear, finger bleeding
they'll come anyways, been playing for 8 years and they come and go as they please. really just depends on how old your strings are and how hard you play
nice video
Friction creates heat and that's why blisters appear on your fingers. Before the gig, apply a layer of superglue to your fingertips and the problem is solved. This has proven itself several times.
What Bass is that?
Good advice Mark, here's a question for you, I have a active Bass,new strings,new battery, sounds awesome, couple days later it all sounds flat,dead , I always unplug when finished practice ,it did rain intensely for few days, would it be the moisture in the air?
Mark, is it possible to play the bass laying down, like a keyboard.
Never in my life I had blisters, only once - when I foolishly tried slapping. No need for either blisters, nor for slap :P