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I have a blister on my thumb from the down-stroke, but it's healing. My problem is the cut on the top of my thumb. It's on the left side, near the nail. Hurts like crazy on every up-strum.
Should I be using this part of my thumb for that strum?
If so, does it just eventually "harden up", like my fretting hand did with calluses?
I did a search on here for "thumb pain" but didn't find anything on this. most of it was about tendons and stretching.
Upstroke shouldn't require any skin, you'll develop a thumb callus on the bottom for sure though, sometimes a pretty nasty one, worse then left hand calluses.
I have a blister on my thumb from the down-stroke, but it's healing. My problem is the cut on the top of my thumb. It's on the left side, near the nail. Hurts like crazy on every up-strum.
Should I be using this part of my thumb for that strum?
If so, does it just eventually "harden up", like my fretting hand did with calluses?
I did a search on here for "thumb pain" but didn't find anything on this. most of it was about tendons and stretching.
When I used to get thumb blisters, I would just keep doing pulgar exercises until it felt like I couldn't handle the pain anymore. This may sound stupid but I found it helped create a much more stronger callus and now I never get a blister, just a permanent callus. As for the top of your thumb, I could see how some of your skin could come in contact while up stroking but never have I developed a cut from that. Just let the cut heal and be careful to not let the skin on the top of your thumb rub against the strings, instead let your thumb nail do the work.
When i started to play flamenco on a more serious base for the first time i had thump pain and blisters as well, but after a while your thump skin locally hardens up... over time (when you get better and better and know how to pair minimum input/friction to maximum output) it might even become softer again without noticeable problems.
This will happen if your guitar is a classical set up, too high at the bridge. Put Krazy glue or brush on nail glue on the wound and you will be fine till it heals and you buy a flamenco guitar with a proper set up (LOW BRIDGE!!!!).
My guitar had a perfect set up and i suffered the same problem nevertheless. If i ask you to walk half a marathon right now on perfect shoes you most probably will suffer some (blister) problems as well, but if you walk that distance on a daily base (and optimize both your body and your technique) over time problems will become less and less....unless indeed you use bad fitting shoes :-)
So obviously I'm doing something wrong...I should be using my thumb nail for strumming? That seems really awkward. I guess, like everything else, it just begins to feel natural?
And yes, I am using a classical guitar, not a Flamenco guitar. One of my students is going to Mexico this Summer and says he will bring me back a Flamenco guitar. I hope he is right.
So obviously I'm doing something wrong...I should be using my thumb nail for strumming?
I guess upwards strokes are nail concentrated, but downstrokes and normal pulgar involves a (varied) combination of both nail and flesh.... once you become more experienced/subtle in handling your thump you will be able to get better output with less input, reducing friction to a minimum.... you can use vaseline to reduce friction as well if you want (just ad a little bit on your thump around the area were your blisters probably are right now).
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