Limit to acoustic playing time

21 years playing here, mostly electric (spots of acoustic throughout). 

Last 2 years been playing a lot of acoustic. Probably enjoy it even more.
Danger there is spreading oneself too thin and not being good at either. 

I can't play acoustic more than 1-2 hours tops or my hands really hurt.
They're relaxed and I'm sure it's not technique. 
String gauge is 11. 
It makes sense - you have to press a bit harder and if doing fingerstyle (I do lots) it's that which hurts the most. 
I've always had relatively thin wrists. 

I'm not a n00b - but in general are others sorta the same? 
I've gone back to the electric a little more and I've missed it a tad - I can play it all night long :)
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Comments

  • Jimbro66Jimbro66 Frets: 2418
    After decades of playing almost totally electric guitar I moved to acoustic and found it hard going for a while. It certainly helped in my case to get a better quality acoustic but I still struggled for a while until it eventually came together. I then performed mainly on acoustic for several years but probably for no more than an hour or so at gigs and I rarely practice for more that an hour at a time. Maybe more in a day but broken down into shorter sessions. I knew one guy who was a professional acoustic guitar player who practiced five hours every day!!

    I returned to mainly electric guitar a couple of years ago and at first, after the medium gauge (12s) of my acoustic, the electrics seemed to be strung with rubber bands and I had trouble avoiding bending them out of tune :D  It took a little while to adapt back.

    I now try to play a mix of acoustic and electric and, yes, acoustic is a little more physically demanding so I don't overdo that. Ending up with hand problems would not be good.
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  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 10357
    I struggle on acoustics too ... it's a lot harder work than electric. I actually prefer the sound of electric for finger style and arps so rarely play acoustic. If i have to use one like when playing the acoustic stages at festivals I borrow a mates T5 
    www.2020studios.co.uk 
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  • I seem to have no problem managing an hour of classical followed by an hour on electric somewhat later.  30 mins of acoustic at any time is as much as my left hand can manage!  Anything requiring a barre on acoustic is hard work.  Fingerstyle is particularly hard as any note which is not fretted properly will sound quite bad.  On electric with a pick you can get away with more I think!  If you play mainly fingerstyle had you thought about a nylon strung acoustic guitar?  Less string tension and easier on the fretting hand.
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  • Never had an issue with hand pain when playing acoustic, similar to you 20 years of playing , until my left hand suddenly got injured that is. 

    I’d be careful that it isn’t developing into something worse. What kind of pain is it? 
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  • Wrist feels tight and fingers are just sore. Nylon is a good shout but dunno... It wouldn't be the same.
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  • Have you thought about getting a semi?
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  • DavidRDavidR Frets: 728
    Good point to bring up thomas and relevant to all ages but more so as we age perhaps. I play acoustic and classical. Sometimes archtop when recording. Regular short breaks are the thing when practicing. Also its a good rule of thumb (!) Is that if you're trying to do anything with the left hand which hurts, like a 4 fret stretch for example, don't do it. 

    The classical position especially is a killer for back, shoulder, neck. Get up and have a potter and do a few stretches every so often to get the circulation going. Hand wise I think its just a question of going steady. The two hours you describe is really quite a long time and most people would be experiencing some symptoms of simple exhaustion and strain by then. Personally I've never been sure that a few minutes of scales or arpeggios a la Segovia to warm up help that much. I can't see how it would help the hand over and above just getting straight into it.

    Avoid practicing one piece for too long. Especially those pieces where the left hand is in one position all the time.

    You can't follow much of the above advice when you're performing but most people are practicing for most of their playing hours.

    Hope that helps. Go steady. Have fun. More coffee breaks!!
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  • Oh yeah defo doing one complex piece... only do it 4-5 times. Can become a real strain. I hunch a lot which ain't good (ok, so not wrist-related, but still). I got a foot rest which helps a lot when playing seated. 

    More breaks defo!! 
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  • FWIW - even when sitting down I'll have the guitar on its strap, so it's in the right place on my body for my L/R hand positions. That's acoustic and electric. I play with a fairly high guitar, angled neck and a classical left hand wrist position unless the specific fingering is too hard like that, when I'll adjust. Playing with the guitar sitting on my right leg doesn't give the same position at all - doable for most things, but restricting all the same. 

    Now I've also restarted playing classical (for relaxing fun, I don't think you can call what I'm doing "practising") I've also dug out the footstool and try and sit on a chair with a short seat (front to back) that doesn't move. 

    My main acoustic is strung with 11s, BTW. My fingers can play all day. My fingertips can suffer after a few hours on acoustic, ripping up slightly, but electrics (10s) are never an issue. Nylon isn't the same tone at all. I've also got Silk''n"Steel strings on a parlour guitar. They are a bit of a halfway house between proper steel and nylon. Less tension and different tone.
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  • nickpnickp Frets: 182
    Wrist feels tight and fingers are just sore. Nylon is a good shout but dunno... It wouldn't be the same.
    i'd expect the sore fingers to disappear after time and a tight wrist implies tension....without teaching an old dog, I presume you've had a nice low setup on the acoustic - I use 11s on the acoustic also and whilst it's harder, I can play for quite a while, especially fingerstyle - although I go in fazes - currently learning Gypsy which is killing my right hand (due to tension that I can't seem to get rid of yet)
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  • nickpnickp Frets: 182
    following on - I am a bit of a fidget-arse so I probably take a few minutes break every 20 mins or so - might be worth setting a timer
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  • Yeah I use 11s I think, also... :)
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