General Music Chat

I cut my finger today at work. We have an important gig in Galveston this Sat. The cut is right where I bar chords thru the coarse of the night I do that a lot. Any advice will be appreciated.

If it doesn't close by show time break out the Super Glue.
Good Luck Jeff!

I cut my finger today at work. We have an important gig in Galveston this Sat. The cut is right where I bar chords thru the coarse of the night I do that a lot. Any advice will be appreciated.

You want to minimize the surface area that covers the cut.

But first: Takes advantage of as much healing opp as possible thru Saturday Morning. I.e Dress wound properly, clean etc

On Sat morning, if its still tender, Take a wide bandaid strip and splice it to the width of @ quarter inch. (should wear like a ring) Cover the wound snug & tight. But the wound will dry up better

SAT Eve, right before the show, do it again....

With smaller surface area over the finger, the modified bandaid should not present any interference with your fretboard performance.

Have a few of these on hand for during the show (if possible)

Thats mah 2 cents

Do everything the boys suggested but consider where you can substitute power chords (2 or 3 notes) for bar chords. Even if the cut closes by Sat you will reopen if you don't do everything you can to stay off it.

Sorry to hear that.

Talbot

Vicodin

Duct tape . . .

Been there done that. As already noted, it needs to dry out as much as possible before you try to play. That helps a lot.

Bring plenty band aids, play lots of slide and power chords. (it helps that I've been playing slide for over 30 years...)

I had a new years eve gig around 1988. Decided that afternoon to put a speaker jack plate on my home built 1x12 cab, just found some plexiglas that was perfect so I started drilling holes. Great till I got to the big one for the jack...(it had a female jack hanging outside the box till now, just to get it working since I had no jack plate) When the drill broke through the back side, I didn't know at the time it would grab and spin...and I was holding it by hand. It ripped the tip of my left index finger to shreds, and I had the best paying gig of the year in 4-5 hours...and no band aids...

So I wrapped it in a layer of gauze and crisscrossed medical tape, took plenty extra with me. Played loads of slide, more sax than usual and hurt all night.

Then cleaned all the blood off my guitar and sax and went home.
Several times since then I've cut fingers doing machinist or carpenter work, fortunately it's usually not the day of a gig. but it's no fun at all 3 or 4 days later. Wrap it with band aids, it hinders your playing a lot, it hurts, and it's likely to get blood all over your guitar neck because it will probably open up again under the pressure of playing all night and it hurts. Did I mention IT HURTS...(hehe...)

I've heard super glue might work but never tried it. I just try to stay off that finger as much as I can, keep it covered and clean, and press on. Same as when I have to play after I hurt my back...bring a stool, take plenty good drugs and try not to get to rockin too much...

If you try the super glue thing make damn sure you let it cure before touching anything...you'll be glued to it all night...You might try just medical tape and a smudge of something to keep it from sticking to the cut itself, I usually just use the smallest band aid I can get by with. And bring a dozen extras...

I also don't say anything about it. And try not to let on that I'm in pain...except when I hurt my back, it's too obvious...then I have to tell the audience why I'm on a stool. (I've been carried onstage before...high as hell on Vicodin or codiene...) Usually they already know I'm pretty active onstage so people are asking. But if I have a cut finger I just grin and bear it...and play lots of slide...

Good luck, I don't envy you. It's not fun, but you can do it...

I played a gig this past new year's eve with a friend who broke his left middle finger a couple of weeks before. He played all night, as best he could, hurt it a couple of times, but he made the night. So it could be worse...

Damn George...I didn't see that...or expect it from you. Duct tape????

OK I haven't tried that one but I suppose it would work, but put something under it so it won't be as likely to stick to the cut itself. Neosporin would be my choice, or Vaseline...

I have been letting it dry out. I decided early on to not go to the Dr. As he would stick my finger in that damn solution and open it and close it several times further delaying minutes of healing time also with the stitches (the wound) it is about 3/4" long and runs parallel with my finger. As soon as it happened yesterday I turned on my phone to text my wife and the agent that booked us wants us to play an extra hour! For more money of course the gig pays 1K so as you can imagine this is no bar gig.

You can buy 'Liquid Bandage' at the drugstore - will let it heal better than open air (holds the wound together) and won't leave your skin white/soft like a bandaid will.
As soon as you start playing, the liquid bandage will come right off, though, so use superglue before the gig.

BTW, Liquid Bandage stings like a bastard when you put it on!

Jeff, I've needed stitches maybe 30 times in my life. I've gotten stitches once. I have super glued every other time. The number one reason I do this is to prevent pain. It stops bleeding. It protects the wound from further damage. The key is to make 4 - 5 coats letting each layer dry fully before application of the next layer. Very important, do NOT use super glue gel. And the liquid bandage is not tough enough. Super glue straight works. I've super glued gashes on fingers and gone right back to work minutes later wrenching on cars and motorcycles. It prevents pain so you can use the wounded digit.

Sorry it happened. Give us a report back after the show. Break a leg!

Jeff, I've needed stitches maybe 30 times in my life. I've gotten stitches once. I have super glued every other time. The number one reason I do this is to prevent pain. It stops bleeding. It protects the wound from further damage. The key is to make 4 - 5 coats letting each layer dry fully before application of the next layer. Very important, do NOT use super glue gel. And the liquid bandage is not tough enough. Super glue straight works. I've super glued gashes on fingers and gone right back to work minutes later wrenching on cars and motorcycles. It prevents pain so you can use the wounded digit.

Sorry it happened. Give us a report back after the show. Break a leg!

Thanks Paul, I am going to do this. This is the kind of info I was hoping for! I'll let you guys know how the show goes!

Man: Doc, my hand hurts when I do this.

Doc: Don't do that!

Good luck Jeff. Tell the bass player to play more root notes so that you don't have to play so many barre chords. If you ever watch films of Hendrix he never did them.

Thanks Jimmy. When I first started playing guitar we used to call those 2 note power chords he played "Hendrix chords"!

Have you ever truly watched a leftie play a right-handed-strung guitar? One of hte guys at the open mic does it. Bar-chords are incredibly difficult to play that way!