'I've Got Blisters on My Fingers!'

If you’re thinking about taking up the guitar, too, be sure to set aside plenty of time to practice and even more time to whine about how badly the fingertips on your left hand hurt. I’m not kidding; virgin fingers are going to get brutalized on a fretboard, mashing down on those wire strings. I now have what I consider a pretty righteous set of callouses on the first three fingers of my left hand, though.

And while I realize the importance of fingers in playing the guitar, they sure do get in the way. Mine are always hanging over on the next string or encroaching on a neighboring fret, which creates a lovely buzz or plink.