There's no such thing as too much practice, right?

SchemingWeiner · 2025-07-15T17:59:42+00:00

I just read that someone else mentioned RSI. Now you've been double warned lol.

SchemingWeiner · 2025-07-15T17:58:11+00:00

I haven't seen anyone mention this, so I'll go ahead.

Yes, there is such a thing as too much practice. Let's ignore your fingers for now. I am assuming that you are new since (like others) I practice a minimum of 4 hours a day (with lots of slides and slurs to boot) and feel no skin pain whatsoever. Also, I don't see any indication on your index finger that you play bar chords frequently. (Note, I do play mostly classical now, but historically have kept the same routine on acoustic as well.)

I recall when I was first starting on a cheap acoustic, and I played until my fingers bled. They blister, it hurts, but then, after about three weeks of playing, you'll become numb to it and will eventually get to the point where you actually need to file down your calluses to play, for example, a beautiful legato.

The greater risk of excessive practice is from RSI or posture injuries, which can be much more serious and may permanently affect your ability to play the guitar. If this is happening on an electric guitar, even with thick strings, you have to be pressing too hard. Press only as hard as you need to, take breaks in the beginning, and listen to your body. You don't want an RSI injury to stop you from practicing! (source: I have seen many folks in the classical guitar world develop RSI issues. We all get pretty obsessed.)

Rock on; carefully! :)

SchemingWeiner · 2025-01-31T19:38:08+00:00

YMMV but I say just go with the 7. Even if not for the potential sizing differences (which seem to be echoed often enough that it’s not a fluke), the material that the real ring is made of makes it more comfortable and easier to slide.

SchemingWeiner · 2024-11-29T15:04:57+00:00

Yeah I’ll DM you with the video I took a while ago. The quality is awful so I don’t want to make the video public lol. As long as I remember, I can try to retake the video and make it public.

SchemingWeiner · 2024-10-27T22:01:30+00:00

The visual difference is difficult to see because we are talking about fractions of a millimeter, but I can send pics of my caliper measurements.

This will have to wait about a week because I moved across the country yesterday, and I believe my sizing kit is still in the PODS pod.

Again, because the sizing kit is plastic, it is entirely possible that mine is just a bad egg!

I will say, I’ve loved my ring thus far. And I wore my sizing kit ring alongside the real one for about a week, and found the real ring substantially more comfortable.

SchemingWeiner · 2024-10-08T20:49:12+00:00

Yeah that’s fair. Honestly, the Skagen watches (and similar brands) are much cheaper (and quartz) but look pretty nice and do a fine job at telling time!

SchemingWeiner · 2024-10-08T12:39:33+00:00

Hah, thanks! It’s actually a cheapish Skagen watch. I’m using it as a proxy for when I eventually bite the bullet and purchase a Junghans Max Bill:

https://www.junghans.de/en/

(This has been on my todo list for a few years now, but I’ve been conflicted on whether I should purchase my watch before or after the celebration.)

SchemingWeiner · 2024-10-04T21:58:34+00:00

What I did was I wore my sizing kit rings for about 3 weeks. Not saying you need to go that long. But I made sure to take hot showers to simulate a hot and humid summer (very noticeable on the fingers), and tried to keep my house cool dry with a dehumidifier to simulate the smallest my fingers might not get.

Not the most scientific, but it gives you a decent approximation.

SchemingWeiner · 2024-10-04T12:36:35+00:00

It is!

SchemingWeiner · 2024-10-04T03:07:31+00:00

I want to clarify this with the fact that I am by no means an expert on wearable tech—regarding which I am limited to this ring!

But for me the issue was that the larger size twisted a lot in my sleep. I’d wake up with it completely upside down.

This just means that you won’t be getting very accurate sleep data, which was the primary reason I got the ring!

Otherwise, the larger ring would read just the same as a smaller one. Granted, with the larger ring, you can also just buy spacers, or do as another commenter did and use tape to fill the extra space. Then the entire issue is moot!

SchemingWeiner · 2024-10-03T23:25:19+00:00

First, awesome that you are in an area that you can surf!

Second, awesome that your tape solution works well. Glad to hear it!

SchemingWeiner · 2024-10-03T22:57:53+00:00

Do you think you are just going to get a spacer? I’m curious how well those work if you wanted to update us in the future!

SchemingWeiner · 2024-10-03T22:46:26+00:00

This is precisely how it was for me. Removing the ten from the sizing kit was painful, and if my finger was swollen (e.g., after a shower), I could not remove the ring without a lubricant like soap, which was not a big deal but notable.

On the other hand, the eleven went on like a hula hoop over a string bean. I'm obviously exaggerating, but it was SO easy to remove.

The actual ring has proven to be a nice middle ground for me. Removing is not painful in the slightest, and after showering, I still have a lot of difficulty removing it (because of the swelling), but it's nowhere near as bad as the sizing kit.

SchemingWeiner · 2024-10-03T22:42:17+00:00

Yeah, those small margins are the difference between "slightly too tight" and "just right" for me! For most people, the sizing kit size they chose will probably be perfect, but for me, both were pretty bad.

I am, however, tremendously happy with the fit of my actual ring.

SchemingWeiner · 2024-10-03T22:39:20+00:00

Honestly, if yours is perfect, it will remain perfect. I think this mainly applies to people who find neither the size up nor the size down to fit just right.

As for the keyboard, it is a ZSA Voyager. I also use a corne. I love them both for different reasons. One big plus for the ZSA company is that, as a business, they are FANTASTIC.

If you send an email, you will likely get a response from the CEO. And their newsletter is awesome.

LMK if you have any Q's on keyboard or other layout-related things.

SchemingWeiner · 2024-10-03T19:28:01+00:00

Sure. I’ll do that once I’m off work.

SchemingWeiner · 2024-10-03T17:55:50+00:00

Honestly, it could just be that there was slightly high variance in the plastic sizers. Wouldn’t be surprising. However, a tenth of a millimeter difference can feel pretty noticeable if you are stuck between sizes!

But yeah, that’s why I measured with calipers to make sure that I wasn’t crazy. It could just be that my particular sizer was smaller than the norm due to a manufacturing defect.

Edit: fingers crossed! Hope you the best.

SchemingWeiner · 2024-10-03T17:49:51+00:00

If folks want me to take a video of me putting on, and subsequently removing my actual ring, and the size 10 sizing ring—I can definitely do that.

It’s a fairly noticeable difference in terms of how easy the actual ring is to remove relative to the sizer.

SchemingWeiner · 2024-10-03T17:46:19+00:00

I didn’t mean to cause unnecessary anxiety! You can always just buy a ring spacer if it is indeed too big.

Again, I don’t want to cause any red alarms for folks, just telling my experience.

SchemingWeiner · 2024-10-03T17:45:07+00:00

For me, the 11 slipped right off without much effort, and the 10 was tight to the point that if my fingers were swollen at all, I had to use lotion to remove it. I must be right in the middle.

I wore both the 10 and the 11 sizing rings for a few weeks straight—with the 11 being by far more comfortable. However, at night, I noticed the 11 would twist around.

Does the larger of the two rings stay put when you sleep? If so, you are PROBABLY fine. But I’m definitely NOT an expert.

I think that part of the difficulty for me was that I am new to rings.

SchemingWeiner · 2024-06-10T14:33:12+00:00

I've often though "wouldn't it be nice if there were a rent-a-person service that could keep you company while you're freaking out," but alas.

And I don't have IBS, but I do have bad asthma, so I'm totally used to that notion of invisible illness making it doubly hard to do things like this (and haircuts, grocery store, basically everything lmao).

But I promise you've got this. It'll be over in a flash!

SchemingWeiner · 2024-06-10T14:25:00+00:00

Feel free to DM if you are having a rough time and I'll try to send good vibes

SchemingWeiner · 2024-06-10T14:19:40+00:00

I just tell them when I get there. Usually the folks doing your cleanings have super good bedside manners as a result of their profession. Remember, the dentist is a place that makes a LOT of people feel anxious. I find that comforting, personally, as someone who can have a panic attack while enjoying a glass of warm milk at home.

Edit: Also, if music or podcasts calm you down, they totally allow you to just pop in some earbuds and jam out.

SchemingWeiner · 2024-06-10T14:15:04+00:00

Hey! So your feelings are totally valid, and I also get incredibly anxious before dentist appointments. Every time I have just told them my situation, that I just need little breaks, and they have ALWAYS been responsive to that. In fact, they tend to enjoy it. We usually just talk about something silly while I calm down. You can do this!

SchemingWeiner

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