The Cost
Many people are enthusiastic about learning to play guitar until after a few days of practicing, their fingers start to hurt. They believe that as long as they continue playing, the pain is a part of being a guitarist that they will be faced with. Not wanting to endure what they think will be constant pain as the price of learning to play the guitar, they give up trying.
Yes, your fingers will hurt, your wrist will get sore and the palm of your hand will ache. This is normal, and you should not think that the pain that you experience is a long term part of playing guitar. Just as the muscles in your body ache when you begin working out after a long time, your fingers, hand and forearm will ache when you begin your guitar workout.
When you experience any form of discomfort while practicing or playing, STOP! Let your arm fall to your side and relax your hand until the discomfort goes away. It is better to practice for a short period of time in comfort, than it is to try to practice through pain and risk injury.
In my opinion, the only long term physical cost of learning to play guitar that you can depend on is a thickening of the pads of your finger tips. If you practice smart, you should be able to manage the discomfort that beginning guitar learners experience. Remember, if you experience pain at any time when practicing or playing, STOP!
