Building Calluses

My fingers hurt.remarked the elderly woman in Happy Gilmore after the corrupt orderly announced arts & crafts was being extended by 4 hours. Although the woman's complaint in the film was meant to be humorous many guitar students complain of finger pain too, especially in the beginning. Building up callouses take time, patience, and above all consistency. Those students whom practice infrequently or don't practice at all will always return to their guitar knowing that 1, they won't be able to play very long and 2, that their fingers are going to be very sore when they're finished playing.

How Long Does It Take?

Corona guitar lesson students should expect their finger tips to be very sore for the first week of play/practice. The longer and harder students play, the faster and tougher their calluses will be as well...something to keep in mind. Students should never overdue it of course and stop before the discomfort becomes pain. I often recommend that brand new students play 2 or 3 days in a row and then take a day off to allow their fingers to callus up. Practice in the early going can be as short as 30 minutes and as long as an hour. It really depends on a students pain tolerance and desire to play. Take a day or two off after playing for days and hours on end actually helps fingers to build calluses faster.

Fading Away

Extended breaks in play and practice will result in the breakdown of calluses. Everyone's body reacts differently but students tend to notice calluses disappearing as soon as 3 days after having last played. Nothing deters novice guitar players like pain and discomfort in their fingers, especially those who play acoustic guitars. Of course there are going to be times where a student isn't able to play for an extended period of time and may lose their calluses partially or completely. Illness, work, family, school, and other things in life may make playing or practicing difficult but if a student can sneak in just 15 minutes a day they'll keep not only their calluses from fading away but will keep their muscle tone in their hands, arms, and wrists too.

If you have questions about calluses or guitar lessons feel free to hit me up anytime. You can contact me either through my website, Facebook, and/or Twitter. Play often and play hard!

"My Fingers Hurt"