Guitar Calluses: Obtain Your Badge Of Honor

I have been a guitar player for over 15 years and I am often asked by new guitar players if the tip of my fingers still hurt whenever I play my guitar. I've always had sensitive fingertips and yes, they still do hurt sometimes, especially when my hands are cold.

Playing the guitar can be somewhat painful at first. We are all born with soft fingertips and no matter how tough you look like or how big your muscles are, your fingertips will still hurt when you start playing the guitar. The pain is caused when we press down the strings with our fingertips and this situation is very normal especially for those who are just starting out.

Guitar Calluses. Photo Credits

In order for you to become comfortable playing the guitar, you must first develop nice CALLUSES on your fingertips. Calluses are toughened areas of the skin which has become relatively thick and hard in response to repeated friction, pressure, or other irritation. It may take weeks or even months for you to build up those protective layers of dead skin, depending on how much and how often you play.


Are Calluses Good or Bad?

Well, if you are aiming to become a hand model for soap and lotion commercials someday, calluses might not be ideal for you to have. But, if you want to become a real guitarist, then YOU NEED TO HAVE calluses on your fingertips. In short, calluses are GOOD for guitar players. It's your BADGE OF HONOR and its the difference between real guitar players and pretenders.

For us guitar players, getting those calluses is our rite of passage to signify that we really have what it takes to become good at guitars. It shows that we successfully endured the inevitable pain to be rightfully called a GUITARIST. It's our baptism by fire, so to speak.

Calluses - Your badge of honor. Photo Credits

How to Develop Calluses?

You can develop your calluses by playing the basic chords presented in this blog over and over again. As you progress, you also gain strength in your hands and fingers and become more comfortable while playing the guitar. Before you know it, fretting a guitar becomes as natural to you as pressing keys on your cellphone.

Fingers with calluses fretting the strings. Photo Credits

You will often hear a lot of methods that can help you get your calluses fast but not all them work. So, to help you out, what follows is a list truths and myths in getting your calluses:

Sandpaper
You practice and then file down the skin on your fingers: MYTH.

Salt and water
Mix together a saline solution and dip your fingers in it three-times a day: TRUTH.

Urine
Keep them submerged three times a day: MYTH. Ewwwwwwww!!!

Isopropyl Alcohol
A tip from Eric Clapton. Rub the solution on your fingertips with a cotton bud three times a day: TRUTH.
This will dry out the skin and help calluses build very quickly.

Superglue
Apply the glue to your fingertips: MYTH.
Really nasty and not nice to work with at all.

Just play
Play your guitar: UNDENIABLE TRUTH.
The best way to get calluses is just to keep on playing.

No matter what anyone tells you, the only way to become good at guitars is to practice, every day, even if it’s for 10 minutes. Building up those calluses takes time. But always remember to stop and take a rest if you begin to feel tenderness or soreness in your fingers or hands.