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.