ESP Axes Man

So I've been playing guitar since I was 10 which was 7 years ago. Just the past year or so I've been having trouble with this nerve in my arm. I found out it was an issue I was born with so I had to get surgery to fix it. Because of this I couldn't play guitar for 3 months. I got just as good as I used to be in about a week but my calluses are non-existant.

I think it's worse for me than a beginner because a beginner at least plays like he doesn't have any calluses where as I play just as aggressively as I used to. Because of this I will rip my fingers apart in about 10 minutes and it takes a couple days to heal. On more than one occasion I've cut very deeply into my finger during a bend and that hurts like **** and makes any more playing that day impossible. It feels like I spend more time waiting for my fingers to heal than actually playing. Any tips for getting my calluses back quicker?

jpcl

I guess you'll just have to play not so agressive...lol. I don't think there's quite an "easy and fast" way of getting calluses.

jon.peebles

This. Play your guitar.

Kenjisan231

I used to put super glue on my finger tips as a temporary fix. Calluses form as a result of healing, and you can't super speed up the healing process. If you want to play now, try super glue.

OldEscape

Try tuning your guitar a step up from EADGBE to F#BEAC#F#, I usually keep one of my guitars ready for that in case I take an extended break and come back below par to my expectations. Try that or use thicker gauges and play with the highest tension you can tolerate, give it two to three days and you should be getting good calluses. Play with the pain.

jpcl

Wait. You have a guitar sitting and ready just for getting calluses after extended breaks?...Not sure if serious...

INSULIN

became a diabetic .i check my blood.prick me fingers ha ha

Miyagi84

Playing on nylon strings (a classical guitar) and make sure to practice around with songs that use alot of varying chord shapes and that use all fretting fingers... Joe Satrianni's "Tears in the Rain" is a great song I use to build up my calluses.

even if you don't have a nylon string then use an acoustic. two one or two hour sessions and you'll start to get good firm calluses back.

jpnyc

Buy a bass.

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Reighnart

Pet Cacti

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OldEscape

Yeah! I have eight guitars with different string gauges on them, all of them are in different tunings and one of them is specifically for that reason, it's the guitar I write with the least but enjoy practicing with the most. I do that with my bass guitars, too.

JAHellraiser

Put extra heavy strings on. That is seriously the only way I can think of that could make getting calluses quicker.

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Mr E Meat

.12s

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Bad@guitar

Mr. Parker

Steel string acoustic has always worked for me.

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Samhuinn

It may be an old wife's tale, but I heard that putting up a bowl of rice and rubbing your fingers through it whilst watching tv, or something, can build up calluses ..
Anyone have any experience with it?

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hminh87

Either play a lot or use a finger strengthener while you're not playing. I think it helps.

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Gargoyle2500

Don't fire your guns all at once; It's wearing out your fingertips before they've had a chance to build up. Just play and they'll build up.

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jpcl

Exactly. Actually quoting the definition of calluses: "A callus (or callosity) is a toughened area of skin which has become relatively thick and hard in response to repeated friction, pressure, or other irritation. Rubbing that is too frequent or forceful will cause blisters rather than allow calluses to form.... Normally, a callus will form on any part of the skin exposed to friction over a long period of time."

That setback you get from playing too rough or using any of these "speeding up techniques" are these blisters or cuts on your fingers. Use thicker strings and they might not cut you anymore, but they'll give you blisters, and they'll just make you stop again because forcing to play after you start developing blisters is just a massacre on your fingers and pain dealing just to find your not getting anywhere.

MaaZeus

In nutshell, callouses are a byproduct of healing and skin thickening due to repeated stress on that part of skin. If you overdo it you are just keeping your finger tips blistered, fleshy and bleeding, never even letting the callous to form.

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