Just started last week..
 

Just started practicing last week. I played for about 6 hours a day for each day until now. My index finger now has a gigantic blister. It's not so much that I can't play through the pain, but more like I can't play well with the pain in the back of my mind.

This may sound corny, but I tried to rest it for a day and each time I couldn't resist and just started playing again. So i'm just wondering if the calluses will still form normally if I don't rest the blister and just keep playing through it?

Should I just keep playing, or will this stunt the whole callous production? Also, any way to speed up the process?

thanks guys :)

If you are playing 6 hours a day, you are REALLY hooked. That sounds like me as a teenager.

Playing about one hour a day will develop calluses in a couple of weeks. But if you have a blister, you really need to give yourself a break. Once calluses form, you can play 6 hours a day again. But you need to heal up first...

Good luck and have a ball!
- Glenn

use a bit of cottton wool and dab a bit of rubbing alcohol on the tips of your fingers it hardens them up some.

I'd back off a bit. Like you, when I first started playing I wanted to make up for lost time and practiced way too much. After the blisters came open sores oozing blood all over the strings and fretboard. (at least for me) Then I had a real tough time developing the callous I needed. When the skin opens up like mine did, a steel string on it can be very painful. Wait until that skin toughens up a bit before you resume marathon wood-shedding. Otherwise, the tenderness and soreness will ultimately set you back.

Even though this happened 20 years ago, I still remember how painful it was and I almost gave up. Don't be stupid and hard-headed like I was.

This is a great time to work on bar chords! It will give the tip of your index finger a rest, while building important skills and satisfying your inner guitar junkie. I remember this feeling well, and it's a good thing.

B

You could also work on strumming patterns. Just hold your left hand lightly over the strings to dampen the sound.

Steve

I'm a bit like you - play too much and start getting blisters and callouses at the same time. I took two months off, came back to playing and have/had the same problem.

I can't say what to do - I know it's hard to stop when you're having fun. I just notice that it seems like it takes a long time for that to go away and get a proper callous (third finger seems the worst, but it usually plays the thickest strings). I always just kept playing, but my fingers can hurt for a month or so before it finally gets better. Mine never actually bled, but there's still a purple blister under my callous and it still hurts a little (been playing again for a month).

Good luck, try to take it easy if you can, maybe.

yeah lol, I just finished midterms so I've had quite some time on my hands, not to mention I really am hooked..

Anyways I will try the alcohol thing, but I won't be able to go buy some till this weekend. I guess until then I will just take a break..

thanks for the input guys, I guess it's time for me to put the guitar down for a few days! :mad:

Welcome to the forum! Wow, six hours a day? Your fingertips should be starting to get calloused pretty soon! It will get easier, but you don't have to stop practicing, I'd just suggest breaking it up into small blocks - little and often.

Fliss

tune the strings down a little lower and the pain might not be as bad. This is a temporary fix only.

I'd go easy. Thats a lot playing for anybody in one day. You could quite possibly develop repetitive stress syndrome. If you put that kind of effort into bar chords you can bet on carpal tunnel problems that will haunt you the rest of your life.

Break up your playing in half hour blocks resting a few hours in between. More than a couple hours a day and your going to get diminishing returns like your callus issue.

I'm just saying... less is more. At least until you slooowly build up strength without permanent damage. ;)

thanks man, yeah thats what I did today. I woke up in the morning and the blister was alot better but after playing for like 15 minutes the pain was back and the blister was looking bigger than ever. I think i'm just gonna take a break for a few days, then play in smaller intervals from then on. thanks guys! :up:

"This is a great time to work on bar chords!"

Bar chords? WE DON'T NEED NO STINKING BAR CHORDS!"

This is a good idea..... but only if you also play with less fingertip pressures.

As a new player I always used too much pressure to get clean notes. This finger pressure is not necessary, and a bad habit that will require you even more practice to break.

Heres the real deal. IMHO
Since you need to take a break anyway, find a good local guitar tech and get your guitar 'set-up'. This will adjust the guitar for optimum string heights and "playability"
All that means far less finger pressure is needed to make good clean notes.

When you get the guitar back, hopefully, you will be fully healed and, I'm sure, still hopelessly motiviated to become the next "guitar hero". Now when you practice, also think about how much you are squeezeing and try to find and use the least pressure needed to make the notes.

Get guitar set up
Play with less muscle.

I wish someone had offered me that info at the beginning. I still am working on defeating the "death grip" style of freting some chords. Down the road, excess squeezing will limit your skills and music.

Good luck and never loose that enthusiam for makin' music.......ds

Oh the Joy of blisters! Take the weekend off from playing and hit it hard again on Monday.