The bane of the stringed instrument player.....how do you cope with sore/split fingers? I tried putting on a little bit of petroleum jelly today, but it hasn't been helping a whole lot.
Um..I have hard core callouses...but I still get sore/split fingers at times when I play for hours on end. Usually it's the higher strings that really cut deep, especially when playing bluegrass, all the hammer ons and pull offs etc...seem to cut at an angle under my callouses.
Yeah, but when I play the lotion tends to moisturize the area too much and it is even more painful. I've heard a few people recommend shea butter...
I only had this problem when I first started playing, and since, the callouses have never really been cut or split. What string gauges are you using, and have you changed strings recently?
You are simply playing beyond what your supposedly "hardcore callouses" can handle. The body gives signals (soreness\pain) when stressed. Those signals are easily ignored in the heat of the moment when you are really concentrating on playing music... You may not have noticed that you are playing longer, pushing and pulling the strings harder etc... Believe me, I know good hammer-ons and pull-offs can get pretty punishing when you are trying to squeeze every last harmonic out of that string. (here's where a larger gauge string may help as the harmonics are better) Examine your tecnique, make sure you are not using excessive pressure and what not... Again, you may not have noticed your level of playing (intensity) has increased and your gonna just have to pay attention to your bodys signals and give your callouses a chance to catch up. Definitely stay away from creams and lotions. If your callouses get too thick, hard, or flaky, use one of those sandpaper nail files to clean 'em up a bit. Take it easy man and keep it up. ZW
Im still not sure how SRV used .13s in standard tuning. I could get my shit down to like drop A with that and it still not be to loose.
Yeah, he had his action set really high too... 's why he got the tone he did. He musta had finger tips like concrete! ZW
aloe will help...i also play some banjo as well as guitar , so my callouses are pretty hard.....i developed a "hole" in my middle finger from playing so much at one point, i had to play thru the pain,.....so my suggestion is just that play thru the pain...
super glue.. wd40.. your just making it softer.. keep aways from hand creams that turn your hands into girly hands..
aloe worked great for me i used aloe from an aloe plant though not store bought, and only on the sore areas when it hurt....not all the time
