Barre finger - callous?

[michelew]

Sometimes I'm not sure where the most appropriate place to post my questions is, as they are often to anyone more experienced than me. That is, they don't really need Neil's experience. But, I guess this is as good a place as any.

I've been working on a song with several barre chords in it on my steel-string. THe side of my barre finger (first finger obviously) is getting tender around the middle knuckle. I'm assuming that it's normal and that I'll eventually develop a sort of callous or at least tougher skin on the edge (actually not quite the edge).

Is this your experience? Any advice as to how long it should take.


I guess it depends how long you practice. Anyway - just wondering.

I hope you're all having a great day/night.

Michele

[BigBear]

Michele- I've never actually developed a callus on my finger the way you describe even after hours of playing. But the skin will toughen up somewhat. I wish my finger was harder so the barres would be easier, or at least cleaner, to play! :cheer:

[michelew]

Thanks Rick. Yes - I was also hoping that harder skin would mean easier to barre and a cleaner sound. We'll see how it develops I guess.

Ta

Michele

[tovo]

I think the skin on my index finger is definitely harder than it was 12 months ago after a lot of practice on barres. I wouldn't call it calloused, but tougher.

[mark]

yes the skin hardens up a little bit.
Not really a callus like your fingers but a little bit harder.

I know what you mean about the tenderness. I had that a few weeks ago, but on my first knuckle.

[michelew]

Thanks Tony and Mark. Good to hear that I'm not just being a woose (I don't know if this translates - a whimp) and that the skin toughens up a bit.

Michele

[mark]

michelew wrote:

Thanks Tony and Mark. Good to hear that I'm not just being a woose (I don't know if this translates - a whimp) and that the skin toughens up a bit.

Michele

yeah woose translates
woose = wimp = big girls blouse

[waggis]

Hi Michele. I never experienced a callous from playing barre chords, but I have developed, for the first time, a callous on the side of my thumb from hammering the 6th string a million times in "The Fisherman".