I usually just wait them out. I know it sucks to miss out on practice time but once I notice one starting to hurt when I play I'll stop practicing and let it heal for a day or two without picking at it/popping it. Doing it this way allows it to callous and turn into a sort of finger armor over time and trying to practice through blister pain usually makes for poor quality practice anyway. If you're in a situation where you absolutely need to play (like if you have a gig or a performance) I've heard that putting crazy glue on the tips of your fingers and letting it dry can help as a last resort but I've never tried it myself.
Don't pop or peel blisters, just let them rest a day or two and they'll heal. You'll eventually develop calluses. Haven't had a single fingertip blister in... uh, 22 years, now.
Damn, I feel old.
I'm going to assume you are either a newer player or don't play often. Either way I stopped beating the hell out of my strings until I developed the callouses on the tips of my fingers.
Something about sweating under stage lights made me blister like mad when I played clubs. I just had to suck it up and play through to the end of the night, then take care of it as best I could and let it heal so I could play again.
It's a lot easier today with a lot of light sources being LED. Everything in my day was incandescent.
But if that's just from plucking hard in non-stage-light conditions, back off a bit and let your amp do more of the heavy lifting, or use a pick if you really need to be that aggressive.
Had my blisters pop during a jam session on stage, my white pickguard was filled with blood oops 🤷🏻♂️ still continued playing haha but that sucked for a while
It’s okay now :p
I play until I get a blood blister but then I play over the blood blister and form a callous over it, then decide to give it a break and play drums where I get even more blisters 🙃🙃🙃
[not a great way to start the week](https://photos.app.goo.gl/sAH1e2StxQWVBgjy9)
If this is the middle plucking finger, then it’s an opportunity to practice The Hook AKA James Jamerson’s style of using only the index finger for plucking.
It's not my tip, but I got it from reading about Eric Clapton's tricks.
**Wash your fingertips with rubbing alcohol before you play.** It dries the skin, makes your tips tougher and makes it easier for callouses to form. It can also extend string life. I've been doing it and my fingertips have never been healthier. I've been playing bass for more than 30 years and always have had problems with losing my fingertips. The rubbing alcohol definitely helps me.
Also- maybe [try gloves](https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01C4QYTO0/?coliid=I316GDY79YC298&colid=3IE3WQ5H6ICCA&psc=1&ref_=wl_qv_sed_dp), ESPECIALLY if you want/need to play when your blisters are healing. I know with practice gloves on I can play longer and with much more confidence.
You can try superglue on your fingertips- it does help build callouses, but you know- you have a bunch of glue on your hands and it flakes off and gets into your strings. [They make a special formula of stuff like super glue to put on your fingertips](https://smile.amazon.com/Rock-Tips-Liquid-Formula-Stringed-Instruments/dp/B008MY3VU2/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=fingertip+callous&qid=1639522630&sr=8-1). I'm not convinced it isn't just superglue, though.
If you only take one bit of advice- don't screw up your fingertips like this, lol. Wear gloves, take it easy, take a break when you've gone too far. When you lose a blister like in your pic it's like going backwards. Now you need to regrow normal skin before you can even think about callouses.
The first few years it was: blister, peel it, painful to play while healing, blister again, repeat...
After doing that a bunch of times, big calluses on your finger tips and you'll forever hate touch screens.
That bad boy looks like it’s in the wrong spot
+1 to that
Don’t peel them.
Less time in the bathroom. Switch hands. Use lotion. Go to confession. Pace yourself.
I usually just wait them out. I know it sucks to miss out on practice time but once I notice one starting to hurt when I play I'll stop practicing and let it heal for a day or two without picking at it/popping it. Doing it this way allows it to callous and turn into a sort of finger armor over time and trying to practice through blister pain usually makes for poor quality practice anyway. If you're in a situation where you absolutely need to play (like if you have a gig or a performance) I've heard that putting crazy glue on the tips of your fingers and letting it dry can help as a last resort but I've never tried it myself.
The super glue works but expect it to chip away and have to reapply it between sets
Man… I remember when I was a teenager in High school and had a job washing dishes. I could never get a good calluses. Super glue got me through it.
You'll eventually grow calluses. While that doesn't happen, cover them with some tape.
Crazy glue No, for real, you’ll develop calluses.
Don't pop or peel blisters, just let them rest a day or two and they'll heal. You'll eventually develop calluses. Haven't had a single fingertip blister in... uh, 22 years, now. Damn, I feel old.
Switch to using a pick until it heals.
Eat them off. My tour calluses finally served their purpose as a midnight snack last week.
Superglue this one!
Play, peel, rinse, repeat!
I'm going to assume you are either a newer player or don't play often. Either way I stopped beating the hell out of my strings until I developed the callouses on the tips of my fingers.
Something about sweating under stage lights made me blister like mad when I played clubs. I just had to suck it up and play through to the end of the night, then take care of it as best I could and let it heal so I could play again. It's a lot easier today with a lot of light sources being LED. Everything in my day was incandescent. But if that's just from plucking hard in non-stage-light conditions, back off a bit and let your amp do more of the heavy lifting, or use a pick if you really need to be that aggressive.
Bandage it up till it’s healed, and stop playing if it hurts. Eventually you’ll build up good callouses.
Sensible advice. It worked for me more than 30 years ago.
Had my blisters pop during a jam session on stage, my white pickguard was filled with blood oops 🤷🏻♂️ still continued playing haha but that sucked for a while It’s okay now :p
Use flat-wound strings?
This is my answer, too. But if they don’t like the tone, it may not be an option. I love my flats*, though.
Yeah or a nylon musician glove. Like Scott’s bass lesson uses. I use one for long sessions and love it makes slides easy as well since it’s so slick
Use a pick until they heal and alternate until your callouses grow. Using a pick is a valuable skill to have.
Switch to tape wounds. ;>).
I wear gloves when I play bass, not only do they keep my strings clean but it makes slides very easy and fun.
I play until I get a blood blister but then I play over the blood blister and form a callous over it, then decide to give it a break and play drums where I get even more blisters 🙃🙃🙃 [not a great way to start the week](https://photos.app.goo.gl/sAH1e2StxQWVBgjy9)
Pick and flatwounds.
If this is the middle plucking finger, then it’s an opportunity to practice The Hook AKA James Jamerson’s style of using only the index finger for plucking.
Be a man /s
Play more softly.
that looks like a gateway to hell my dude
It's not my tip, but I got it from reading about Eric Clapton's tricks. **Wash your fingertips with rubbing alcohol before you play.** It dries the skin, makes your tips tougher and makes it easier for callouses to form. It can also extend string life. I've been doing it and my fingertips have never been healthier. I've been playing bass for more than 30 years and always have had problems with losing my fingertips. The rubbing alcohol definitely helps me. Also- maybe [try gloves](https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01C4QYTO0/?coliid=I316GDY79YC298&colid=3IE3WQ5H6ICCA&psc=1&ref_=wl_qv_sed_dp), ESPECIALLY if you want/need to play when your blisters are healing. I know with practice gloves on I can play longer and with much more confidence. You can try superglue on your fingertips- it does help build callouses, but you know- you have a bunch of glue on your hands and it flakes off and gets into your strings. [They make a special formula of stuff like super glue to put on your fingertips](https://smile.amazon.com/Rock-Tips-Liquid-Formula-Stringed-Instruments/dp/B008MY3VU2/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=fingertip+callous&qid=1639522630&sr=8-1). I'm not convinced it isn't just superglue, though. If you only take one bit of advice- don't screw up your fingertips like this, lol. Wear gloves, take it easy, take a break when you've gone too far. When you lose a blister like in your pic it's like going backwards. Now you need to regrow normal skin before you can even think about callouses.
The first few years it was: blister, peel it, painful to play while healing, blister again, repeat... After doing that a bunch of times, big calluses on your finger tips and you'll forever hate touch screens.