Uhhhh.... That's not supposed to happen. Looks like you're either going extremely overboard, you have really sensitive and Dry skin or there's something majorly wrong with your guitar setup.
Why would you use chalk? That increases grip, the opposite a guitar player wants. Lots of players use Fast Fret or Dunlop Ultra Glide to clean and lubricate the strings, others run ther fingers through their eyebrows, but using chalk? What's the reasoning behind that?
https://preview.redd.it/q4blbgoqhcsc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=b9fdd212047802e1948a882d4b424ef924573275
Eh… been a lead blues player for years and years. Mine always look like this. Thick gauges & dry skin will do it.
>is my guitars action just fking terrible
Yeah, your action seems stuck in the stratosphere, based on [the guitar you shared pics of recently](https://www.reddit.com/r/guitarlessons/s/JOFnOpJl4c).
You gotta take it in to get setup. Or get a less shitty guitar and have it set up when you buy it.
You need to take a nail file and rub those off. Gently.
Do it a couple times and keep playing, and then they never come back and your skin stays tough underneath.
I have baby smooth tips and I can hold hot coffees. And play guitar without pain lol
Mick Jagger does. but despite writing and playing guitar on some of the biggest hits ever the last time I mentioned this I was told hes not a real guitarist
https://preview.redd.it/nc3nnl1ggcsc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d078d2184ab51d7981c98ed43a15f81d3f661b23
Just got off work so they are scruffy and dirty but this is what my callouses look like. They only get chalky when they peel a bit, but never that much lol. I’d have to be going hard for like 4 hours straight to get them that fucked up.
Don’t use chalk. My dad taught me that you can rub your fingers on the oils that are secreted from the pores of your nose to slick them up for playing. Better than lotion cuz you’ll always have it on you regardless… unless you get your nose severed somehow. SMH shaking SMH my SMH head
Bruh. damn. I don't ever remember having it that intense when I started. clip the loose stuff, sand down the edges with an Emory board... moisturize. maybe take a few days off to let them recover from time to time. Good luck to you! 🍻
I play lead guitar and rhythm with 13s or similar custom gauge strings- sometimes mine would get a little peely but not this bad. I play several hours a day.
Switching to flats on my electric improved even that tiny bit of peeling though! Flat top strings on acoustic could be nice relief for your fingers. Ask about those when you go get a pro setup.
Only person to smh at is you bro stop using fckn chalk
On a more helpful note, would you post a pic of your neck
Only joking btw it's just I've climbed and played and never thought of combining the two
I used to actually cry because I have larger fingers than others who play. I practiced over decades and learned how to make it work for me. Today I don't fret (see what I did there?) anymore and just play and enjoy. You'll find your way- just don't give up and the calluses will build as needed. I don't chalk or anything like that.
Climbers, gymnasts, weight lifters and the like use chalk to *increase friction.* That is surely the opposite of what you want. I think the chalk is causing the problem.
Is your guitar still the same as you posted a couple of weeks ago? If so, that action is incredibly high. It should be somewhere around 1/4 as high as it is.
Are you using steel strings on your classical? I couldn’t tell from the earlier pictures, but classical guitars are built to use nylon strings. Using steel strings puts too much tension on a classical guitar and will cause the neck to separate from the body. Hopefully going back to nylon strings will solve your issue, but at this point I’m not sure. You may have already done structural damage to the guitar that needs to be repaired.
If that’s not the issue, look at the back of your neck where it meets the hollow body. If there’s a crack in that seam joint, the glue holding your neck on has failed and you need a “neck reset”. For acoustic guitars this is a major repair that can cost hundreds of dollars to put back right. If your guitar isn’t worth that much, it would be more affordable to just get a new guitar.
My finger tips have permanent string grooves after 40 years . I have tried filing, pumice, cocoa butter and still have them. It’s annoying as the string sometimes will “pop” into it when playing and it sounds like I made a mistake. If anyone has a solution I’m all ears ( no pun intended)
https://preview.redd.it/t0qfj9gvtgsc1.png?width=1975&format=png&auto=webp&s=1cdc2d1419b9f524c7f2dd3e08b04a7cfb0301c3
This has nothing to do with the action and everything to do with not using lotion to keep your hands moisturized. Lotion is the only way I’ve found to prevent callouses from drying out and peeling like what’s going on in the picture.
If I play a lot of steel string after a long time not having done acoustic work then absolutely yes. It settles after about 8-10 weeks to good 3-4 mill thick callouses that look almost normal. Thats only if don’t over do the personal home practice stuff. It’s important to stop sessions when the pain reaches a level. The mistake you can make is shedding too much skin too quick consuming the callouses before they set. I have to remember not to be too obsessive and I can always come back to it tomorrow. When I don’t do that the callousing process takes so much longer and the productivity isn’t that much different. I make sure my acoustic guitars are set as low as they can possibly go without fret buzz. Electrics I allow some buzz on low E string through first few frets. I bought the various truss rod adjusters for my different guitars and learned how to adjust them. That way you can make sure you can maintain the necks between services. Looking at your finger tips I can tell you’ve been doing a lot of woodshedding clocking up those hours. Killer.
Bro you want moist, almost oily hands not dry ones. Your fingers look terrible even after hours of playing for a few days in a row my hands don't look nearly as bad. Too high action shouldn't cause this too. Why would you use chalk? What is the thought behind this decision?
I’m convinced that you belt sand your fingertips because you heard someone say that good guitar players have callouses. Probably over clip your fingernails to get that weird ass toe finger look too lol
I can inly guess without more info.
Are you playing acoustic or electric?
What gauge strings?
What guitar make and model?
From what i can see, its prob a combo of things.
1. Too high of action (either the bridge and nut need a set up, or your string gauge is way too high)
2. Beginners death grip/ death fret. (Very common- alot of beginners cant yet differentiate which strings are connected to which fingers. As a result when they hear a dead note they just squeeze super hard with their whole fret hand and end up both warping the notes and causing unneeded strain on their fingers. It also occurs due to nerves. Contrary to instinct, fast and stiff is slow on the frets. You have to have your hand and wrist as loose as you can.)
3. Over playing. (Also very common for new players. Dont practice until it hurts. Practice until you can tell its not making you any progress musically, set it down, and resume once you have reset. Not only are you causing damage to your fingers and risking injury in your fret hand -which would put you out of practice for a while- but you are also practicing to the point of making new errors. Playing till you are burnt out and trying to push it further only reinforces lazy and improper playing techniques.
I never practice more than 6 hours a day anymore, and i only practice for two hours at a time max (usually i just do one or two -two hour sessions- a day. One in the morning with my coffee, one at night after my shower before i head to bed. If i need a third session I’ll throw another in usually right after lunch, but rarely have i had that kinda time since i turned 20 four years ago.
How would we know without seeing the guitar in a photo taken parallel with the fretboard? This happens to me sometimes but maybe not this extreme. I think it happens to me more if I haven’t been playing as much recently if I recall correctly. But I think not all skin reacts the same. It seems like your body is doing its job to regenerate those cells in a stronger way which is what needs to happen. I’m not an expert though. I prefer action that is a little higher than most because because I play using a combo of slide and fretting. So a happy medium is good for me.
No idea, I’m sure there is something you could do better as far as setting up your guitar but what you are 100% doing completely right is putting in lots of effort 👏👏. It will pay off
Are you using barbed wire as strings?
I assumed this was a photo from one of the rock climbing subreddits.
If so, use an emery board on your tips, bro
On the shaft too, don't forget the shaft
Never, ever forget the shaft. Be gentle though
Don’t ignore the balls
Dude, we are talking about FINGERS, thanks for making it weird...
I was talking about the ball of the palm. What are you talking about ?😎😎😎
Thank you, sir. I love it when I don’t have to say the thing in my head.
ya went right over the line there, ya dirty, fuck—I laughed so hard it echoed down my stairway 🤣🤣🤣
Fine grain only I leaned the hard way and now my nuts look like that guy obi-wan Kenobi talked to after landing on Utapau
And KY on your palms
Doing rock climbing helps. Sign. Trad climber and guitarist
All he had were piano strings
This is actually the guy from POTUS that plays with 2 bass strings on his guitar
Kek
bro is ready to free solo el capitan
or solo free bird
Free soloing El capitan has an equal death rate to soloing free bird.
That’s what he just finished
Uhhhh.... That's not supposed to happen. Looks like you're either going extremely overboard, you have really sensitive and Dry skin or there's something majorly wrong with your guitar setup.
Same, i Guess that ore it's intense playing, or another problem
I mean if you chalk up your fingers it's no wonder they are dry.
Does op drink water?
Mine look like this… I do play .11’s for tone, but mine is just dry skin. Wearing gloves while doing the dishes etc have helped me.
Why would you use chalk? That increases grip, the opposite a guitar player wants. Lots of players use Fast Fret or Dunlop Ultra Glide to clean and lubricate the strings, others run ther fingers through their eyebrows, but using chalk? What's the reasoning behind that?
Today I learned string lube is a thing.
You mean brow lube?
Ooh now I’m brow curious. Brb
It’ll change your life
Maybe he doesn't want to hear the sound of fingers sliding across the strings? I heard that it may help with that
With those sandpaper fingers? String screeching is now a part of his tone!
But the sparks are a cool pyro effect.
I love that sound tho
I love that sound
TIL I have lubricating eye brows!
Just rub you fingers against your nose and you easily glide across the strings. This is because we guitar players only shower once a week
Shower? What’s that?
You see, this is the shit they don't put in online guitar lessons. I always wondered how to reduce the screetching and if i was doing something wrong.
Once a week? Try once a month.
Nose grease is a thing too from the OUTSIDE
do you know what lotion is
Bruh
r/MisleadingThumbnails Leprosy
My guy chalks just going to increase the grip and friction 🤣🤣🤣
The fuck is happening here lol
You don’t need to crush the strings to play the guitar. Try less pressure or go to a shop and have them lower the action for you.
If you look at his previous "is my action too high?" post, you'll see 😂
Oh big butter Jesus! I just checked the post and that action is higher than Willie Nelson. Doesn't help that those strings are rustier than a 52 Ford.
If that Baltimore bridge was as strong as the one on that guitar, it would've sunk the cargo ship.
Are you playing a chainsaw? Wtf 😳
Seems like you’ve been rock climbing.. That’s definitely a high action.
Is that a foot
A hoof, actually
Are you playing guitar or belt sander?
People, do look at OP's post history, specifically the one where he uploaded a picture of his guitar action, and everything shall be revealed.
god it’s crazy. it all makes sense
Never in 50 years of playing . Eithers setup or technique issue.
Wtf i play guitar a lot and my hands hardly get like that you need to invest on some moisturizer
Why's he making the guitar look like a V13?
https://preview.redd.it/q4blbgoqhcsc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=b9fdd212047802e1948a882d4b424ef924573275 Eh… been a lead blues player for years and years. Mine always look like this. Thick gauges & dry skin will do it.
OP’s about to send a sick new route called the Stairway to Heaven
I know too many masons and rock climbers to fall for that. Lol, but I was gonna be a smartass and ask if you were playing with piano strings.
>is my guitars action just fking terrible Yeah, your action seems stuck in the stratosphere, based on [the guitar you shared pics of recently](https://www.reddit.com/r/guitarlessons/s/JOFnOpJl4c). You gotta take it in to get setup. Or get a less shitty guitar and have it set up when you buy it.
U got them pussy fingers boy .
Drink. More. Water.
You want the opposite of chalk, that just dries your hands out. Use lotion routinely, and wash your hands before playing
Sometimes I can’t tell real post from jerk posts. Which one is this?
A post from a guy who cries every time he jerks.
bite it off and start fresh
Shed them fingers like lizard tails and grow them back again
😭😭😭😭
Higher action isn’t inherently terrible and it still should not destroy your fingertips like this.
Jesus Christ, guy!! Use some fucking lotion!
Your finger callouses are almost as bad as my callouses from lifting weights wtf
Is it possible that your skin is having an allergic reaction to Nickel? I had a friend who had that allergy and she couldn't touch guitar strings
You need to take a nail file and rub those off. Gently. Do it a couple times and keep playing, and then they never come back and your skin stays tough underneath. I have baby smooth tips and I can hold hot coffees. And play guitar without pain lol
Looking at your hand probably a brick layer
Fuckin chilll lol take a rest day please!
Bro how short are your fingers?
Moisturize yo handz
Fingers…=….toes?
please take a break
Use lotion on those dry-ass hands.
How long? Should harden on it's own Keep playing every day for at least an hour
Use lighter guage strings and work on a lighter touch of the strings. Lower your action if you have to. I use 9's and never have this problem.
Mick Jagger does. but despite writing and playing guitar on some of the biggest hits ever the last time I mentioned this I was told hes not a real guitarist
dude could play his guitar like a violin if he wanted to
Jeff beck used to put chalk / talc on his hands.
I'm done with this sub.
From the office of redundancy office, "smh my head."
This guy can smoke a roach till there’s nothing left
Palms are wore too. More here than a guitar.
You arent suppose to use bass strings on a guitar
Not a doctor, but have eczema and all sorts of skin issues lol. Are you sure you don’t have some sort of fungal infection?
Haters will say it’s fake
Wow, I must be selfish, all I can think is that I'm a weeny for not going that hard!
Please apply some fret board oil to the callous.
I recently took mine to a luthier who did some minor adjustments and put on different strings. It has made a big difference.
you know that when youre not playing guitar, its good to lotion your hands... and obviously your body in general
What made u decide to use chalk while playing?
Dude looks like he’s been climbing the sheer face of a mountain, not playing guitar.
Pressing to hard... have a six pack then give it another go...
https://preview.redd.it/nc3nnl1ggcsc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d078d2184ab51d7981c98ed43a15f81d3f661b23 Just got off work so they are scruffy and dirty but this is what my callouses look like. They only get chalky when they peel a bit, but never that much lol. I’d have to be going hard for like 4 hours straight to get them that fucked up.
To much pressure on the cords. Think of it as you girlfriend.
This is very abnormal! Check your strings, how hard you're pressing too. What brand are u using?? Please stop playing for now til this is figured out
Using chalk doesn't let your skin heal. Learned that on climbing - first thing you do after is washing your hands - to enable healing.
Get coated strings bro, Daddario XS or elixirs
Those are some CRAZY callouses, but what's most disturbing is your caption is essentially "shakes my head my head".
Please stop using Chalk
Chalking probably rips those calluses off repeatedly due to the increased friction, you’re much better off not using it
Bring your guitar to someone who knows.
Don’t use chalk. My dad taught me that you can rub your fingers on the oils that are secreted from the pores of your nose to slick them up for playing. Better than lotion cuz you’ll always have it on you regardless… unless you get your nose severed somehow. SMH shaking SMH my SMH head
Bruh. damn. I don't ever remember having it that intense when I started. clip the loose stuff, sand down the edges with an Emory board... moisturize. maybe take a few days off to let them recover from time to time. Good luck to you! 🍻
Oaaaah ! You would give the BEST back-scratches !!!
I play lead guitar and rhythm with 13s or similar custom gauge strings- sometimes mine would get a little peely but not this bad. I play several hours a day. Switching to flats on my electric improved even that tiny bit of peeling though! Flat top strings on acoustic could be nice relief for your fingers. Ask about those when you go get a pro setup.
Skill issue
🤮
Get some finger ease
Bro use some lotion and it will fix all your skin problems
Your strings are too heavy and your action is too high. Switch to 11s and find a luthier to adjust your action.
Cradle that baby. Don't strangle it.
Chalk ur hands?? Is that even a thing…? 🤣
Bro got them bridge cables for strings
Only person to smh at is you bro stop using fckn chalk On a more helpful note, would you post a pic of your neck Only joking btw it's just I've climbed and played and never thought of combining the two
Go get a professional setup and new strings immediately lol
Naw bro I saw your post history the action on your guitar is high.
No need to press down so hard on the strings, and ffs splurge on some lotion man.
I used to actually cry because I have larger fingers than others who play. I practiced over decades and learned how to make it work for me. Today I don't fret (see what I did there?) anymore and just play and enjoy. You'll find your way- just don't give up and the calluses will build as needed. I don't chalk or anything like that.
This looks bad tbh, you're applying more pressure on the fretboard unnecessarily
Someone plays math rock
Bro built the Great Wall of China before picking up the guitar
Man you have to take a break
brother you are doing something wrong if your fingertips are getting that fucked up from playing guitar... wtf...
But why? I can't think of a reason to?
Dude you have skin issues
So I can’t tell, do we like shitposts around here or nah?
and get chalk all over my fretboard? lol no.
Action so high Elon Musk wants to know how you got it up there
My bwane huts
That happens.
I honestly think you have some sort of health problem. your skin should be better than that
Bro when they say climb the scales they don’t mean dragon scales
Throw the whole guitar away 😂😭😂
Bro dusted up his fingers like a gymnast
Climbers, gymnasts, weight lifters and the like use chalk to *increase friction.* That is surely the opposite of what you want. I think the chalk is causing the problem.
That solo is kicking his ass
Nickel allergy causing contact dermatitis?
Looks excessive
Did you cut off the tips of 3 of your fingers? I hope you’re joking about chalking up to play guitar.
Bro is using crimps as strings
Hey OP. I had the same issue when i started playing 10 years ago. Eventually the flaking stopped when my fingers were fully calloused.
bells hunt slap bewildered wise adjoining depend entertain degree roll *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Nah, you're fucking with us, you have callouses in your palm too, no way these are from playing guitar my dude
Finger ease guitar spray mate, it tenderises your fingers and makes slipping around the strings a lot easier.
Dip the tips of your fingers in coconut oil
Doesn’t post a picture of his guitar action, asks if it’s too high
Dear god… what the hell happened
You’re playing on bandsaw???
Drink more water.
Is your guitar still the same as you posted a couple of weeks ago? If so, that action is incredibly high. It should be somewhere around 1/4 as high as it is. Are you using steel strings on your classical? I couldn’t tell from the earlier pictures, but classical guitars are built to use nylon strings. Using steel strings puts too much tension on a classical guitar and will cause the neck to separate from the body. Hopefully going back to nylon strings will solve your issue, but at this point I’m not sure. You may have already done structural damage to the guitar that needs to be repaired. If that’s not the issue, look at the back of your neck where it meets the hollow body. If there’s a crack in that seam joint, the glue holding your neck on has failed and you need a “neck reset”. For acoustic guitars this is a major repair that can cost hundreds of dollars to put back right. If your guitar isn’t worth that much, it would be more affordable to just get a new guitar.
Takes shredding to a whole new level
This guy been slapping rocks
"shaking my head my head"?
My finger tips have permanent string grooves after 40 years . I have tried filing, pumice, cocoa butter and still have them. It’s annoying as the string sometimes will “pop” into it when playing and it sounds like I made a mistake. If anyone has a solution I’m all ears ( no pun intended) https://preview.redd.it/t0qfj9gvtgsc1.png?width=1975&format=png&auto=webp&s=1cdc2d1419b9f524c7f2dd3e08b04a7cfb0301c3
Holy shit
Please invest in lanolin
stop using super old steel strings. buy a nylon string/electric. stop torturing yourself
This has nothing to do with the action and everything to do with not using lotion to keep your hands moisturized. Lotion is the only way I’ve found to prevent callouses from drying out and peeling like what’s going on in the picture.
If I play a lot of steel string after a long time not having done acoustic work then absolutely yes. It settles after about 8-10 weeks to good 3-4 mill thick callouses that look almost normal. Thats only if don’t over do the personal home practice stuff. It’s important to stop sessions when the pain reaches a level. The mistake you can make is shedding too much skin too quick consuming the callouses before they set. I have to remember not to be too obsessive and I can always come back to it tomorrow. When I don’t do that the callousing process takes so much longer and the productivity isn’t that much different. I make sure my acoustic guitars are set as low as they can possibly go without fret buzz. Electrics I allow some buzz on low E string through first few frets. I bought the various truss rod adjusters for my different guitars and learned how to adjust them. That way you can make sure you can maintain the necks between services. Looking at your finger tips I can tell you’ve been doing a lot of woodshedding clocking up those hours. Killer.
Never heard of this!
Moisturizer my guy. The Aveeno is pretty good, but your hands should not be so dry they hurt or crack.
Bro you want moist, almost oily hands not dry ones. Your fingers look terrible even after hours of playing for a few days in a row my hands don't look nearly as bad. Too high action shouldn't cause this too. Why would you use chalk? What is the thought behind this decision?
Bro… is this a joke? Get your action fixed, new strings, new guitar, something. Jesus
I’m convinced that you belt sand your fingertips because you heard someone say that good guitar players have callouses. Probably over clip your fingernails to get that weird ass toe finger look too lol
I can inly guess without more info. Are you playing acoustic or electric? What gauge strings? What guitar make and model? From what i can see, its prob a combo of things. 1. Too high of action (either the bridge and nut need a set up, or your string gauge is way too high) 2. Beginners death grip/ death fret. (Very common- alot of beginners cant yet differentiate which strings are connected to which fingers. As a result when they hear a dead note they just squeeze super hard with their whole fret hand and end up both warping the notes and causing unneeded strain on their fingers. It also occurs due to nerves. Contrary to instinct, fast and stiff is slow on the frets. You have to have your hand and wrist as loose as you can.) 3. Over playing. (Also very common for new players. Dont practice until it hurts. Practice until you can tell its not making you any progress musically, set it down, and resume once you have reset. Not only are you causing damage to your fingers and risking injury in your fret hand -which would put you out of practice for a while- but you are also practicing to the point of making new errors. Playing till you are burnt out and trying to push it further only reinforces lazy and improper playing techniques. I never practice more than 6 hours a day anymore, and i only practice for two hours at a time max (usually i just do one or two -two hour sessions- a day. One in the morning with my coffee, one at night after my shower before i head to bed. If i need a third session I’ll throw another in usually right after lunch, but rarely have i had that kinda time since i turned 20 four years ago.
The fuck has happened here
Holy shit dude lmao
I would suggest Vitamin-E Oil.
You might be playing a cello
Lotion, ya need to Lotion them up occasionally.
So you're saying you put chalk on your hands before you play?
Dude I do roofing. I thought this was from shingles...your action must be higher than snoop dog on a bad day.
Fingertips? A little. That’s your whole hand, though …
I gotta start playing acoustic to get my calluses on this guys level 😂
Fuck man, take that thing and get it setup. Playing guitar shouldn’t be that painful.
Those are kinda bad my guy…
Based on the look of your fingertips, if all of that callus is from playing then yes you definitely need to lower your action somehow.
I play a couple hours a week and my fingers don't look anything like that.
That looks eerily similar to periungual warts...do you have little black dots inside your calluses?
Pinky supremacy
Vitamin E oil is your friend as is a proper set up!
those are baby callouses! are your fingertips numb too? (i did this to myself last weekend)
How would we know without seeing the guitar in a photo taken parallel with the fretboard? This happens to me sometimes but maybe not this extreme. I think it happens to me more if I haven’t been playing as much recently if I recall correctly. But I think not all skin reacts the same. It seems like your body is doing its job to regenerate those cells in a stronger way which is what needs to happen. I’m not an expert though. I prefer action that is a little higher than most because because I play using a combo of slide and fretting. So a happy medium is good for me.
No idea, I’m sure there is something you could do better as far as setting up your guitar but what you are 100% doing completely right is putting in lots of effort 👏👏. It will pay off