Why aren't my fingers getting beat up?!?!?!?

[Alpha Keuhard]

When I started practicing for 10hrs/day, I remember my fingers would get very beat up. The skin would rip off my finger tips and it looked gross. Eventually it would harden, and I'd just keep going no matter what. Rain or shine. I HAD to get my 10hrs/day practice in!!!

These days, I'm playing exercises using a metronome at about 4 times the speed I started on, and my finger tips are in ALMOST perfect condition. Its even soft........... How come?

Am I not challenging myself enough???

[Poparad]

Eventually, with long enough and consistant enough practice, your skin gets used to it and gets tougher. The first year or two that I started playing I had hard fingertips that cracked all the time. Now my skin is just soft and leathery and is used to the interaction with the guitar.

[Len H]

Also, as you become more proficient as a guitarist the pressure applied to fret notes decreases to where you press down just hard enough; beginners almost always press down excessively hard. The less pressure applied to the strings, the less wear and tear on the old fingertips.

[eastwood]

It's not half term already is it ?

;)

[EspBoobiesYeah]

heh.. But yeah, I've never really had my skin 'fall off'... my finger tips used to get pretty sore but now when I do marathon practices they pretty much get dry.

[newamerikangosp]

My fingers have always been the same. I never got callouses, and the only time I had pain was when I first stated playing and was getting used to barre chords. I would try to squeeze the neck to death, and in turn my index finger from tip to first knuckle would get bruises. That is now the only issue I still have. One of the reasons why I dont like a "drop" tuning (drop d, c, a whatever).