How to toughen up me finger tips quick? Help.

stuagu

So, used to gig every week, play all the time, but not so much as the years go by, havent done a gig for years. Iv now got a gig coming up in 2 weeks, now i rehearsed yesterday ( after not playing very much lately at all ) and boy are my finger tips soft! To the point where the skin was starting wear thru the top layer. So i now need to toughen up but obviously the more i play the more theyre sore. Is it just the usual little and often ? Any tips to toughen these sausages in double quick time ? Thnx  

Fuengi

Surgical spirit if they're not too ripped up. 

stratman3142

Years ago I used a product that I think was called New Skin when I needed to do some intensive practice for a new band. It's a bit like superglue IIRC.

It wasn't the spray on version 

rossyamaha

Superglue. But don't rub your fingers together. That would be bad. 

Lebarque

Play til you bleed, then pour superglue in the holes. If it was good enough for SRV.....

KKJale

I tried surgical spirit back when I was a teen.... it didn't work. Superglue's a terrible plan... SRV must have deadened the pain with drugs (oh, wait). 

Two things: avoid washing your hands in the hours up to the gig, and try (if you can) to play with a light touch in the first half of the set. You simply can't do anything else. I have perma-soft fingertips and managed 3 shows in 24 hours this weekend.

Have fun!

Dominic

Surgical spirit - continual dabbing to create callouses - my daughter is a ballerina -all the girls on point use it continually to toughen the skin on toes which get skinned and bleed
there isn't really anything better

stuagu

Thank u kindly to all hwo replied. I will try the ss method i think , rather than the srv 'ethod ! Ouch !