Tips: Maintaining Calluses

[unknown-user]

I have an audition for a youth orchestra in a couple months. Im
preparing the Debussy Danse Sacree and the Handel concerto in Bb
(1st mvmnt.) lately, ive been noticing that my fingers are getting
very sore when practicing, and i found it was becuase my calluses
had melted away. I tried to figure out what caused it… maybe my
showers were too hot? maybe i should wash my hands in cooler water?
Does any one have some good advice as to how to maintain good, hard
calluses?
thanks!

[Elizabeth Volpé Bligh]

When I am practising very hard for a concerto, my calluses get so big and
hard that they peel right off. I don’t know if the skin on your fingers is dry like
mine, but, if it is, and you notice that your callouses are getting really hard and
rock-like, maybe try filing them down a bit with an emery board, or putting
hand cream on them at night.
How long are your practice sessions? You should not be doing more than
one hour at a time. The last thing you want is to get tendinitis before your big
event. Take good breaks between sessions, and don’t use your hands during
your breaks. Who know? This might alleviate the callous problem, too.

[donna-benier]

Steven, A little practice every day is better than big chunks of time once or twice a week; it will keep the friction consistent on your fingertips to maintain the calluses.

[unknown-user]

It’s best to practice in 2 or more “sessions”, I find, and that way I keep my calluses up.
I like to practice 1 1/2 – 2 hours at once, do something else, and then practice for
another 1 1/2 – 2 hours. That way my fingers get a fair bit of playing but they don’t
get too sore at once. Did the calluses peel off or were they just…”not there”? It could
be because you’re using too much hand creme. (If you use hand creme) I know that
calusses on my feet just..vanish if I use too much creme on them. Pointe class the
next day isn’t fun! And yikes no don’t wash your hands in cold water you’ll
get stiff hands/knuckles.
Katrina

[unknown-user]

Ammonia toughens the skin. Avoid washing dishes by hand, swimming, and soaking your hand in the bath. If you practice when your skin is wet the callouses can tear off. Keep them dry, apply lanolin to keep them from cracking, play a lot of glissandos (not loud) to help build them up, and brush them with ammonia once a day maybe. If you are practicing every day, this should work.

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