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Question:1. If I want to be good, how much should I practice?
Right now I practice about 15 min. - 1 hr. every day...

2. Do small hands affect that much?
I play a Classic Acoustic guitar. I have a lot of problems reaching the E and A strings without bending my wrist and can't get F and B chords without buzzing, my hand just seems too small to hit all the strings, or is it just a practice thing?

3. What can I do to improve finger strength?
Like for B and F chords, when you need to push down all the strings with one finger, I can't get them all without buzzing. How do I make my fingers stronger? I'm getting slightly better, but not much.

4. How do I get callouses faster?
I find that if I play for about 1 hour each day, like I like to, then the next day, I'm hesitant to even pick up the guitar because it hurts so much, how can I get callouses faster?


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: 1. If I want to be good, how much should I practice?
Right now I practice about 15 min. - 1 hr. every day...

2. Do small hands affect that much?
I play a Classic Acoustic guitar. I have a lot of problems reaching the E and A strings without bending my wrist and can't get F and B chords without buzzing, my hand just seems too small to hit all the strings, or is it just a practice thing?

3. What can I do to improve finger strength?
Like for B and F chords, when you need to push down all the strings with one finger, I can't get them all without buzzing. How do I make my fingers stronger? I'm getting slightly better, but not much.

4. How do I get callouses faster?
I find that if I play for about 1 hour each day, like I like to, then the next day, I'm hesitant to even pick up the guitar because it hurts so much, how can I get callouses faster?

Start by conditioning your fingers slowly, you don't want blisters. Using 12 frets, all 6 strings, one at a time. Strike each note on each fret 3 times. That's 72 notes per finger, four fingers. The following day, you won't to touch the strings. Welcome to playing the guitar. Do this exercise every other day for 2 weeks. Third week you should be able to exercise every day, and your fingers will start to form a callous, and your fingers will also start to become stronger.
You will have to learn how to bend your wrist, otherwise, you won't be able to reach all the strings.
At this point, you can start to learn basic chords, C - Am - F - G. You'd be surprised how many song you can play with just those four. You can now start adding to the list.
If you've made it this far, and haven't given up because of the pain, you'll be well on your way to becoming a very good guitarist, and a few months from know you'll be giving other people advice.
It won't happen over night. Don't give up. I've been playing since the 60s, and I love it.
Good luck.
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15 min to an hour is great if your just beginning, no small hands dont effect it that much i have small hands, they well get more flexible and you dont actually have much muscle in your fingers to begin with its more of a forearm thing but everything gets better with practise just go back and forth from a few chords it will eventually improve, and generally classical guitars are easier on the fingers because they have nylon strings, but there is really no quick way around callouses there gonna happen just keep playing theyll toughen up in a few weeks i remeber when i didint them it was a piss off play a couple of scales for finger flexibilty just practise a few where the you reach donw 2 or 3 frets and u should get more reach in a few weeks

practise thats it

That's an okay amount of practice. I play a lot more, but I have to play for around four hours before my fingers' callouses are penetrated. I admit that it sucks, my fingertips often have dead skin forming on them (doesn't look that gross or anything, doesn't hurt).

1. Just practice at least 15 minutes a day, more when you can.

2. Small hands shouldn't be a huge problem, if it is go to a 3/4 size guitar or something. To play chords better just practice more. Sometimes when I'm not careful I'll be playing a barre chord and notice my B string isn't buzzing clearly. I simply press down harder. But for you just keep working at it, it will come. It's just a practice thing. Try plucking the strings individually and making sure they are each ringing clearly. Whichever one buzzes, well press down harder on that string if you can. It will come.

3. I've always tried to get my fingers stronger simply by playing, and it definitely works eventually. You can make up little exercises simply by doing whatever you're trying to do repetitively. I've never been to creative with increasing finger strength personally, but hey, whatever floats your boat.

4. I don't know if there is a good way to get callouses faster. I would recommend you stop playing when your fingers are obviously getting cut away at by the strings. If you don't then your attempts at getting callouses might be hindered. Just play consistently and they will form.