Hey & welcome! Soory for your frustration!

Originally Posted by: pdsterling

Catch 22: I can't develop the callouses without playing. I can’t play because I don’t have the callouses.

[p]What kind of guitar are you using? I've seen too many beginners get stopped by a guitar that needs a good setup. If your guitar has really high action (the string height from the frets) then it can be extremely difficult to even get started. It could be that you need to lower the string height by getting the bridge and/or nut adjusted. Also lighter gauge strings can help.

Have you tried other guitars? You might try a friend's guitar. Or go to a local music store & try some other guitars to see if they are easier to play.

I don't mean to imply that it's just as easy as getting a new guitar. :) But it could be a way of trying to identify a potential problem with your guitar.