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Guitar Discussions -> Hand Prep
There are 17 messages in this thread.
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Hand Prep - GreenDistantStar - 6-:20 -0-09-20
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Do you have any 'work' that you do on your hands prior to playing?
This is a subject classical guitarists discuss, not so much others. Do
you clip or grow your fingernails? Some guys like to use talc powder
to keep their hands slick. If you gig in a cold climate, how about
some warm water on your hands before you play? Some like to do finger
exercises, some wash their hands religiously before playing.
As the major interface with our instrument, perhaps hands don't enough
attention.
GDS
"Let's roll!"
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Re: Hand Prep - VampX - 6-:20 -0-09-20
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On 2009-06-20 15:46:22 +1000, GreenDistantStar
<greendistantstar@gmail.com> said:
> Do you have any 'work' that you do on your hands prior to playing?
> This is a subject classical guitarists discuss, not so much others. Do
> you clip or grow your fingernails? Some guys like to use talc powder
> to keep their hands slick. If you gig in a cold climate, how about
> some warm water on your hands before you play? Some like to do finger
> exercises, some wash their hands religiously before playing.
>
> As the major interface with our instrument, perhaps hands don't enough
> attention.
>
> GDS
>
> "Let's roll!"
To maintain strength I tend to squeeze a stress ball during the day. It
really helps. On cold nights I'll warm my hand(s) under warm water just
by washing them. I don't worry so much about finger nails because I've
been a nail biter for years. Yeah I know, it's yuk.
I don't let them get too dry either so I'll use moisturiser (usually
sorbolene). It doesn't soften the tips at all rather it stops the skin
from developing really dry jaggy bits that are only going to rip off.
--
VeronicaX
-------------------------------
Frack!
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Re: Hand Prep - Squier - 6-:20 -0-09-20
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> GreenDistantStar <greendistantstar@gmail.com> wrote:
> Do you have any 'work' that you do on your hands prior to playing?
> This is a subject classical guitarists discuss, not so much others. Do
> you clip or grow your fingernails? Some guys like to use talc powder
> to keep their hands slick. If you gig in a cold climate, how about
> some warm water on your hands before you play? Some like to do finger
> exercises, some wash their hands religiously before playing.
>
> As the major interface with our instrument, perhaps hands don't enough
> attention.
>
> GDS
>
> "Let's roll!"
>
I wash my hands before playing and dry them off well.
before a gig I wash 'em up at home and then it's off to the gig or rehearsal.
during the winter I always make sure to turn on the amp first
while I set up the rest of the rig. I just place my hands around
the back of the amp when I'm all set up and it's like a hand warmer
especially in less than tropical practice spaces during the cold months.
After a quick hand warming from the tube heat - I'm all set to go.
(on the Fender amps I have the tubes are right there in the back
hanging down so it's easy to do that sort of thing).
But no - I never put any goop or talc or whatever else on my
fingers or hands. Just give them a cleaning and away I go.
Maybe I'll get more particular about it as I get older but nah... prolly not.
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Re: Hand Prep - Robert Machado - 6-:20 -0-09-20
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"GreenDistantStar" <greendistantstar@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:733a1e1c-3d2b-4c8e-ae84-bad2c502e612@u9g2000prd.googlegroups.com...
> Do you have any 'work' that you do on your hands prior to playing?
> This is a subject classical guitarists discuss, not so much others. Do
> you clip or grow your fingernails? Some guys like to use talc powder
> to keep their hands slick. If you gig in a cold climate, how about
> some warm water on your hands before you play? Some like to do finger
> exercises, some wash their hands religiously before playing.
I take better care of my hands than I do any other part of my body, but on
the other hand (can that really be considered a pun?) I don't baby my hands
either. I play both electric (with a pick) and classical (fingerstyle).
I'm a right handed player.
On my left hand (fretting hand), my nails are always extremely short. On my
right hand, I don't use my pinkie, so that nail stays very short. Nails on
thumb through ring finger are kept at about 1/8" at all times. I cut and
file about every 4-5 days, and 1bout an 1/8 of an inch is optimal for me
with nylon strings.
I am borderline OCD with handwashing. I am also an office worker who
shuffles a lot of paperwork who also from time to time drives a forklift.
Between not wanting to get paperwork smuged and not wanting to change guitar
strings a lot, I wash my hand 10-15 times a day. AND, always before picking
up any of my guitars. If no handwashing facilities are available, then I
keep baby wipes in my gig bag, but I stay away from scented wipes as they
tend to leave my fingers and hands sticky. Bonus point: I've been sick
twice in the last 5 years, and I partly attribute this to my contstant
handwashing.
Other random hand thoughts:
- I can't play for more than 20 minutes if the ambiant temperature us under
60F UNLESS I am mving around and there is no wind (such as this morning when
I played for 2 hours for the local Relay for Life between 3:00am and
5:00am). It was about 55F but no wind, so no problem keeping my hands warm.
- I keep one of those disposable handwarmers in my gig bag in case I get to
the point where it is too cold. But, I never use warm water to warm my
hands because I always miss drying parts of my hands, and they end up codler
than when I started.
- I'm always paranoid that I will cut my hand/fingers or sprain a finger or
smoosh my hand or fingers in something. But, I still have to mow the lawn
and split firewood and wash dishes, so I can't baby my hands. What happens
happens, but I always wear gloves when working outside.
- I have not found the solution to keeping hands dry in humid weather. My
hands get really sticky when it's humid.
- There are fingernail files and clippers in every guitar case/bag that I
have.
- I learend guitar with a my wedding ring on. If I take it off and play,
it throws off the balance (fretting hand).
Hope that helps with a little insight into my eclectic mind.
Rob
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Re: Hand Prep - Tony Done - 6-:20 -0-09-20
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"GreenDistantStar" <greendistantstar@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:733a1e1c-3d2b-4c8e-ae84-bad2c502e612@u9g2000prd.googlegroups.com...
> Do you have any 'work' that you do on your hands prior to playing?
> This is a subject classical guitarists discuss, not so much others. Do
> you clip or grow your fingernails? Some guys like to use talc powder
> to keep their hands slick. If you gig in a cold climate, how about
> some warm water on your hands before you play? Some like to do finger
> exercises, some wash their hands religiously before playing.
>
> As the major interface with our instrument, perhaps hands don't enough
> attention.
>
> GDS
>
> "Let's roll!"
>
I play fingerstyle, so I take care of my picking nails. - I carry a small
pocket knife on my key ring that has a nail file and scissors, and I wear
gloves when doing jobs that are likely to damage my nails. I don't take any
special care of my hands apart from that, and my touch is very non-toxic, so
I don't bother with wiping strings down and the like. I make an effort to
keep my hands warm before gigs, around a hot drink, heater, in pockets,
whatever. I had to play a very cold gig last year. and made some effect hand
warmers by cutting the toe out of an old pair longish socks to make a tube,
then cutting a thumb slit longways at the top end. These covered most of my
hand without obstructing the fingers, and I turned to the toe end inside to
make a double thickness. Given the huge choice in socks and leg warmers,
these could be made to suit your fashion tastes.
Tony D
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Re: Hand Prep - Restless Fingers Syndrome - 6-:20 -0-09-20
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VampX wrote:
>
> h I tend to squeeze a ball during the day. It
> really helps.
ohh baby .. dats what i like about you .
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Re: Hand Prep - VampX - 6-:20 -0-09-20
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On 2009-06-21 12:28:07 +1000, Restless Fingers Syndrome <rfs@itch.com> said:
> VampX wrote:
>
>>
>> h I tend to squeeze a ball during the day. It really helps.
>
> ohh baby .. dats what i like about you .
Oh pishaw. Of course everyone loves a smutty college boy.
--
VeronicaX
-------------------------------
Frack!
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Re: Hand Prep - Appledog - 6-:21 -0-09-20
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On Jun 20, 1:46=A0pm, GreenDistantStar <greendistants...@gmail.com>
wrote:
> Do you have any 'work' that you do on your hands prior to playing?
> This is a subject classical guitarists discuss, not so much others. Do
> you clip or grow your fingernails? Some guys like to use talc powder
> to keep their hands slick. If you gig in a cold climate, how about
> some warm water on your hands before you play? Some like to do finger
> exercises, some wash their hands religiously before playing.
>
> As the major interface with our instrument, perhaps hands don't enough
> attention.
>
> GDS
>
> "Let's roll!"
Not previously, and for the worse. My pointer on my left hand has
developed two chronic problems; one, there's a constant pain, which
becomes very sharp when I press down sometimes; two, the top of my
pointer sometimes pulses or aches when I'm not playing. It goes away
when I relax my schedule.
I'm not sure what to make of this. Based on crossover knowledge from
martial arts, I'm inclined to think I can "take it" and that it is
part of "training". OTOH based on what I've read I am leary of walking
into some sort of permanent nerve damage. So I relaxed my schedule and
have started doing some grip-release exercises.
You mentioned classical guitarists. I have heard that improperly
trained classical guitarists will easily develop nerve damage/
arthritis or god knows what. Now, what guitar method book did I read
which spoke of that.. I can attest to it personally.. I was trying
some funky chords which required odd stretches and barres. and the
next day I couldn't move my fingers or my hand properly. Not for a few
days actually. So I learned to tone it down on the intensity and break
up practicing such things into periods of 15 min or less.
I think in the long run I will stop doing any sort of exercise again
and just practice different things (easier things) in between the
difficult things. One chord progression for example really tires my
fingers out so I just do an easier one on open strings to rest up.
Gee this sounds like interval training, doesn't it? :)
-
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Re: Hand Prep - McGarnagle - 6-:21 -0-09-20
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On Fri, 19 Jun 2009 22:46:22 -0700 (PDT), GreenDistantStar
<greendistantstar@gmail.com> wrote:
>Do you have any 'work' that you do on your hands prior to playing?
>This is a subject classical guitarists discuss, not so much others. Do
>you clip or grow your fingernails? Some guys like to use talc powder
>to keep their hands slick. If you gig in a cold climate, how about
>some warm water on your hands before you play? Some like to do finger
>exercises, some wash their hands religiously before playing.
>
>As the major interface with our instrument, perhaps hands don't enough
>attention.
>
>GDS
>
>"Let's roll!"
The most important part of my warmup is the 16 oz shot glass of Jack
Daniels or equivalent. I almost never play anymore without it.
I don't do anything special for my hands, except wash'em like everyone
else. In fact, they get beat up a lot in my boxing and weight
training.
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Re: Hand Prep - =?ISO-8859-1?Q?=22*=7C=7C=5C=5CM=5C=5C=AE/M/=7C=7C*_=22?= - 6-:21 -0-09-20
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Restless Fingers Syndrome wrote:
> VampX wrote:
>
>>
>> h I tend to squeeze a ball during the day. It really helps.
>
> ohh baby .. dats what i like about you .
Squeeze gently- tug- just as I'm about to c--
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