sticky fingers!
This is probably a no big deal problem for most, but I have a tough time in a hot/warm room performing because my fingers get sweaty/sticky and shifting/finessing notes becomes a problem. If it's really cold, on the other hand, my fingers are dry and cold and it's hard to use an anchor finger because they don't adhere to the string. I usually have a damp wash cloth with me to quickly swab my fingers and a dry cloth, but I wonder if anyone else has this problem? Solutions that are unobtrusive?
Replies (14)
I feel so bad now. The only thing I can suggest is when they get that dry feeling brush your fingertips on your forehead or nose. It works for me, and I'm not even especially greasy. If you do it right it looks like you're in deep concentration.
Thanks, Jim! I'll try that...effective and impressive at the same time. =^)
Lol Jim!
Peggy,
I'm with you on this one! If the room isn't warm/hot my fingers get sticky just from nerves. I always wash my hands, with soap & water, right before playing. And I try to have a small, slightly damp rag, or paper towel handy. I moisten only one end of it leaving the other end dry. It helps tremendously! (Though it can be ackward keeping it somewhat out of sight.) Nerves - aurgh!
Sticky fingered
Wanda
Wanda: That's pretty much what happens to me and what I do. I do the whole Lady MacBeth routine every time I'm going to play and I always have a "wet and dry" with me. I clean my fingerboard with a damp cloth/paper towel, too, and I always get a bit of gunge. There's never a great place to park the cloth, but then, if we were horn players with spit valves or woodwinds with wet reed issues...Well, I still think we're classier!
I have this problem when it's warm and humid, which is about half the year in NYC. I find that a little talcum powder is very helpful -- I carry a small plastic shaker of the stuff with each of my instruments. Important: Read the label and be sure it's talcum powder and not cornstarch, which is sometimes sold in a similar container and label. Cornstarch is extremely counterproductive in these situations. A little talcum powder on the left hand can make a huge difference.
A neat idea. Very do-able. Thanks!
hmm.. i have a suggestion for the cold hands/fingers.. there's this little packet that contains some minerals that heat up when exposed to air. it's called HotHands and i find it very useful during winter concerts =)
A nice alternitive to the HotHands packets are ProHeat Handwarmers. Same idea - its a packet full of salt water, and you push a button which sets off a reaction. And it gets really hot. Then you boil it so its liquid, and you can use it again and again.....
~Jessica
(I'm not associated with ProHeat)
Baby powder :)
Works!
I was wondering if a fingerboard can release a sticky feeling in hot or humid conditions? Does anyone know? Any more suggestions for sticky feeling on the strings?
I often rehearse in a very hot room with no ac, and a bunch of roaring tube amps. Nothing I have found actually works, the best I can do is keep a handkerchief or towel on me and use it every chance I get to wipe down the fingerboard, strings, and my hands. A very imperfect solution to say the least.
I see that this is a 7-year old thread. Now that it's found new life, I'll add my experience.
Here in the American Southeast, the muggy weather can get started in late March and hang on through early November. If the humidity is too much for comfortable practice, I can usually solve the problem by running a small floor fan on low speed about 10 feet from me. In the garage, where I often have the evening sessions, it's 20 feet away. The air current sips away the moisture so that the hands stay reasonably dry and still have good traction.
Winter is a different challenge. Wearing triple layers for a top -- T-shirt, thermal top, regular shirt -- helps me retain a lot of heat. A 20-minute walk before practicing gets my core temperature up and keeps it up long after I get back indoors. This helps the heat retention even more, and the hands keep their grip better throughout the session. I wash my hands in warm water before practicing in all seasons. In winter, this gives the added jump-start effect.
BTW, it was 100-105 F. several days in a row during the last week -- about 98 F. today and a little less humid.
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May 30, 2005 at 09:55 PM · Sigh...No replies...I'm the ONLY violinist in the WORLD whose fingers stick when shifting in a hot room. Whatever will I do?? Who will advise me?? I guess I'll...just...quit...sob...