The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    How do You manage playing when its really hot? The strings I mean?

    Last saturday I played an outdoor gig in about +30 Celsius (+86 F) and the strings (TI Swing .012) were very strange. Kinda sticky – even they and my fingers felt totally dry. My fingers didn’t slide on them normally.

    My band’s double bassist uses baby powder sometimes. Is it the cure? Will the guitar have powder all around after such trick?

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  3. #2

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    I use isopropyl alcohol on a cloth

  4. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by wintermoon
    I use isopropyl alcohol on a cloth
    Interesting! Before gig? On the hands or to the strings?

  5. #4

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    I use it before to get crud off the strings from the last gig, but what I should do is wipe them down after the gig, just keep forgetting.
    Just put a little on a cloth and squeeze around each individual string and slide up and down.
    But you should do it away from people as the high pitched squeak can annoy folks.

  6. #5

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    Had a teacher once who took a roll on deodorant and smeared it in his palms to not sweat. I tried it, but wow that just grossed me out.
    Fast Fret is my best friend in heat.

  7. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by Herbie
    My band’s double bassist uses baby powder sometimes. Is it the cure? Will the guitar have powder all around after such trick?
    I saw Jim Hall do that - wasn't hot - I figured he was avoiding sqeeks...

  8. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by dot75
    I saw Jim Hall do that - wasn't hot - I figured he was avoiding sqeeks...
    Jeff Beck is known to use talcum powder on his hands when playing.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  9. #8

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    Hi, H,
    I've turned down many lucrative jobs over the years that required playing outside--especially weddings. As a former Saxer, it wasn't too much of a problem other than physical discomfort but with guitar, the strings won't stay in tune, your hands get greasy, you sweat or freeze and wonder "What's the point?" Fortunately, after I left music full-time, I didn't have to make a living playing which gave me the ability to say "no." That a tough gig for anything other than blue jeans and t-shirts . . . but, the Rockers do it all the time.
    Play live . . . Marinero

  10. #9

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    Hot sticky fingers are the worst! For outdoor gigs, I keep a damp rag handy to wipe my hands and a dry one to dry them.

    People who book outdoor casuals often forget that musicians are humans and can't be in the hot sun for hours. It's important to make sure that there will be shade, and it's not a bad idea to bring a fan.

  11. #10

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    Thanks for the suggestions! Maybe these are useful in hot indoor gigs too when these heatwaves go by.

  12. #11

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    I keep some talcum powder at hand, although I don't use it that often. Be careful with what you get. Baby powder these days is cornstarch and/or baking soda, and cornstarch makes my hands stickier, not drier. You'll have to search around to find actual talc, because it's considered a carcinogen, although no link has been scientifically proved. Companies just aren't willing to take the risk, so talc is difficult to find now. I have a couple of bottles that have been around for many years, since I don't use a lot of it. It's a great lubricant and drying agent when needed.

  13. #12

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    Gold Bond

    .

  14. #13

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    No. Not for me. The original formula has too much extra stuff, like menthol and half a dozen other compounds, and they tend to lessen the moisture absorption and friction reduction of talc. It's hard to find, though. The current Gold Bond is the same extras, but with cornstarch instead of talc. That's a bad formula for reducing stickiness. My hands don't itch, they just get sweaty, and the extra stuff in Gold Bond are for stopping itch, not reducing stickiness.

  15. #14

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    I find I have to really modify to my technique and eliminate all sliding into notes with my left hand. My finger tips just cannot tolerate that all once the weather turns warm and humid.