Cold Hands and Playing Guitar

[sgcim]

It's starting to turn cold now, and I had to play a rehearsal with cold hands, because the heat wasn't turned up. I couldn't play to save my life.
How do you deal with playing with cold hands?

[wintermoon]

wash 'em in warm/hot water for a few minutes

[DanielleOM]

I still remember seeing a street performer several years ago playing in temperatures that were well below freezing playing classical guitar with fingerless gloves. He was playing some interesting stuff that required some dexterity. I still do not know how he managed it.

Danielle

[MarkRhodes]

Cold is tough. There's no cure for it. Even if you wash your hands in warm / hot water (-which is as good a thing to do as I know), if the room is cold, your hands will soon be cold again. But by then, you should be warmed up and that will help. There really is no fix, you just have to 'soldier on'. If it's any consolation, everyone else on stage has cold hands too...

[sgcim]

My problem is that I have poor circulation in my extremities. I went to a specialist once, and he was fascinated by how cold my feet and hands were. He said it was one of the worst cases he had ever seen.

When it starts getting cold on a gig, and it affects me, I start grabbing the hands of other musicians on the gig, much to their alarm. I always find the same thing; their damn hands are warm as anything, and my hands are icicles.

One bass player has that same problem, and it bothers him so much, he takes some type of medication for it, but it's not something you should take on a regular basis. I think it's called Reynaud's disease (OSLT).

[rkwestcoast]

Don't spend half an hour before the gig standing at the bar with an iced drink in your hand!

Is it worth wearing thermal gloves before the gig to get the hands warmed-up & hopefully the circulation flowing before you start playing?

[Hep To The Jive]

Don't spend half an hour before the gig standing at the bar with an iced drink in your hand!

I agree. Shots backstage is much better, warm up your whole body nicely.

[pubylakeg]

A variety of solutions are available,

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...3Ahand+warmers

[Moominpapa]

I'm sure I read an interview with Allan Holdsworth where he said he liked to soak his hands in a sink full of warm water for several minutes before a show (not because of cold, but because he liked the way it gave his fingers greater purchase on the strings).

So do that and get a twofer: you'll have toasty warm hands, and you'll play like Holdsworth! (Disclaimer: the second part is not guaranteed.;-)

[rkwestcoast]

I'm sure I read an interview with Allan Holdsworth where he said he liked to soak his hands in a sink full of warm water for several minutes before a show (not because of cold, but because he liked the way it gave his fingers greater purchase on the strings).

So do that and get a twofer: you'll have toasty warm hands, and you'll play like Holdsworth! (Disclaimer: the second part is not guaranteed.;-)

Didn't Jim Hall say something similiar - mentioned doing the washing up at home before practising - warmed up the hands and got the washing done!

[wolflen]

get the blood flowing in your arms and hands...pump up arms with curls,,count 50--arms straight up..open and close fist..count 50..rotate arms straight out in all directions ... also a good way to relieve minor arthritic pain..

winter temps offset with gloves..

good luck if you have other ailments..

[citizenk74]

I played a Christmas party at a country club where it was so cold I just couldn't play. In desperation I finally donned the brown jersey gloves that I usually reserved for handling equipment, especially cables. A little awkward at first, but I was able to fret fine; holding the pick was tricky and fingerstyle was right out, but we sounded fine. Later I added hand-warmer packs to the basic survival kit, as well as extra gloves. This part of the world gets mighty cold in the winter, and clubs of all sorts are notorious for cheaping out on heat, as it is expected the customers will liberally self-administer the anti-freeze.

[coolvinny]

I hate playing in the cold - I too have fairly poor circulation go my hands/feet in the cold. Just last week I took a single (left hand) mitten to a jam and I put it on when I wasn't playing or comping - it helped, but I wish I had a hand warmer in there. The advice to soak in warm water is noted but that's not going to help much 45 minutes later in a cold room after you just spend a couple choruses laying out.

[Jabberwocky]

Gee, take your pick Heated Gloves, Electric Gloves, Battery Heated Gloves - The Warming Store .

Put on. Warm. Remove. Play. Put on when getting chilled again.

Or move to a warmer clime...

[larry graves]

Fill a hot water bottle ( really hot ) wrap it in a towel, put it in a bag, put both hands in the bag when required!....L....

[oldane]

The downside to warm water is that it also softens your finger callouses, and the strings will then sand them off more easily. If you use thin strings and/or a low action, it may not matter so much, but if you play acoustic rhythm with medium/heavy strings and a high action, you need all the callous you can build up. I read somewhere that a well known guitarist (I think it was Larry Coryell) went the opposite way. He dipped his finger tips in propyl alcohol to dry the skin out and thereby harden the callouses.

[cosmic gumbo]

mmmm.....warm....

[oldane]

mmmm.....warm....

That way, the callouses will surely harden.

[Drumbler]

Put a hat on your head.