Cold hands!!!

[Tim O'Sullivan]

I must be very lucky. I have always had very warm hands.

[mesadualrec]

looks like Im gonna have to chop em of then.....


and use them for myself,Im 'Handy' at sewing

[73h Nils]

looks like Im gonna have to chop em of then.....


and use them for myself,Im 'Handy' at sewing

You should make a deal with the Robot Devil, then.

(Props if you get the reference HINT: Greatest Animated Show. Ever.)

[dwells]

i use some kind of deep heat muscle warming cream , i rub it into my shoulders and leave it on my hands then slightly wash my hands with hot water , the menthol still gets in and ya little fingers are all ready to go

[the24thfret]

The warm water thing is a good idea, but I can't do it for a few reasons. First, it takes a little while to warm up your hands, and when you turn off the water, they quickly go cold again. Also, even after I dry my hands, the skin is softened from the water and isn't fully dry, meaning I can't start playing just yet because the callouses aren't doing their job. So by the time my hands are fully dry, they are cold again because the water only really temporarily warmed them.

I don't play a lot of gigs, but when I do, I avoid holding cold drinks in my bare hands before the show. I also try to have my hands in my pockets as often as possible, out of the wind and out of the cold. I also warm up less than 30mins before show time and try to massage each hand a bit to get the blood flowing. Good call too about washing the hands after handling equipment, I always wash my hands before and after I play, but in cold situations I do so far in advance and just basically don't touch anything until I play.

Another bit of help could come from using lighter gauge strings. That would help with bends but not speed, so it might not be worth the effort.

[Mikey]

You should try a cup of tea or hot chocolate before the show. Hold it with both of your hands and drink it slowly. That helps you to calm down and concentrate on the set and gives warmth to your fingers as well.

[Spudmurphy]

Do you smoke? - this will cut down the circulation and could contribute to your hand problem.

Puppyonacid has got it right - during the time (8 years) I studied Karate I trained 4 times a week min - gave up smoking and felt great. - but my guitar playing suffered 'cos I just gave up playing!!

[mesadualrec]

Great responses
thanks

I dont smoke but I was thinking...this may sound mad

I could over play
I play faaarr too long each perhaps Im straining my muscles in my hands
I may cut down by a few hours

[beej]

It's true that exercise and good health help a ton. I've always been active, but I took up boxing a few years ago and it really helped with the circulation. (Plus it's nice to kick ass from time to time when you're sparring ... well nicer than getting your ass kicked ...)