Dear Jean-Michel and Neil
            Thank you for your very useful reflections. It is a good idea
   to treat gardening in the same spirit as lute playing, with as relaxed
   an attitude and with as economic gestures as possible. It has been a
   long time since I had to do this, and I am almost certainly forcing
   things, and also still looking for the right tools to deal with a
   particularly hard ground.
   What oil or cream do you use, Jean-Michel?
   %
   I don't want to turn this into a gardening programme, but as Neil says
   these problems can also occur, just with carrying equipment. I will try
   out the various hot and cold water methods, and see how that goes.
   Thanks again
   Anthony
     __________________________________________________________________

   De : jean-michel Catherinot <jeanmichel.catheri...@yahoo.com>
   A : lute@cs.dartmouth.edu; Anthony Hind <agno3ph...@yahoo.com>
   Envoye le : Mar 29 juin 2010, 12h 34min 08s
   Objet : Re : [LUTE] incompatibility gardening/lute playing?
   Wide experience in thaht stuff. Using tools needs also practice, and
   you have to be as decontracted while gardening as you're supposed to be
   while playing your lute. Treat your gardening tools kindly ("laisser
   l'outil travailler"), that means use his quality at his best without
   forcing it,  use the right tool., and work quietly. You'll be less
   tired, with a better result, and no stiff hands.For me the problem is
   the dryness of the skin after having my hands in the ground: and using
   gardenning gloves is not a solution, it's even worse. You need some
   specific oil or cream to avoid that. That's all. Bon jardinage!
     __________________________________________________________________

   De : Narada <blues.for.nar...@ntlworld.com>
   A : Anthony Hind <agno3ph...@yahoo.com>; lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
   Envoye le : Mar 29 juin 2010, 11h 55min 09s
   Objet : RE: [LUTE] incompatibility gardening/lute playing?
   Anthony,
   Interesting point. As guitarist playing in a working band ( as well as
   enjoying playing the Lute ) gigging on average 3 times a week with no
   roadcrew as such, shifting half a tonne of equipment twice nightly does
   have
   a tendancy to stiffen the fingers - as well as stiffening the back. I
   usually find that a couple of minutes with my hands in luke warm water,
   followed by a minute or so of clenching my hands and waggling my
   fingers
   helps a lot. I also occasionally suffer from what I call 'Hot Hand '
   this is
   where the muscle between the thumb and first finger on my right hand
   swells
   and gets very painful due to lactic acid build up. For this I put my
   hand in
   very cold water to bring the swelling down. The same happens with my
   left
   hand occasionally, again I do the same thing. Hope this helps.
   Neil
   -----Original Message-----
   From: lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu [mailto:lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu] On
   Behalf
   Of Anthony Hind
   Sent: 29 June 2010 10:10
   To: lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
   Subject: [LUTE] incompatibility gardening/lute playing?
   --- En date de : Mar 29.6.10, Anthony Hind <agno3ph...@yahoo.com> a
   ecrit :

     De: Anthony Hind <agno3ph...@yahoo.com>
     Objet: [LUTE] incompatibility gardening/lute playing?
     A: lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
     Date: Mardi 29 juin 2010, 9h09

      Dear lutenists
         Recently, I have found myself having to do some rather heavy
      gardening, which appears to be almost incompatible with lute
   playing.
      the simple fact of being physically tired is part of it, but also
   the
      fingers seem less supple after clenching a spade or a pick-axe.
      One lute player told me that even carrying suit-cases to a
   performance,
      can make their fingers stiff; and certain lute makers told me that
      using a lute maker's tools can make lute playing more difficult;
      although there are some excellent lute maker-players, even among us.
      %
      Do others have similar impressions, and if so, are there any ideas
   on
      how to get round this, (apart, of course simply from getting someone
      else to carry your lutes, and do the gardening, or play your lutes):
      some exercise between activities to help prepare for playing,
   perhaps?
      %
      At present, I am back in my flat in Paris, and so playing as much as
   I
      can, in spite of the hot weather, which also makes things more
      difficult, and I have regained the suppleness, but I will soon have
   to
      go back to gardening.
      Thanks for any advice,
      Anthony
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