[LUTE] Re: cold finger tips
I'm interested in any remedies for cold finger tips, which I invariably get when I play a gig in a cold room. Very frustrating-fingerless gloves? chemicals?, Holding a cup of tea an hour before? Method 1 of 2: They sell chemical hand warmers (iron powder with a catalyst for oxidation). If you go to amazon.com and type hand warmers into the search box, you'll find many to choose from. Method 2 of 2: This works very well at home, but you will have to modify it somewhat for gigs. 1. Fill a bowl with very warm water. 2. Leave the bowl in the bottom of the sink. 3. Leave a small stream of _hot_ water running close to the bowl, but not into the bowl. 4. Put your hands in the bowl and pass the time doing finger exercises. 5. As the water cools, slide the bowl under the stream of hot water from time to time. 6. When your hands are warm, dry them quickly with a towel, and then finish drying with a hair dryer hanging from towel rack or a dresser. This unfortunately takes the oil out of your skin, so you may want to use a moisturing lotion once a day. To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: cold finger tips
Don't smoke (nicotine squeezes down blood vessels). I hate to mention it...but alcohol is a vasodilator and will generally warm up the fingertips, but alcohol also decreases motor activity and accuracy...are you just playing background music? ;-) -Original Message- From: Dick Brook richa...@ptd.net To: lute lute@cs.dartmouth.edu Sent: Sun, Nov 13, 2011 10:53 am Subject: [LUTE] cold finger tips Hi Netters I'm interested in any remedies for cold finger tips, which I invariably get when I play a gig in a cold room. Very frustrating-fingerless gloves? chemicals?, Holding a cup of tea an hour before? Any suggestion appreciated. Dick Brook richa...@ptd.net To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html --
[LUTE] Re: cold finger tips
You could try the sound of one hand clapping exercise: thrust the fingers out to full extension and and then clap them into your palm. It's actually an excercise to strengthen an speed up the extensor muscles, but it helps circulation. So do jumping jacks, and drumming bongo-style on some convenient object, such as your thigh, or perhaps the singer you'll be accompanying. On Nov 13, 2011, at 8:19 AM, theoj89...@aol.com wrote: I'm interested in any remedies for cold finger tips -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: cold finger tips
I used to have this problem in the past, but I found what works for me is relaxation and meditation. When a performer gets cold fingers prior to performance, it is usually related to performance anxiety. In my opinion, it is related to fear of doing a bad performance. For example, a person having a headache, especially migraine, has cold hands. The learned art of warming the fingers, by thinking about it, can sometimes even abort migraine headaches. The same is true with performers. One can warm the fingers by relaxing, and imagining the fingers becoming heavy and warm. During relaxation, the fingers actually do warm up, as evidenced by bio-feedback, using temperature feedback. Making a long story short, relaxation is what works for me. Rather than making the fingers get warm, I have found that merely allowing them to get warm is what works for me. ed At 09:53 AM 11/13/2011, Dick Brook wrote: Hi Netters I'm interested in any remedies for cold finger tips, which I invariably get when I play a gig in a cold room. Very frustrating-fingerless gloves? chemicals?, Holding a cup of tea an hour before? Any suggestion appreciated. Dick Brook richa...@ptd.net To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html Edward Martin 2817 East 2nd Street Duluth, Minnesota 55812 e-mail: e...@gamutstrings.com voice: (218) 728-1202 http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1660298871ref=name http://www.myspace.com/edslute http://magnatune.com/artists/edward_martin
[LUTE] Re: cold finger tips
Excellent question, Dick, and one that _should_ come up from time to time. This drives me up the wall, too. I blame it on nerves. ...and temperature. Dress warmly. It's initially helpful to run your hands under warm water but it really doesn't take the chill out of nervously constricting blood vessels and it's not always possible. Those loose- fitting, wonderful-looking shirts --or any other thin material (esp. synthetics)-- never work for me if it further misdirects blood flow. Make sure your torso is comfortable and maybe even on the warm side. If your cotton teeshirt or other warmy underneath shows and you don't like it, cut a slit from the neck down as necessary and make it your dedicated lute under-tee. Wear two if necessary and then your fancy schmancy shirt. Thick cotton socks and comfy shoes are always my first choice as well because toes mimic hands. Deportment. If it all possible don't balance on one foot w/ the legs crossed. Both feet flat and stable creates a stronger structure and doesn't add to your body's subconscious sense of uncertainty. Moving to a strap helped me immeasurably. The lute is difficult enough to hold convincingly without having to stay stock still for a loong nervous moment. Now I can enjoy a straight back, breath naturally, hold the lute as comfortably as a good beer, see comfortably (head not cocked) and engage my listeners (should I be so lucky) --even ocassionally tap my foot without the lute bobbing up and down. And stand when necessary. About synthetics, I honestly don't understand the mechanics but if my skin is rebelling against polyester/acrylic/etc anywhere, some part of my skin, somewhere, will sweat. The system's first choice, it seems, are those nervous fingers. And what Ed Martin wrote ;^) Sean On Nov 13, 2011, at 7:53 AM, Dick Brook wrote: Hi Netters I'm interested in any remedies for cold finger tips, which I invariably get when I play a gig in a cold room. Very frustrating-fingerless gloves? chemicals?, Holding a cup of tea an hour before? Any suggestion appreciated. Dick Brook richa...@ptd.net To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: cold finger tips
Howard, That is the best tip. It's something I do before I play guitar, especially now that here in the UK the nights are getting cold. Regards Neil -Original Message- From: lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu [mailto:lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu] On Behalf Of howard posner Sent: 13 November 2011 16:30 To: List LUTELIST Subject: [LUTE] Re: cold finger tips You could try the sound of one hand clapping exercise: thrust the fingers out to full extension and and then clap them into your palm. It's actually an excercise to strengthen an speed up the extensor muscles, but it helps circulation. So do jumping jacks, and drumming bongo-style on some convenient object, such as your thigh, or perhaps the singer you'll be accompanying. On Nov 13, 2011, at 8:19 AM, theoj89...@aol.com wrote: I'm interested in any remedies for cold finger tips -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: cold finger tips
First thing that springs to mind - shoulder tension. Especially when its cold its easy to unconsciously shrug the shoulders up a bit, and I find that loosening the shoulders is a powerful way to ease the flow of blood down to the fingers. I see this especially every Alexander Technique lesson I have, by the end of which I get a strong rush of blood into my hands such that the fingers often go beetroot down to the second joint. In a pre-gig situation usually the best way to re-create this loosening is by performing a number of windmill motions with each arm. If there's a private space its also good to do 10 minutes lying in semi-supine* on the floor, head on a book (thickness chosen to maintain a roughly straight spine) which is a key Alexander practice. I really recommend Alexander Technique to all musicians, whether they have postural, muscular or other issues, or not. First person I ever saw doing semi-supine was Nigel North. Apart from that the obvious thing of wear as much thermal understuff as you can without looking ridiculous.The body will preferentially keep blood to the torso and let the hands go cold, human thermo-regulation not being best adapted for musical performance. If torso is warm or even very warm, blood will be let down to the hands, which is the only way you can get long-term warmth down to the finger tips. Never do anything novel for the first time before a performance... Stephen * semi-supine = lying with knees raised, feet on floor positioned so knees remain in position without muscular effort. Restrict it to 10 minutes even though I may only start to feel really good by that point - otherwise stiffness may set in, Dick Brook wrote: Hi Netters I'm interested in any remedies for cold finger tips, which I invariably get when I play a gig in a cold room. Very frustrating-fingerless gloves? chemicals?, Holding a cup of tea an hour before? Any suggestion appreciated. Dick Brook richa...@ptd.net To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: cold finger tips
Hey Stephen, this was actually meant for the list :) : This is a long shot but: Find a practitioner of Wustyle TaiChiChuan and get them to teach you the loose-hands warmup. -- clients.teksavvy.com/~echapin To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
