Technique and humidity

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John O.

Posts: 1723
Joined: Dec. 16 2005
From: Seeheim-Jugenheim, Germany

Technique and humidity

I realized last night I play much better outside at 10°C than in a humid room full of people at room temperature. My fingers and joints swelled up, fingertips got all sticky, the strings lost tension. The heavy rasgueados accompanying didn't help. It gets to the point where I don't trust the precision of the most basic arpeggios. Could all be in my head...

How do you guys deal with this problem?

_____________________________

Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 18 2010 3:44:30

xirdneH_imiJ

Posts: 1900
Joined: Dec. 2 2006
From: Budapest, now in Southampton

RE: Technique and humidity (in reply to John O.)

use the grease (or what's it called? :)) on your nose and face, no more sticky fingers :D

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 18 2010 7:38:24

Elie

Posts: 1837
Joined: Apr. 10 2010

RE: Technique and humidity (in reply to John O.)

do your fingers sweat while playing ?

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 18 2010 7:46:13

rombsix

Posts: 7829
Joined: Jan. 11 2006
From: Beirut, Lebanon

RE: Technique and humidity (in reply to John O.)

What the hell!?

If my hands are not WARM, and the room is not at least 25 degrees celsius, my fingers just don't move. Ever heard of dead fish?

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Ramzi

http://www.youtube.com/rombsix

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 18 2010 8:09:36

xirdneH_imiJ

Posts: 1900
Joined: Dec. 2 2006
From: Budapest, now in Southampton

RE: Technique and humidity (in reply to rombsix)

hehe, you're spoilt having lived in such a warm place all your life...
but you'll get used to the cold eventually...

for me, the sweat comes right before playing, due to nervousness (something i'm slowly getting over fortunately)...but the nose thing helps a lot :)

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 18 2010 9:37:18

John O.

Posts: 1723
Joined: Dec. 16 2005
From: Seeheim-Jugenheim, Germany

RE: Technique and humidity (in reply to xirdneH_imiJ)

With me it's not nervousness. And sure warm and dry is great, I notice this the moment I get to Spain. On vacation in Singapore I had big problem though.

I don't like cold either, but humidity is a big problem for me. Last night just an hour before a performance I was in the park playing at around 14°C and played everything fine, smiling at the passers by. Then I went into the room full of sweat in the air from the audience, the tension was gone from the strings and and my fingers got all sticky and stiff. I don't think my fingers sweat but get that humid stickyness on them. You know that yucky humid stickyness?

_____________________________

Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 18 2010 10:54:38

Pgh_flamenco

Posts: 1506
Joined: Dec. 5 2007
From: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

RE: Technique and humidity (in reply to John O.)

quote:

Then I went into the room full of sweat in the air from the audience, the tension was gone from the strings and and my fingers got all sticky and stiff.

You could try Finger Ease on your right hand or maybe a degreaser.

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 18 2010 11:33:30

fevictor

Posts: 377
Joined: Nov. 22 2005
From: Quepos / Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

RE: Technique and humidity (in reply to John O.)

Playing in sticky humid weather is awful! Its insanely humid where I live and every time theres a jam session I have a hard time playing picado or arpeggios because of sticky fingers.

When I practice at home it HAS to be in front of a fan otherwise its just impossible. It makes recording anything really difficult because you cant have a fan blowing at the mic and without the fan my playing goes to crap! I normally have about 1 minute of decent playing before my fingers start to get sweaty.

But I would rather have the humidity problem over cold weather ANY day!

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 18 2010 16:13:14