sweaty fingers

djszymanski · #1 10-07-2008, 12:37 PM

i've played for a live audience about 6 times now. 2 times my band actually got booked for a real show. and it looks like more shows are coming. i put on a killer show, but there is one thing i am not happy with. my fingers get really sweaty and it causes me to make too many mistakes for my liking. the issue is mainly with my right hand, the hand which actually plucks the strings. the sweat doesn't make me slip, it actually does the opposite. my fingers seem to stick to the strings and makes my playing slower and sluggish. i play in a hardcore band, things can get fast, and when your fingers are sticking to the strings it really holds you back. this one problem is making my live show suffer too much. is there anything i can do to make my hands stay dry? slides are almost impossible to play perfectly because of how sticky things get. i don't think i sweat from being nervous either. after the first time i payed i have never got nervous to play a show. and i don't sweat anywhere else typically until i start moving around on stage, just the hands/fingers right off the bat.

mjolnir · #2 10-07-2008, 12:55 PM

Talcum powder before the set, learn to play wearing gloves, take a second to wipe your hand every few bars, play with a pick... Whichever one works most to your liking I guess.

I have the same problem, though after a certain point I just got used to it and it didn't affect my playing anymore. To this day however I still kill strings within a couple sets, sometimes in a single sitting...

Bob Lee (QSC) · #3 10-08-2008, 11:17 AM

I get that sometimes in hot and/or humid weather. I keep a small travel-size container of baby powder in my gig bag for those occasions.

Clean your strings after each gig or practice, too.

LowDown Hal · #4 10-08-2008, 11:27 AM

Anyone use a sweat band on their wrist?

F-Clef-Jef · #5 10-08-2008, 12:12 PM

I spray FastFret on my plucking hand and go with that really slippery fingertip feeling. I spray my strings and my plucking fingers, it really helps me to play consistently and smoothly.
Maybe instead of fighting what nature is doing, you should just go with it!

Luckydog · #6 10-11-2008, 10:25 PM

If its real humid I don't mess with powder...it would only work short time. I use a little bit of baby oil or anything else to grease up your fingers just lightly. Even the oil on your face can be put to use! Just wipe your stings down after. Or use Elixir and forget the lubricant.

bassplayertom77 · #7 10-12-2008, 02:49 AM

Rubbing alcohol can dry your hands out pretty good/bad. Never tried it, just an idea.

maydavidj · #8 10-12-2008, 08:10 PM

My hands sometimes get wet too but it actually works to my advantage. I seem to be able to move more quickly and do slides and stuff better...kind of like finger-ease spray or something. Or kind of like the time the band all had hot wings between sets...

groove pump · #9 10-13-2008, 10:35 AM

I've heard about the rubbing alcohol trick, too. You could also try a little silicone spray on a rag and rub that on your strings in the neighborhood where you pluck 'em.

trewtiller · #10 10-27-2008, 03:52 PM

where i play its really cold and i have the same problem... the only way i solve it is to keep my left hand (the one that sticks the worse) in my pocket and before the set dont drink anything with my left hand. the condensation from the drinks make it worse.. so before the set ill have my hand in my pockets and do everything with my right hand.... may not work for you but it really helps me keep mine dry... also dry them when they get sweaty on a rag or your pants or something...

Delberthot · #11 11-01-2008, 06:13 AM

3 things i have done for a long number of years now are:

1) wash your hands before you play
2) carry non-fragranced baby wipes
3) point a fan at my right hand

When you wash your hands or use the baby wipes you are effectively getting all the oils off your fingers. The fan keeps my fingers dry and cool at the same time

BullHorn · #12 11-01-2008, 06:38 AM

I have this bottle of hands-wash-in-a-box thing. There's a bit of alcohol and cleaning agents in it. I always use it before I pick up my bass. It disinfect your hands and dries them a bit thanks to the alcohol.

Talcum powder should work too (Heavy-weight lifters use it, remember

).

CliftonBonney · #13 11-01-2008, 10:00 AM

This is an interesting thread. I'm the complete opposite of most of you. I have a tendency, especially on the more difficult bass lines, to wipe my forehead so I can get sweat on my playing fingers (not my fretting hand). I feel it helps me play faster.

BishopM05 · #14 11-02-2008, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by F-Clef-Jef

I spray FastFret on my plucking hand and go with that really slippery fingertip feeling. I spray my strings and my plucking fingers, it really helps me to play consistently and smoothly.
Maybe instead of fighting what nature is doing, you should just go with it!

+1
I bought some of that b/c of this thread since I had the same problem as the OP. It works! I guess it was the humidity and outdoor environment that made them sticky instead of slick, but the FastFret works like a charm.

GreggBummer · #15 11-02-2008, 02:04 PM

TO OP:

I have the same problem. I use a wristband... although I admit it looks a bit silly. I take it off before I leave the stage.

I also have a car polishing shammy. I bought it for the bass but ended up using it to keep my hands dry during the set. Any little break and I wipe my hands. I keep a bottle of waterless hand cleaner in my cable bag. That drys my hands up a little and it keeps my hands clean in some of the dive bars I play in.

I am not a huge believer in spraying my hands, frets, strings, or instruments with anything. Most of that stuff is snake oil.

BishopM05 · #16 11-03-2008, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreggBummer

TO OP:

I have the same problem. I use a wristband... although I admit it looks a bit silly. I take it off before I leave the stage.

I also have a car polishing shammy. I bought it for the bass but ended up using it to keep my hands dry during the set. Any little break and I wipe my hands. I keep a bottle of waterless hand cleaner in my cable bag. That drys my hands up a little and it keeps my hands clean in some of the dive bars I play in.

I am not a huge believer in spraying my hands, frets, strings, or instruments with anything. Most of that stuff is snake oil.

Playing indoors is a completely different beast. Obviously you haven't had to deal w/ Houston humidity...as for snake oils; how is lubing up a snake oil? Don't you put oil in your car or lube your....?

GreggBummer · #17 11-03-2008, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BishopM05

Playing indoors is a completely different beast. Obviously you haven't had to deal w/ Houston humidity...as for snake oils; how is lubing up a snake oil? Don't you put oil in your car or lube your....?

Houston humidity? No... not in the slightest, thank goodness. I used to live in North Carolina. That got pretty nasty for a few months. I was also in Iraq... hot but not humid. I didn't have my bass with me either

Snake Oil: I don't use astroFretglide or the like. I have never used them but that doesn't mean that they are not any good I suppose. I just don't trust some of the claims that they make you a better player.

As it was pointed out, Steve Harris chalks up his hands before he plays... but he makes enough money to maintain the extra wear and tear... I think he puts new strings on before each show. I make $500 a year playing music (at best!) So I tend to be frugal and organic in my approach to music. If oiling or chalking your fingers works for you... awesome. My "snake oil" comment was not an indictment of those who use it... more those who sell it with crazy claims.