Drying out your hands before playing

[DannyBob]

Sometimes before I play I'll have sweaty hands (sort of disgusting, I know). Used to dry them with a towel, but I found it would never do the job very well, i.e. they would still be slightly damp when playing, especially with flatwounds. Decided to try an 'alternative' way of drying them - sprayed anti-perspirant on my hands. Sorted. Probably damaging my hands and my strings but hey ho, what can you do?

Any other ways to help this problem?

 

[tangentmusic]

Do what Jeff Beck does - Use talcum powder.

 

[spz8]

Do what Jeff Beck does - Use talcum powder.

I was going to suggest this ^^^

You could also run a small desk fan behind your rig, and use it like a bathroom dryer. May cause cool hands though.

 

[DannyBob]

Do what Jeff Beck does - Use talcum powder.

Haha that makes much more sense than spraying anything on them...

 

[Altitude]

I use hand sanitizer.

 

[OEW3]

Sometimes before I play I'll have sweaty hands (sort of disgusting, I know). Used to dry them with a towel, but I found it would never do the job very well, i.e. they would still be slightly damp when playing, especially with flatwounds. Decided to try an 'alternative' way of drying them - sprayed anti-perspirant on my hands. Sorted. Probably damaging my hands and my strings but hey ho, what can you do?

Any other ways to help this problem?

I can't imagine that being too good for your hands in the long run. But some people use super glue too so...

 

[DannyBob]

May cause cool hands though.

I love playing with cool, dry hands. Feels like you can feel it better, especially fingerstyle

 

[P Town]

A splash of rubbing alcohol, (a mixture of water, and isopropyl alcohol), followed by drying with a towel, would result in clean, dry skin.

 

[jaypee]

I'm a freak about clean dry hands before touching my basses. Mostly because I don't like what dirty moist oily hands do to strings.

I always wash with an antibacterial soap and rinse to leave no soap residue. Then I towel dry and wait for all the moisture to evaporate.

Years ago I used to use talcum powder to keep between my fingers dry...my hands don't sweat much really. Lately, I carry rubbing alcohol in my gear bag and a clean hand towel. If I get into a bind and don't have access to a bathroom with good soap, I will do the alcohol thing.

Yes, I have dry ashy hands. I like it that way. I change my strings about once a year and they still have plenty of life and hi end when I do change them.

 

[jmverdugo]

I'm on the same boat, I have a small spray bottle with rubbing alcohol that take with me to every practice and gig, use between set and makes wonders.

 

[Fergie Fulton]

Talc is great, better than using anti perspirant....try using just cool fresh water. You just need to wash the salt out, that is what will give issues.
I pour soak my hands in water, or dip my hands in a beer glass of water, wash them out. I dry only my picking hand by grabing the towel and leave the fretting hand to dry under the lights.....i like the "slippey" feeling on my fretting hand.

If Sweaty hands is an issue, check out the soap you use, it maybe stripping out more oils than needed, try just washing your hands in fresh water. it takes a bit more working in and rubbing, but if your job allows it, try it.

Powders can be from talc to flour, baking soda to cornflour, any good fine powder will help.

If on a bar gig, some gin or vodka rubbed in may help, if not, some alcohol based hand tissues or hand cleaner/sanitisers will help.
If none of this helps then find an anti-persperant as use liberally.

 

[deeptubes]

Steve Harris powders his fingers at the beginning of every show.

 

[kanonfodr]

I always keep a pack of alcohol wipes in my case - too many venues don't have warm water!! Works great for drying out the fingers, keeping them clean, sanitizing knife wounds....

Peace,
Greg

 

[bscenefilms]

The active ingredient in an anti-persprint is aluminum. Not good.

 

[WashburnAB95]

I can't imagine that being too good for your hands in the long run. But some people use super glue too so...

But it is good for you to use every day on much more senstive more absorptive skin that also happens to be next to important glands and a major blood supply?

 

[Lownote38]

I always wash my hands before I play, but I don't sweat excessively, so I don't dry my hands off very often. If anything, my hands get too dry. I know people who have the sweaty hands problem, and the only drawback for them is having to change strings more often because of all the junk that gets on them due to the sweat.

 

[Biggbass]

Do what Jeff Beck does - Use talcum powder.

+1 I keep a small bottle of powder in my gig bag. Doesn't take much, not nearly as much as Beck uses, for me

 

[Schmorgy]

Since I sweat considerably less through my fingertips than I do my palms (I somehow sweat when my hands are frozen from the winter!) I've taken to wearing fingerless cotton gloves (the kind you can get at target for like, $3) which, while not fixing the sweating problem, at least keep my rather caustic sweat (string changes every 3 weeks!) off of the bass.

 

[Axonic Rot]

I wash my hands thoroughly with concentrated dish soap. It removes the oils from my hands and for some reason lowers the chances that my hands will sweat. Give that a try.

When I play my instruments at home my strings stay bright until the metal fatigues and the frets wear them out.

 

[Fat Steve]

I usually need to use hand lotion prior to playing, as if I dry out my skin it just cracks and bleeds.