Playing with 'wet' or 'dry' hands.

[DBFIU]

Sometimes if my right hand is wet from either sweat or just washed them, I find it hard to control my plucking. If they are too dry, they stick and the fingering becomes inconsistent.

Does anyone have experience with this, what do I do? There is an optimal moisture content for my right hand and I don't know exactly what it is. Should baby powder be involved somehow?

Thanks

 

[Chris 'Wighat' Jordan]

Sweat bands and your choice of moisturizing product.

 

[samson3382]

Nose grease

 

[jazzsoul]

It ist told that Jaco Pastorius used to eat fried chicken with his hands and not washing them before playing a gig.

 

[M0ses]

I can't stand to have anything at all on my hands while playing. Part of my pre-gig routine is washing my hands. Three times. And the drier, the better. I find the opposite, dry hands slide even easier. Of course I don't go out of my way to dry them out or anything, just to be clear.

 

[tjh]

I carry a small bottle of baby powder, just in case, but also do the nose/forehead 'grease' thing if needed too ... kind of depends on what is happening, but after I while I kind of know which is needed ... trial and error ..

.. on a side note, I figured out I must have an issue with nickel, as I could never really get my hands 'free' when using nickel strings ... it is much easier for me to find a happy medium with stainless strings ...

 

[fearceol]

It ist told that Jaco Pastorius used to eat fried chicken with his hands and not washing them before playing a gig.

Yeah, ....well I suppose you cant expect him to have been 100% perfect !

Honestly, can you imagine the amount of gunk that would build up on the fret board by doing this.

Not to mention the stale smell of chicken grease.

 

[letsrumble]

It ist told that Jaco Pastorius used to eat fried chicken with his hands and not washing them before playing a gig.

Agh! That's giving me an OCD freakout just thinking about it.

 

[Geekydad]

I don't touch my bass unless my hands are clean. As for drying damp hands- isn't that what your pants are for? (Or keep a handkerchief within reach, I guess, if you're wearing leather or something else fancy.)

 

[Geekydad]

.. on a side note, I figured out I must have an issue with nickel, as I could never really get my hands 'free' when using nickel strings ... it is much easier for me to find a happy medium with stainless strings ...

I knew nickel allergies caused problems with jewelry and even with some wearable electronics (Fit-Bit, etc.) but never considered nickel bass strings could cause an issue. Makes sense, though, if you play enough.

 

[DBFIU]

Yeah, ....well I suppose you cant expect him to have been 100% perfect !

Honestly, can you imagine the amount of gunk that would build up on the fret board by doing this.

Not to mention the stale smell of chicken grease.

Thats what gave his bass that signature 'tone' people have been after for decades... Didnt you know that is the best kept secret??

 

[Biggbass]

sweat bands, wrist bands, and talcum powder should be in every gig bag.

 

[singlemalt]

French fries and nose grease. Avoid pool cue talc and chaulk. No hand washing, soap takes the dive bar magic off.

I find stainless strings are sticky and grabby, while nickel and alloy are smoother.

 

[Lownote38]

sweat bands, wrist bands, and talcum powder should be in every gig bag.

In 1985.

 

[DBFIU]

LOL

 

[fearceol]

Thats what gave his bass that signature 'tone' people have been after for decades... Didnt you know that is the best kept secret??

If that's the price to have to pay for "the tone"........ no thanks.

BTW, is this how the term "clean tone" came to be ?

 

[Growlmonkee]

I guess I like my hands really dry, I wash them, dry them , play... and still wind up wiping them on my pants while playing.

 

[joebar]

what's the best grease for metal?

 

[jthisdell]

I played a party recently where there were porta-johns and the sanitizing gel stuff. After the first song I had to astop, pour some water out of my water bottle on my hands, rinse them and wipe them off before I could play.

 

[ddnidd1]

Nose grease

As bizarre as this sounds, it works. Rub your plucking fingertips on the side of your nose.