Cold hands when youâre performing? Donât worry â you are not alone!
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Even Segovia himself was famous for soaking his hands and forearms in warm water for 15 minutes before going on stage. While very few of us have the time or luxury to take a âhand bathâ before we play, itâs important to have a few tricks of your own up your sleeve. Here are 5 effective methods you can use to get your digits toasty when itâs game time!
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1. Bring a hair dryer
Iâm going to go ahead and give you my personal favorite right away! Without a doubt, the most effective way to get your hands warm before going on stage is to point your blow dryer away from your beautiful locks and on your hands instead. This is the most quick and long-lasting method for warming your hands that Iâve found, and itâs one Iâve used on countless occasions.
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Iâm not alone in my conviction either. I once heard about a legendary Angel Romero concert held in a particularly chilly concert hall, and in between each piece, Maestro Romero would step off stage for about a minute during which time a faint whirring could be heard emanating from behind the curtain!
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2. Make a custom, reusable hand-warmer
Growing up in Minnesota, my hands were cold ALL the time. To overcome this daily obstacle, I made a custom hand-warmer out of a mismatched sock and some rice. You can make your own in literally a minute. Go to your sock drawer find a long sock that doesnât have a buddy and fill it with 3â4 cups of rice from your pantry. Then tie the top of the sock off and pop it in the microwave for a minute or two. It will come out nice and toasty and can be used over and over. Iâve had the same one for probably 10 years now and it feels great every time!
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3. Move!
Science says circulation is the reason your fingers are cold, and usually, science is right⊠Of course, the best way to get your blood circulating is physical exercise. Go for an easy run the morning before your concert. Walk to the venue instead of driving. Do a plank backstage! Of course, you donât want to be out of breath and breaking a sweat as you walk out on stage, but finding a light exercise could be a great addition to your green room routine. For instance, I know Scott Tennant regularly practices Tai Chi backstage. Many activities will work as long as it keeps you relaxed and gets the blood moving!
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4. Play your favorite guitar lick
What is the first thing you play when you pick up your guitar in the morning? Chances are, this lick or piece does a pretty good job of getting your fingers warm, otherwise you wouldnât automatically start your day with it. For me, the most effective licks for this are non-strenuous but require rapid finger movements. Lately, Iâve found the opening to Rodrigoâs âZapateadoâ does the job perfectly because itâs fast but consists of mostly single line runs.
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5. âChange mindset, you must.â
Yeah OK Yoda, easier said than done! However, a trained mind truly can be your ultimate tool. If youâve tried all of the tips above with little or no success, it means that the issue isnât physical... What is actually making your hands cold is the act of telling yourself over and over âmy hands are cold, my hands are cold, my hands are cold!â I do this to myself all the time. Often, my hands are just fine until I start focusing on them and begin messing around trying to warm them up. When you recognize that mindset is the real issue, itâs important to reverse this mental pattern and convince yourself, âmy hands are warm, my hands are warm, my hands are warmâŠâ If you can learn to make this work for you, then leave the hair dryer at home!
Those are my five tricks! Of course, there are many more, but these are the ones that have worked for me. Let me know if thereâs one I missed and should try out by dropping a line at team@tonebase.co!