Playing in cold weather

[DepressedNazgul]

I'm wondering... How do you play live when it's very cold (like playing outside at night)? When my hands freeze I just can't warm them up, no matter how much stretches and massages I do, and I'm afraid that will happen to me in a live show.

[Koala]

Hey DN, ive playe some open air venues, when its really really cold and to tell you the truth i just hafta look at my hands more often that i regularly do to see what im playing opposed as to feeling what im playing.

After a while you kinda get warmed up, but it does take quite a while.

hope this helps,

[Zatz]

Nothing really works for me to warm up my hands for a long time when I play outdoors in a chilly weather. I just switch to using more strumming & arpeggios to simplify playing.

Zatz.

[Koala]

LOL how dare I speak of cold when Zatz is around ? :D

[Zatz]

Koala,

LOL :D When it's -20C outside the guitar is only good for stoking a fire-box :D

[Koala]

by really really cold i meant 0°c :D

[GtrvVampyre]

My house seems to be cold all the time and trying to play yngwie stuff with cold hands i just cant do it. I use the hair dryer to warm my hands up but when my hands are cold i just play worth ****. I dont know any ways around it except keep your hands warm before hand. Usually once i get going the circulation keeps my hands warm

[Stranger]

well when you're playing live on a big stage those light spots strobes(not sure what's the right word for those big lamps :) ) warm you up very well...
and usually at normal stages in open air are equiped with heaters...

so never had problems with that, even tho played when it was like +2-3 C
so dont worry much about it :) and I must add that adrenaline that you're getting coz of excitement warms you up quite a bit :p

[DepressedNazgul]

hmmm thanks... But can you describe some actual methods of warming up your hands (besides putting them in hot water)?

[GtrvVampyre]

Hair dryer baby! Only way to go ^.^ :) (works for me)

[EricV]

Ricky Garcia always brings a small baseboard heater which he uses backstage to warm up his hands.
A former g/f of mine ( she was a concert pianist and flutist ) taught me another trick. She took a water bottle and filled it up with hot water. Then she rolled that bottle between her hands in order to warm them up. The heat should last for a while.

Putting the hands and forearms into a bowl of water is a good idea, cuz it´s important to warm up not only the hands, but the forearms and wrists too.

Be careful about warming your hands on heaters and spotlights, though ! Steve Morse used to do that once, when he was playing an open air show with DP. He wasn´t dressed appropiately, and it apparently was insanely cold on stage. So he put his hands in front of some heater in between... and burned his finger tips cuz he didn´t feel HOW hot that heater was.
So you better be careful.

I use something like that "hot bottle" trick, and as soon as I get on stage, I pick up the guitar and keep playing some warm up exercises, such as the intro of "Atlanta Dawn".
Eric

[ProgBG]

Hi

When I have real cold hands I hold them under cold water and then the blood begins to circulate and your hands are getting much warmer.

KAYA BG