Tacking nerves and cold fingers

Stefan Robertson · From: Hertfordshire, UK

So I must say I always feel uncomfortable if someone says just play a song without any warm up time. Especially in winter.

Had that experience today. I played terribly but they were still okay with that but I wasn't. Any quick warm up exercises you guys recommend that I can quickly do if ever put in that situation again.

I didn't want to practice obvious scales but maybe i should've just done a major scale and the chords of that scale to warm up.

Any thoughts
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Stefan
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Dom Franco · From: Beaverton, OR, 97007

I wrap my hands around a hot steaming cup of coffee... and drink it!
Dom
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Stefan Robertson · From: Hertfordshire, UK

Brad Bechtel · From: San Francisco, CA

I usually run through some arpeggios and play a few octave swoops to make sure I have the fretboard placed properly in my lap. Other than that, it's just a matter of warming up by playing.
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Stefan Robertson · From: Hertfordshire, UK

Some players

Warm up at least for 15 minutes some as many as 2 hours. But it varies on the player and performance oh and the age.

I'm assuming to play fast BPM stuff I should always warm up at least a bit first otherwise my hands aren't ready
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Stefan
Bill Hatcher custom 12 string Lap Steel Guitar
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Stefan Robertson · From: Hertfordshire, UK

I really dislike winter playing when fingers are really cold. Time for thermal gloves.
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Bill Hatcher custom 12 string Lap Steel Guitar
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Stephen Abruzzo · From: Philly, PA

I would just warm-up with some banjo-type rolls; starting slowly and building up a bit just to loosen up your hands.

Bob Watson · From: Champaign, Illinois, U.S.

I know a half dozen tunes on Banjo and I have found that if I play them the same day that I'm going to be playing a Steel or Dobro gig, I warm up faster and play better. I think it has something to do with playing the 8th note rolls.

Stephen Cowell · From: Round Rock, Texas, USA

Wash your hands (should do that anyway) in hot water.
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Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

I have problems with freezing cold hands down in my basement den. One thing I find useful is to use a Tribotone bar. Made of ceramics they don't get cold like a metal one does. A regular plated steel tone bar can feel like an icicle in minutes in a cold room. I also wear an overcoat and cover my legs with a blanket. Unfortunately, wearing gloves doesn't help one's tone. Crying or Very sad

Stefan Robertson · From: Hertfordshire, UK

Great ideas guys. Thanks for the input. When next put on the spot I will take a moment to grab a hot coffee to warm the hands first. Then look at some block chords and screw it I will run through the major and melodic modes for a minute.

As missing strings and playing sloppy with dead fingertips sucks.

I really love the warm drink idea. So simple but so effective. I didn't realise when playing steel how much more important the feeling in ones fingertips are. When I played guitar as long as the palm was warm the tips didn't matter as much. But using fingertips with fingerpicks if they are cold prepare for a bad performance.

I love you guys.
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Bill Hatcher custom 12 string Lap Steel Guitar
E13#9/F secrets: https://thelapsteelguitarist.wordpress.com

"Give it up for The Lap Steel Guitarist"

Stefan Robertson · From: Hertfordshire, UK

Maybe a non metal bar is the way to go in cold winter.

Any suggestions for ones that are heavy for clear tone and have a bullet nose if possible with a dobro shape.

I saw some Paloma slides but don't know if they are long enough and heavy enough.
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Bill Hatcher custom 12 string Lap Steel Guitar
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Stephen Abruzzo · From: Philly, PA

Paloma Slide Tone Bars Dobro Style go up to 90 mm (3.5").

http://www.stoneslides.com/products

I have their regular tone bars, no the Dobro style, and though they are light in weight, they give excellent warm tone but some reduction in sustain.

Stefan Robertson · From: Hertfordshire, UK

Right I think I'm going to order one.

Now is the time
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Stefan
Bill Hatcher custom 12 string Lap Steel Guitar
E13#9/F secrets: https://thelapsteelguitarist.wordpress.com

"Give it up for The Lap Steel Guitarist"

Brent Marklin · From: Evansville, IN, USA

Warm water is a good option except that I don't like my hands wettish before playing. Silly as it is, only the miracle of instant heat provided by a hair dryer will take the sluggishness out of my hands in the wintertime.

However, if someone asks you to play a song and you pull out a hair dryer to start blasting your hands first.. I could see that raising expectations a bit as well as making you look a little foolish

Mike Neer · From: NJ

I always keep my bar in my front pants pocket. I use steel bars and they stay nice and warm there.
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Brent Marklin · From: Evansville, IN, USA

I could also see keeping a bullet bar in your front pants pocket raising other types of expectations Laughing

Christopher Woitach · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

For me, the most effective warm up is to run through Pat Martino's 5 activities. Works on steel and regular guitar.

Also, I make a point to not push too hard to play fast or tricky in the first half of the first set, focusing instead on melodic and clean lines, with lots of space in between the phrases. By the end of the set, my mind and fingers are in a musical and more dexterous place, and I can pretty much do as I wish then

I should add that I'm infinitely better on standard guitar, so the phrase "as I wish" applies much less to steel guitar!
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Bill Ferguson · From: Milton, FL USA

I am not a non-pedal player, but definitely have the same problem with pedal steel (Lots of cold metal there).

Many times the gig is just sit down and start playing, no time or place to warm up.

I get an empty plastic water bottle and run the hottest water I can find and fill it up. Then I hold it in my hands as I am walking to my steel and even hold it when another lead player is taking his ride.

Works pretty well for me.

But cold hands are not always because of temperature. Many times my cold hands are because of "stage fright".
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Dustin Rhodes · From: Owasso OK

I normally do something to get my blood pumping. Walk some, do a few squats, etc.

Doug Clark · From: Maine, USA

Caffeine (like nicotine) is actually a vasoconstrictor, meaning it constricts blood vessels and reduces circulation. But I do like a cup of coffee (or hot tea) as a warm-up, even if I'm just absorbing some of the heat from the cup.
Wrist warmers (basically fingerless gloves) are good because they cover blood vessels that are close to the surface of the skin. The body loses a lot of heat through the head for the same reason.
More here: http://www.musicianshealthcollective.com/blog/2015/1/12/winter-circulation-woes

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

For those people who have an SD10 or SD12 with a pad, maybe that could be replaced with a heated pad.

Or maybe it's time for someone to design a hollow tone bar with a heater inside. Winking

After all, I am the one who about ten years ago suggested a tone bar attached to a vibrator. I don't think anyone ever took me up on that one. Laughing

Jeff Mead · From: London, England

More often than not (unless you are on a recording session) there isn't the opportunity to sit at the steel and do warm up exercises - it's usually a case of walking on stage, checking your tuning and on to the first song.

At least with "regular" guitar, you can play it a bit backstage and then take it onstage with you.

So warm-up exercises you can do away from the guitar would be useful.

Does anyone use one of those "practice pads" - a short bit of wood with strings attached to practice right hand picking?

Stefan Robertson · From: Hertfordshire, UK

Joe Elk · From: Ohio, USA

From an Old Sailor, I use a good hot,, strong cup of coffee! It is the hot that does it for me. The Strong is just a matter of taste.
Joe Elk

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