First thing that springs to mind - shoulder tension. Especially when
its cold its easy to unconsciously shrug the shoulders up a bit, and I
find that loosening the shoulders is a powerful way to ease the flow of
blood down to the fingers. I see this especially every Alexander
Technique lesson I have, by the end of which I get a strong rush of
blood into my hands such that the fingers often go beetroot down to the
second joint.
In a pre-gig situation usually the best way to re-create this loosening
is by performing a number of windmill motions with each arm. If there's
a private space its also good to do 10 minutes lying in semi-supine* on
the floor, head on a book (thickness chosen to maintain a roughly
straight spine) which is a key Alexander practice.
I really recommend Alexander Technique to all musicians, whether they
have postural, muscular or other issues, or not. First person I ever
saw doing semi-supine was Nigel North.
Apart from that the obvious thing of wear as much thermal understuff as
you can without looking ridiculous. The body will preferentially keep
blood to the torso and let the hands go cold, human thermo-regulation
not being best adapted for musical performance. If torso is warm or
even very warm, blood will be let down to the hands, which is the only
way you can get long-term warmth down to the finger tips.
Never do anything novel for the first time before a performance...
Stephen
* semi-supine = lying with knees raised, feet on floor positioned so
knees remain in position without muscular effort. Restrict it to 10
minutes even though I may only start to feel really good by that point -
otherwise stiffness may set in,
Dick Brook wrote:
Hi Netters
I'm interested in any remedies for cold finger tips, which I
invariably get when I play a gig in a cold room.
Very frustrating-fingerless gloves? chemicals?, Holding a cup of tea
an hour before?
Any suggestion appreciated.
Dick Brook
[email protected]
To get on or off this list see list information at
http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
