I have several outdoor gigs scheduled between now and February. I managed to avoid them last year, but it seems I'll make up for it this winter.
I did play guitar on a cold, cold night while out Christmas Caroling in days of yore and it weren't fun, folks. What little I could feel of my fingers hurt like hail! And my playing truly did succoth. So I just stopped playing about half way through the caroling experience.
While searching the 'net for tips on keeping the fingers warm in cold weather while playing stringed instruments, I found a few semi-worthy suggestions:
- Soak hands in cold water. Okay, except I'll be playing. Outside. In the cold. So, do I do a soak between every song? Seems like that'd make for one slow set. Especially if I take time to dry.
- Space heaters. One of the venues I'll be playing provides those 7-ft. tall butane heaters that radiate downwards. They're great for keeping the head and shoulders warm (not so much the knees and toes). But, they don't do a lot for the fingers. Heat rises and doesn't seem to make it down to the hands area before doing so.
- Pocket hand warmers. My friend (they keyboardist) offered this idea. She said she bought some once for an outdoor gig and ended up not needing them. So, she's not sure how helpful they'd be since you only get to enjoy their blissfully comforting pocket-warmth for a few seconds between songs. Better than nothing, is what I'm thinking.
- Gloves. Am I the only one who sees a problem with this? I guess I'm in a much better position than the lead guitarist in that I can, if I absolutely have to, get away with just holding down the roots, but I'm inclined towards finger-picking. How will gloves affect my technique, exactly?
- Gloves, but cut out the fingertips. That's starting to make a little more sense. I'm still a bit concerned about speed, though. Should I be? I mean, will my semi-frozen audience care? (Will there even be an audience if it's cold out?)
- Surgical gloves with the fingertips cut out. Actually, this is my own idea. I guess the nurse in me sees this as a viable option. I remember those stinkin' latex gloves making my hands all sweaty when I had to wear them for more than five minutes. And I don't sweat easily. I'd have to be careful to get the ones that fit snugly and not the baggy ones.
- Two space heaters. Also my idea. One like I mentioned above, and one of those that sits on the ground, angled to point straight at my hands.
- While soaking in water. Kidding! Don't worry.
- Pray. This is Texas. In other words, the weather here is mighty fickle. Maybe it will be warm the night of December 6th? February 21st? I'm just sayin'.
- Combination of some of the above? Man, I don't know.
What do you think? Have you ever successfully played a stringed instrument in cold weather? (Keyword: successfully.) I'd be most appreciative of any tips you can offer that actually work.
