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GMC Forum _ PRACTICE ROOM _ Don´t You Hate Cold Hands?

Posted by: Mackietao Dec 18 2007, 05:29 PM

I just realised my hands are freaking cold! I been jamming some awsome, funny rock riff with some solo improvise.. Litterally been jumping up and down.. Room is warm, I am sweaty! Really warm.. Except my hands, they are icecold.. Very comon thing when I grab the guitar, they go ice...

Can you do something about it. I think it kind of limits my playing.. Not to think of injurys.

But it´s not everytime. Sometimes they almost burn up.. That´s an awsome feeling and your playing is sooo much smother and faster. And then you could be cold in the rest of your body... Seems to be no logic in this... or? =)


And no, this has nothing to do with warm up or not... I´ve been doing major warm up and then rocking for all together 1 hour perhaps with some small pauses... Bloodflow seems to be coming back when I stoped playing

Posted by: David.C.Bond Dec 18 2007, 05:37 PM

Wear gloves? Haha no I'm joking wink.gif
Just make sure you do a proper warmup routine. I can usually feel my fingers getting physically warmer the longer I've been playing, and you are right, it is much easier to play then.
Do some awkward chord stretches and 4 note per string scalic stuff where u have to stretch, should get them all warmed up!

Posted by: RobM Dec 18 2007, 05:38 PM

QUOTE (Mackietao @ Dec 18 2007, 11:29 AM) *
I just realised my hands are freaking cold! I been jamming some awsome, funny rock riff with some solo improvise.. Litterally been jumping up and down.. Room is warm, I am sweaty! Really warm.. Except my hands, they are icecold.. Very comon thing when I grab the guitar, they go ice...

Can you do something about it. I think it kind of limits my playing.. Not to think of injurys.

But it´s not everytime. Sometimes they almost burn up.. That´s an awsome feeling and your playing is sooo much smother and faster. And then you could be cold in the rest of your body... Seems to be no logic in this... or? =)



Sounds like you are not getting properly warmed up before you play? A good stretching routine for both hands, fingers and wrists is a good idea to get into before you play. Now I always stretch before I play then I do some simple warmup exercises on the guitar before I really get into playing. I didn't always do this but I've noticed that my ability to play has improved quicker and the quality of playing has been better when I've stretched and wamed up properly before I tried to play. I cannot imagine anyone not saying the same thing if they really give it a good shot and put their whole heart and soul into it. try it I'm sure you will like it.

Posted by: Robin Dec 18 2007, 05:40 PM

I'm also often cold on my hands, warm up does not help(for me).

Posted by: Mackietao Dec 18 2007, 06:48 PM

Well.. I warmed up for 30 minutes..Some stretching... Then after I played some I started rocking totally sweating my ass off =)

And now my second "session" I was warm the whole time.

Very often when I am warm in my hands.. I grab an acoustic for instance, just play some chords.. And I feel my hands go ICE.. I mean.. Like beeing out below freezing point cold. Even though it´s warm inside.. You stop playing.. And you get warm again.

Posted by: Dejan Dec 18 2007, 06:54 PM

If you usually don't have cold hands, and it happens when you take a guitar, consider if you hold the guitar in the way that is blocking your blood circulation wink.gif

Posted by: Bogdan Dec 18 2007, 06:59 PM

Hmm I have this problem on time to time..My hands get cold when I get nervous about a show or something I'm about to play..Also sometimes when practising in studio..Try to keep your hands warm all the time (when going to a gig wear gloves if its cold etc)..I found out that this is all in my head so I try to relax myself and get that blood circulating again wink.gif ...Its very unpleasant to play with cold hands sad.gif And I don't think there is ultimate solution to it.. sad.gif

Posted by: Mackietao Dec 18 2007, 07:05 PM

QUOTE (Dejan @ Dec 18 2007, 06:54 PM) *
If you usually don't have cold hands, and it happens when you take a guitar, consider if you hold the guitar in the way that is blocking your blood circulation wink.gif


That´s not the case either smile.gif It goes for both hands at the same time... You don´t block with your right hand like it might be possible with left hand while having the guitar to low or something. when I was younger I had cold hands all the time. Now I never have cold hands except for sometimes when I play guitar.. And when outside in the winter.

It´s very irregular. Doesn´t matter if I sit, stand, acoustic, electric, play fast or just chords.
Sometimes it´s there.. some times not.. Not that big of a problem right now though because it´s getting less freqvent and I´m really warming up properly. I just like to know what it is and how to fix it if possible

QUOTE (Bogdan @ Dec 18 2007, 06:59 PM) *
Hmm I have this problem on time to time..My hands get cold when I get nervous about a show or something I'm about to play..Also sometimes when practising in studio..Try to keep your hands warm all the time (when going to a gig wear gloves if its cold etc)..I found out that this is all in my head so I try to relax myself and get that blood circulating again wink.gif ...Its very unpleasant to play with cold hands sad.gif And I don't think there is ultimate solution to it.. sad.gif


That could be one thing yes.. smile.gif When I was younger and played with the ensemble at shows I was very nervous. Probably happend a lot more often then.. specially with chilly air...

Doesn´t explain why I get it at home, no one is listening and I´m just playing some chords though...
Or am I my worst audience? =)



Probably all in my head when I think more about it... Like one time when I took bloodsample from my arm when I was very young and was afraid and then the blood stopped so they couldn´t take bloodsample from the arm.. Had to go to another hospital which was closer to the lab and take another bloodsampletest which got less blood and therefor a trip was needed.
Now´s the tricky part... I do not feel nervous all the times I get it... Just chillin at home having fun with the guitar for instance...
Maby frustration over not being able to play as I like could be a part too...

Posted by: Toni Suominen Dec 18 2007, 08:35 PM

I aswell often get this problem, but usually a 30min warm-up helps smile.gif

Posted by: Davidian Dec 18 2007, 09:02 PM

I have this exact same problem too! But I almost always have cold hands...
It's indeed unpleasant to play the guitar with cold hands sad.gif

I do some warm-up exercises, but 5 min. later, my hands are as cold as before the exercises...
I also try to do some "real" warm-ups, by putting my hands in some warm water, and then "massage" them, while I wipe 'em off...
It helps for about 10 min.

I really want to get rid of these cold hands sad.gif

Posted by: Zephyr Dec 18 2007, 09:04 PM

Funny, that never happens to me, but when my hands are cold, just because the air is cold or something, I find it a lot harder to play. My hands just don't seem to work as good when they're cold.

Posted by: Mackietao Dec 18 2007, 09:41 PM

Aaahhh.. I remember that back in the days when I went to music school lots of years ago, I used to put my hands under in the sink filling it with warm water. smile.gif

might be better to do some bodywork for 5 min instead.. like situps, pushups, squatts... If that´s a possibilty. That could over do it so us cold handed guys will be warm for the whole session.. smile.gif


ok, this thought just entered my mind.. You cold-handed guys: Are you considered to be... what do you call it... Less flexible in chest and shoulders? A long shot, but why not ask. Because I am, and after I stretch like in the gym you can feel the blood going out in the arms. Mostly because you cut the flow by stretching. wink.gif But you see what I´m speculating about.

Posted by: muntahunta Dec 18 2007, 09:54 PM

i NEVER get this problem... unless im in my bands practice room when the heatings broke and we have to practice for 6 hours due to having a large gig coming up.

playing with cold hands is not good, expecially when it gets to the point when you cant feel where your fingers are on the guitar... soloing is impossible!

Posted by: Milenkovic Ivan Dec 18 2007, 09:56 PM

When your hands are cold you should avoid playing demandig passsages. Just put them in warm water and they wioll get warmed up pretty soon.

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