Water + Hands = ?

[mtmccarthy]

I didn't see any threads specifically about the use of water before practice sessions or performances, so I figured I would start one up.

(If you thought to yourself "Water + Hands = Wet Hands" after seeing the subject of this message, I guess you would be right, though.)

So. What are your thoughts about this the use of water before practice sessions or performances?

I know that Gould used to soak his hands with hot water rather obsessively for an extended period of time before performances. I hear Schnabel, on the other hand, would recommend that his students put cold water on their hands before practicing. What do you believe are the practicalities and/or impracticalities of these actions?

I can see the reasoning behind using warm water for relief from coldness/tightness, present especially at the beginning of a performance. But I have never found an explanation for why anyone would want to use cold water before practicing...

(And I think we all understand already that putting your hands into boiling water or liquid nitrogen before a performance would be something of a bad idea, so let's not be too extreme here. )

[Antnee]

Any water on my hands  dries the oils out of them and makes them dry and slick on the keys. I usually don't use water... But that's just me...

[donjuan]

I dont set up any fancy apparatus with the water bowl, and the rolled up sleeves, if you want to practice, practice!  But before performances, it is a good idea to have a hot bath or shower before leaving the house. -->  warms up the hands cleanses the body and mind

donjuan

[allchopin]

(If you thought to yourself "Water + Hands = Wet Hands" after seeing the subject of this message, I guess you would be right, though.)

Whoa... freaky.  You are quite the prophet!

I would say that using water would be a bad idea because, like Tony said, it makes your hands a bit slick (unless you like this while playing).  Warm water would open uo your blood vessels allowing more blood flow and thus more oxygen to your muscles, so I can see that.  Cold water would only tighten your hands (as well as numb your nerve endings, so that you couldnt feel the fingers on the keys as well) so this needs some more explanation.

[monk]

If your hands are cold before performance, it means that they are in short supply of blood.

This is most probably because in other parts of the body (arms, trunk...) there are cramped muscles which hinder the blood to flow freely. And cramped muscles emerge through fears or through wanting something too hard (which is in fact the same).

Until 10 years ago, I often had cold hands. This was because I was a really tense, un-free guy with many fears. The shoulders and neck were very often really hard and ached.

Over the years I learned Alexander technique, Feldenkrais and started swimming regularly so that my body felt more and more supple. At the same time I worked on reducing my fears and neuroses.

Since about 7 years I have NEVER cold hands, and the strong stagefright of the early years has completely gone.

You see, it's not about the hands, it's about the whole human being. But with pianists, problems like to manifest in the hands, while singers most probably get throat disorders and brass players suddenly can't coordinate their lips. (Never heard of a singer or brass player who always gets cold hands before performance!)

Best Wishes,
Monk

[in_love_with_liszt]

Warm and cold water each have advantages and disadvantages. First of all, I find that after washing my hands that they are much less slippery because all of the oil is gone, which is what really makes it slippery when it gets on the keys. Warm water will increase the bloodflow to the hands and make them more agile. Cold water will help the muscles, tendons and ligaments in your hands heal & recover faster (warm water won't).

[cellodude]

Warm and cold water each have advantages and disadvantages. First of all, I find that after washing my hands that they are much less slippery because all of the oil is gone, which is what really makes it slippery when it gets on the keys. Warm water will increase the bloodflow to the hands and make them more agile. Cold water will help the muscles, tendons and ligaments in your hands heal & recover faster (warm water won't).

I don't know what to make of this because I am experiencing exactly the opposite of what you are saying. My experience is more along the lines of what RondoAllaTony is saying. If I wet my hands with water (hot or cold) before I play, my fingers will be MORE slippery and they will slide off the keys.

As I play along the body oils come back and I continue as normal. Anybody got any explanation for this apparent discrepancy? :-/

dennis lee

[Antnee]

I don't know what to make of this because I am experiencing exactly the opposite of what you are saying. My experience is more along the lines of what RondoAllaTony is saying. If I wet my hands with water (hot or cold) before I play, my fingers will be MORE slippery and they will slide off the keys.

As I play along the body oils come back and I continue as normal. Anybody got any explanation for this apparent discrepancy? :-/

dennis lee

Yes, this is what usually happens. When I play, I like my hands to be a little wet with my own perspiration and oils. Just a little bit. (Sounds gross, I know).
The only reason you would need to soak your hands in water is to warm them up right? I'm not sure why you would want cold hands. I can't play at all with cold hands. If you want to get blood to your hands, Bernhard has suggested a most effective way. Stick your arms out and make big circles with your arms. Do this until you can feel the burn, but eventually make the circles smaller and smaller. Works great for me.

[mtmccarthy]

Thanks for all the replies so far. While I do understand that this subject isn't of grave importance, it's still interesting to see what people think about it, anyway.

Regarding hand oil, when I do try out water before practicing, I don't notice much of a difference with regards to slickness (given that my hands aren't still soaked). I think the texture and quality of the keys of the actual piano which we practice on would have an effect on this, since many of them are made differently and of different materials.

I dont set up any fancy apparatus with the water bowl, and the rolled up sleeves, if you want to practice, practice!  But before performances, it is a good idea to have a hot bath or shower before leaving the house. -->  warms up the hands cleanses the body and mind

donjuan

I do the same as you for practicing, as far as water and hands are concerned. And yes, a hot shower or bath does freshen things up a bit. I find that it also keeps me from smelling bad. That is, it would be a terrible thing to be approached by someone who loved your performance, only to find him/her repelled by some horrible stench.

Whoa... freaky.  You are quite the prophet!

Heh. I thought it would be the obvious sardonic answer which some would think up as they wait for the page to load up...

If your hands are cold before performance, it means that they are in short supply of blood.

This is most probably because in other parts of the body (arms, trunk...) there are cramped muscles which hinder the blood to flow freely. And cramped muscles emerge through fears or through wanting something too hard (which is in fact the same).

Until 10 years ago, I often had cold hands. This was because I was a really tense, un-free guy with many fears. The shoulders and neck were very often really hard and ached.

Over the years I learned Alexander technique, Feldenkrais and started swimming regularly so that my body felt more and more supple. At the same time I worked on reducing my fears and neuroses.

Since about 7 years I have NEVER cold hands, and the strong stagefright of the early years has completely gone.

You see, it's not about the hands, it's about the whole human being. But with pianists, problems like to manifest in the hands, while singers most probably get throat disorders and brass players suddenly can't coordinate their lips. (Never heard of a singer or brass player who always gets cold hands before performance!)

Best Wishes,
Monk

I have never really thought of it that way in particular, but it does make a lot of sense. Being tense and worried does odd things to people, as it tends to enforce everything which might be problematic. (Of course, if I happen to be in a cold area, my hands would be cold and more stiff, but it's fair enough to assume people know this already. )

Cold water will help the muscles, tendons and ligaments in your hands heal & recover faster (warm water won't).

That's interesting. Do you think it would be a good idea to rinse the hands with cold water after every practice session, so that the hands recover faster?

Stick your arms out and make big circles with your arms. Do this until you can feel the burn, but eventually make the circles smaller and smaller. Works great for me.

Hehe, I actually came upon the the post which Bernhard made about that when searching for topics on water. I've tried it, and I was surprised at how it works so well. I don't think that I'll want to do it in front of a crowd at a performance, though... they'd think that I had lost my marbles.

[cellodude]

Hmmm.... interesting.

There seems to be a few related things being discussed here.

1. Shower. Yeah, we need that so we don't smell. But I don't know how much of an effect it will have on our playing since you're unlikely to be performing immediately after a shower (you need to get dressed, travel to the venue, wait for your cue, etc) by which time whatever effect water has on your hands will be gone. But if you shower or wash before you practise, that's a different matter.

2. Tense, hard muscles, nervousness, etc. A good warm-up exercise(s) before playing seems to be the best to me; Alexander technique etc, whatever tickles you. No need for warm or cold water. Solve the problem, not treat the symptoms.

3. We need to wash our hands for whatever reasons before practice. I usually wash my hands and require my kids to do so because I PAID 24K FOR MY PROFESSIONAL GRAND!! AND NOBODY IS GONNA DIRTY IT, SO THERE! . My kids could have been eating candy, cookies, have ink on their fingers, picked their nose (yuck), etc. They don't get to practise until they washed their hands.

It is number 3. I have problems with. Whenever I wash my hands (and dry them) they become too dry and feel like I have talcum powder on them and they slide off the keys. I usually wait a few minutes for the oils to come back on my fingers before practicing.

The strange thing is some people find body oils to be a hindrance and others don't. Anybody got an explanation?

TTFN (Ta Ta For Now),
dennis lee

[DrEvil-]

Cold water will help the muscles, tendons and ligaments in your hands heal & recover faster (warm water won't).

I could see warm water helping because of the increased blood flow, but how does cold water help you to heal faster?

[Max]

I always wet my hands, but NEVER use soap - that does make them dry. If I wet my hands it gets rid of the greasy fingers which I absolutly despise!


...


(well, the fingers are still there but not the grease)

[bernhard]

I always wet my hands, but NEVER use soap - that does make them dry. If I wet my hands it gets rid of the greasy fingers which I absolutly despise!


...


(well, the fingers are still there but not the grease)

Here is something that one of my teachers taught me. She did it religiously (I cannot be bothered, so I never do it - but it works)

"Before playing, always wash your hands with soap and a spoon of sugar. It makes the skin very soft and pliable. "

(Quite amazing actually - maybe I should start doing it - I wonder how this will interfere with my karate punchs though )

[tocca]

I don't soak my hands in, hot or cold, water before playing but i've found one thing. If my hands get really cold. Like after being out in the winter, making snowballs without gloves for example.

After going inside after having chilled my hands to the bone, it takes maybe five minutes and my hands are glowing with heat! And they won't get cold easily after this either.

It's not a good way preparing for playing the piano however, because you'll get stiff. But maybe by doing this a couple of hours before playing?
Haven't tried.

If i have cold hands, i just play for a couple of minutes and then wait a little while and my hands will get warm.

[Spatula]

Warm and cold water each have advantages and disadvantages. First of all, I find that after washing my hands that they are much less slippery because all of the oil is gone, which is what really makes it slippery when it gets on the keys. Warm water will increase the bloodflow to the hands and make them more agile. Cold water will help the muscles, tendons and ligaments in your hands heal & recover faster (warm water won't).

Whoa..we're talking about wetting our hands and then drying it after right? Who'd really play with their hands still wet?

[ericlc]

Sometimes before i practice, I'll run my hands in warm water. The warmth helps relax the muscles and tendons in your fingers, which usually makes it easier for me to warm up and get in the swing of things. I usually try to do this a few minutes before I start to practice.

After a good practice session, I'll run my hands and fingers in the warm water again to help further relax the muscles. I find that this is especially important to do in the winter and I'm about to head out into the cold, because the cold weather can induce one's fingers to become stiff or sore.

It's not too often that I experience stiffness or soreness anyway -- in fact, hardly ever -- but ever since I'd gotten tendinitis and various finger and hand sprains (both musically related and not), I've followed these rituals religiously. The actual magnitude of how much running your hands in warm water is undetermined, but it can only help -- warmth in general helps stimulate blood circulation, which makes your body more relaxed (this is exactly why people "warm up" before any kind of exercise). Besides, it's better safe than sorry anyway, right?

Hope this helps.

(BTW, the only time I'd consider putting my hands in cold water before practicing is either if I were doing the cold-hot water bath that's often used in physial therapy, or if I cut my hand somehow and needed to stop the bleeding. I don't think cold water is too positively correlated to actual piano practice, though.)

[ChristmasCarol]

Does anybody experience too much moisture on their hands from their own body?  And how to deal with that eh?

[Spatula]

When I was a kid just starting out on piano, my hands got super gluey from all that nasty sweat and then it'd make a very thin film of sweat or liquid on the keys and then my fingers would like slip...not nice.

Now its not so bad.. I rarely get it.  

[kw13091984]

Whenever I used to perform my hands would often become cold (making it difficult to play) and sweaty (making it even more difficult to play) before a performance. Maybe soaking your hands in cold water before practice is an attempt to recreate this feeling and thus making it easier to play when it happens before a performance, just an idea!