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Gretchen Saathoff

~ Collaborative Pianist/Vocal Coach ~ forging partnerships, making memorable music together

Monthly Archives: February 2013

REPOST: Split fingers ~ what to do?

15 Friday Feb 2013

Posted by GretchensPianos in cold places, health, injury, maintain, music, piano, tools

≈ 24 Comments

Tags

cracked fingers, health, Music, piano, practice, split fingers

‘Tis the season for finger splits! Be sure to read the comments following the post. You will see that fellow musicians have many different approaches to dealing with this common problem.

split fingers

The top 2 circles indicate splits in progress; bottom circle shows a split with callouses.  Source:  my cellphone camera, my right hand.

Pianists! Do your fingers split or crack?

I have dry skin.  Callouses build up from playing the piano, then split due to the hours spent playing or from cold weather.

Sometimes the split turns into a deeper cut, similar to a paper cut.  Ouch!  When that happens, blood can get onto the keys.  (It’s not pretty!)

So, after much experimentation about how to make this better in order to continue playing, I have found something that works.  Other pianists have also suggested solutions that work for them.

Measures I’ve tried (groan!)

Liquid Band-Aid ~ wears through when playing

regular Band-Aid ~ slips on keys, tape gunk comes off

paper tape ~ too thin for this purpose

heavy duty tape ~ too gunky, too thick, can’t feel keys

Other pianists’ recommendations

NuSkin

One of my teachers, and Gail Fischler, of the Piano Addict blog, both use NuSkin.  I find that it wears through, but you may want to try it.

My preferred “fix”

Johnson & Johnson First Aid Waterproof (“adhesive”) Tape

Here’s how:

  1. Tear off a piece of tape.
  2. Affix tape around end of finger, making a “U” shape along sides of fingernail
  3. Use another small piece the other way ~ this piece will cover the nail and back of finger (the ends should be even)
  4. Then use a longer piece around the finger, like a Band-Aid, overlapping the ends.  The purpose is to keep the first two pieces of tape in place.
  5. Last step ~ smoosh tape around finger.

A pianist friend trims the corners, then smooshes the tape even closer to her finger.

I remove the tape just before playing a concert or audition.  It stays on for rehearsals!

The timing of when you remove the tape is your call.  Playing with or without tape changes the way you feel the keys, and that change takes some getting used to.

A word of caution: Remove the tape when you’re not playing.  Or, if the split is painful, at least remove the tape at night.  Leaving it on too long results in raw cuticles.

Amy swears by this

The music director of a show I did recently says Krazy Glue® was recommended by her father, a carpenter.  Krazy Glue doesn’t sting, doesn’t wear out or tear, provides cushioning, and isn’t gunky.  (I have yet to try it.)

Further considerations

Using hand cream, moisturizer, etc., is also important, and can postpone splits.

Hand cream should be non-greasy, so as not to slip on the keys or gunk them up.  There are many available types that are effective.

I use Aveeno® hand cream.  It remains effective even after you wash your hands, soaks into the skin, and is non-greasy.  CVS has a generic version that works just as well, and is slightly less expensive.

Mild soap is less drying to the skin.

Do you wear gloves when it’s cold?  Mine have Thinsulate® lining ~ wool and fleece dry out the skin.

Wearing wool clothing also dries out the skin, hands included (from handling the clothing).  Fortunately, tech materials are equally as warm.

Emergency treatment

From time to time, the split just won’t go away.  That typically happens when there is an extended cold spell.

A dermatologist gave me a prescription several years ago that really works.  You might want to ask your doctor.  It’s Salicylic Acid 2% in Aquaphor, a compound made at the pharmacy.  It breaks down callouses.  The same stuff is used in callous-removal products for the feet.

I apply it to my finger callouses before bed, then wear plastic gloves.  The resulting hand moisture from the gloves is an added bonus.  The callouses soften after a night or two, and heal a day or two after that.  Yes, it takes time, but it works.  I have yet to find an instant solution.

How do you handle finger splitting?  Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

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Happy Valentine’s Day!

07 Thursday Feb 2013

Posted by GretchensPianos in constructing a piece, correcting sloppiness, directed practice, distractions, fatigue, fingering, focus, goals, learning, music, new approach, new insights, outside the box, perception, piano, practice, practicing basics, preparation, process, progress, repetition, security, slow practice, something new, teaching, tools, variety, warm up

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Ebook, Goal-oriented Practice, learning music, learning process, music education, piano pedagogy, time saver

Give your valentine the gift of music!

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Shop in your bunny slippers!

My book will last a lifetime!  The musician in your life will save time and make immediate  progress.  Download the E-book now or order the print version.

Goal-oriented Practice

How to Avoid Traps and Become a Confident Performer

by Gretchen Saathoff

How to Avoid Traps and Become a Confident Performer

Welcome!

My E-book shows you how to make steady progress starting now! Eliminate negative self-talk, overwhelming feelings, and practicing with little improvement.

Written in plain English, no musical jargon.

Shows step-by-step actions you can take.

The print version is produced in landscape format on heavy stock. Spiral binding ensures that the book lies flat. There is plenty of space for you to keep written notes due to single-sided printing. The book is attractive and durable, making it a frequently-used part of your music library for years to come.

If this book doesn’t deliver all that you hoped for, we’ll refund your money ~ you have nothing to lose.

Enjoy at your own pace, see immediate, steady, ongoing improvement in your playing.

If you have any questions about this offer or about my book, please email me at: gret49 [at] hotmail.com.

Read a review by Dr. Gail Fischler, Eastern Arizona College.

Read a review by pianist Catherine Shefski.

Read a review by pianist Robert W. Oliver.

Read a review by jazz musician Tom Saul.

PayPal and credit cards accepted.

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Add to Cart E-book $19.95

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Buy Now E-book $19.95

Print version $24.95
available by ordering online.
(Click on PayLoadz link, above.)

Also in Amherst at
Amherst Books, Food for Thought Books,
Amherst Music House, and Collective Copies
in Amherst and Florence.

Testimonials

“Great advice and really works.”

“Can hear themes and voices so clearly! That alone was worth the price!”

“An excellent new resource for practice techniques.”

“Such an important topic. Vital. Your tips are spot on on and your writing is encouraging.”

“Thanks for this wonderful contribution to our literature – it’s a real jewel!”

“…there’s lot of insight in [your book] that applies nicely to other life endeavors besides practicing the piano, and that was apparent just from my first partial reading of it.”

“Students could download [your book], keep it, and refer to it again and again.”

“I just read your e-book, and it is AMAZING. All I could think about was, “why did our teachers never teach us how to practice?” Sure, they would suggest not always starting at the beginning of the piece, but I really think we needed a much more systematic, disciplined approach. Can’t believe all those wasted hours in the practice room.”

“I love the layout of the book… and the sense of humor is perfect….”

“…a PLEASURE to read something so well-written… clear, concise, and organized. A true pleasure.”

“Wonderful!”

Acknowledgments

Many thanks to all who contributed their expertise and support to make this possible:

to Sean, for assembling all the pieces into one PDF file;

to Charles, for his wonderful feedback and encouragement;

to Louise, Irene, Lauren, and Jane for their support;

to everyone who wrote terrific reviews (see links above);

and to my Facebook and Twitter friends for their ongoing presence.

I couldn’t have done this without you!

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