The Good Musician

Treat Yourself to the Finger Spa

by Arjun Muralidharan on October 6th, 2007

Unless you’re a singer, chances are you use your fingers to make music. Those ten precious twiddly-doos that guitarists file, pianists clip, bassists get thick-skinned on and violinists need precise control over.

It’s time you gave them a break. Here’s my little hand spa to spoil your most precious asset as a musician.

1. Soak them in warm, scented water. The water will seep into every pore and completely relax your joints and muscles. Feel it, baby.

2. Get a good nail clipper and file. Whatever instrument you play, you need to take care of your nails, especially as a guitarist. You might need them short, filed or just properly shaped. In any case, test out some clippers and files and pick your favorite.

3. Moisturize stressed skin. If you get thick skin on your finger tips, don’t pumice them! It’s a good thing. A remedy would be to apply some oil or cream to them and relax, or just play even more :-). The more you play, the less the pain will get.

4. Take a day off playing. If you feel your hands are paining, just give it a break. They’re like muscles in a strength program - they need to recuperate. Give it time, and then hit the books again!

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