Sweaty Hands While Playing Guitar? Here's A Tip

How to Aid Sweaty Hands for Guitarists

As a guitarist, we always want to be at the top of our game.
Whether it’s in the practice room, studio, or on stage. Of all the things that could possibly go wrong,
sweaty hands can often make our already stressful regiments that much more frustrating.



Our solution to this common issue is developing an understanding of why we sweat,
how to prevent it, and how we can fix it when it does occur.

 

The Science of Sweat

We have sweat glands all over our body, but when it comes to unwanted sweating, we all know our usual suspects: Back, underarms, and hands.
Our bodies are programmed with fail safe methods in order to remain in balanced homeostasis.
Sweat is our body's way of regulating body temperature. When our body’s temperature rises, sweat travels from the glands to the surface of the skin.
When the sweat evaporates, the heat in the sweat is relieved from our body. This is how sweating cools your body down!

It is also a natural reaction to our body's fight-or-flight response.
So the symptoms of panic like increased adrenaline, and heart rate, are also sweat triggers.

 

Knowing Your Triggers

Understanding your body and when it produces sweat is a good step to stopping your sweating issue at its source.

Heat

Especially here in Texas, it gets hot as hell, so I try to limit my exposure to that summer sun. Although avoiding the sunlight like some energy drained vampire isn’t always practical, there are other solutions to the heat like turning a fan on during rehearsals or opening up a window to keep a comfortable temperature in your practice room. Wearing loose, cool clothes, and keeping your hands out of your pockets will slow down the rate at which you produce sweat. Consider other forms of artificial heat like those blinding lights that add a considerable amount of heat to the stage. Consult the light tech at the venue to see if they could use some lights that are dimmer or produce less heat.

Alcohol

Having a drink is a great way to loosen up before a performance, but alcohol causes our blood vessels to dilate, which warms our body's temperature.
So if you’re prone to sweating, you may want to postpone that beer till after your show.

Spicy Foods

Spices activate neurotransmitters that cause your sweat glands to overreact and produce sweat.
You don’t want to eat anything too heavy before a performance, anyways.
Eating something light and healthy will keep you energized so you can put on a really great show.

Caffeine

I know you "Kyles" out there might like to shotgun a monster before a gig, but don’t forget:
Caffeine is a stimulant that raises our heart rate, and our body produces sweat as a result.
It’s best to avoid coffee, energy drinks, and tea if you need to play guitar that night.
Your nerves will produce enough adrenaline naturally, so you probably won’t need it.

Dehydration

Because sweat is our body's way of cooling down, when we don’t drink enough water, you are sending your body cues to produce sweat to come save the day.
I know it can seem like a blanket statement, but that’s because getting your 8 glasses is truly important.

Stress

Sweat can be a manifestation of stress. If you are prone to anxiety, this is a good time to calm down, take a few breaths and get some water.
You can come back to it when you are feeling better. Try to get to the bottom of what's bothering you. Stretching, taking deep breaths and breaks are great ways to reduce stress and nervous sweating.

Stage Fright

Everyone gets nervous when they perform. It comes from our need to be accepted by the tribe. It is not something you get over, but something you learn to live with.
When we get nervous, it prompts a release of adrenaline into your body, activating sweat glands.

Being in good practice aids in familiarizing you with your music and prevents memory slips on the night of the show.
The more comfortable you are with your music, the less you will worry about things going wrong.



Playing in the venue a couple nights before the show will help you to be comfortable with your surroundings so you aren’t caught off guard by anything new or unexpected.

Performing for friends and family is great for boosting your confidence and reducing your nervousness of crowds while on stage.
The more performances you have under your belt, the less anxiety you’ll feel.

Understanding and listening to the thoughts that trigger your nerves can also help you rationalize and calm down. So think positive thoughts, breath, and smile.
Try to Imagine the best possible outcome for your performance and live like it will happen! Mindset is everything.

 

Tricks to Keep Your Hand Sweat Under Control

While genes do play a large role in how much sweat our body produces, and where, there are plenty of quick fixes for when your hands start to get clammy.

Washing Hands

Run to the bathroom and wash your hands in cold water, then dry them off really well. Do I have to remind you to use soap?

Keeping a Towel Handy

On your amp, in your guitar case, there's no shame in keeping a sweat towel handy so you can wipe your hands after every song or so.
A small pack of tissues or cosmetic blotting sheets can also help to absorb the moisture on your hands.

Hand Sanitizer

Keep a small sanitizer dispenser on you, it's quick and easy, and more convenient especially if you don’t have a sink nearby.

Keep Baby Powder Close

This is a super effective for you performing musicians. Keep a travel size baby power with your other guitar necessities, that way you can quickly powder your hands before a performance, or after loading and unloading all that heavy equipment. It doesn’t only help ease your grip on the guitar, but makes your hands super smooth. Just be sure it's fully closed because it gets messy!

 

Conclusion

If you are a guitarist that struggles with sweaty hands, it's not the end of the world.
To get upset will not help you, but can make you frustrated and feel like quitting.
Where will that get you? There are solutions for dealing with sweaty hands so you don’t need to torture yourself.
We can solve this problem by knowing why our bodies produce sweat,
what triggers us to sweat, and ways to minimize the effects so we can pull through and give our best performance.

Do you suffer from sweaty hands while playing guitar?
What are some of the things you do to help aid this issue?
Let us know your tips down below!

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