Before anyone misunderstands what I'm getting at here, I'm not talking about the key mechanisms not being responsive but the phenomenon where your fingers "stick" to the finish on the buttons themselves and can't slide over to others very easily.
I usually wipe the kybd down with a damp cloth when this starts to happen but recently this hasn't seemed to work too well and I'm wondering if any box players have any ideas for dealing with this problem. Ex. I knew a guy who used to put a VERY thin film of butter on his keys which would get worn off after playing for a while.
Rub the side of your nose with your fingertips (that is the OUTSIDE of the nose). Your nose is one of the oiliest parts of your body, and the added moisture will help your fingers glide over the buttons better.
I assure you the ashtray stunt was genuine and done in a way that suggested years of practice. The player was very good, but wasn't young and as he was playing a Soprani I guess he needed all the help he could get .
Fast Fret is just an expensive version of Al Brown's remedy. It
makes the buttons slippery for a while but the effect doesn't seem to last long so rather than have to get used to carrying another pack around and regularly rubbing the stuff on the buttons, just to keep a consistent touch on the keyboard, I gave it up.
Buttons can be too slippery. Worst thing for buttons is food - keep finger snacks and box entirely separate otherwise you'll be struggling because your fingers are skidding all over the place. And the food usually isn't worth all the trouble, even if it's free.
These days I just try to keep my fingers dry and the buttons clean. It would be nice to be able to buy excellence in a tube and rub it on the instrument, but for me, life sadly isn't like that.
I think that Dante mentions the box in Canto CXXXIII of the divine comedy, somewhere arond the fourth circle of Hell. I also think that his descendants live on in Castelfidardo.
I guess it makes sense if the guy was playing one of those old 9-coupler Paolos. It sure wasn't one of those really mint "grey boxes" that some guys are still using 'cause those are great.
I know exactly what you mean about the food thing. I'm pretty uptight about that myself and won't touch anything like that unless I can get to a sink and soap right away before playing again.
I think the talcum powder may make the most sense so I may try that. It's funny because this only seems to be an issue with my Gaillard. The other box that I have (a Van der Aa) is no worries (although the Gaillard is a much better inst. so that's what I use 99% of the time).
And the guy I knew from back home-he was a trad. "newfie" (someone from Newfoundland) player that is 2nd to none. The guy is an absolutely brilliant player in the old push-pull style of Kimmel, Derrane, etc.
He used to put butter on his fingers but only enough to get a VERY thin shiny film of the stuff on the keys, which would get worn off by the time he was done so nothing ever got gummer up on his inst. I was just thinking that maybe someone had a better method than this...it would save having to carry around a stick of butter around after all
I think the material and profile of the buttons also has a lot to do with how "sticky" the keys feel. I have a b/c pokerwork which has sharp edged buttons made of plastic with a good "tooth" - so it's quite sticky to play.
My Cairdin has flat-topped rounded edge buttons of pearly plastic and always feels quite smooth in comparison.
I've noticed that Catagnaris seem to have domed buttons.
I have played those sharper edged buttons and don't like them. My Saltarelle has nice dome shaped buttons that allow good sliding. And since I definitely fall into the "slide where you can" school of box playing, I like to be able to slip around!
Al - do you slide all ways or just inside row to outside?
I use only 3 fingers, so sliding from inner to outer, outer to inner, and up and down the rows has always seemed to be a necessary feature of my playing on b/c. However, as my speed and precision very gradually improves, I'm finding that tunes come out more crisply if the slides can be cut out, especially around the beat notes.
sticky buttons
sticky buttons
Before anyone misunderstands what I'm getting at here, I'm not talking about the key mechanisms not being responsive but the phenomenon where your fingers "stick" to the finish on the buttons themselves and can't slide over to others very easily.
I usually wipe the kybd down with a damp cloth when this starts to happen but recently this hasn't seemed to work too well and I'm wondering if any box players have any ideas for dealing with this problem. Ex. I knew a guy who used to put a VERY thin film of butter on his keys which would get worn off after playing for a while.
Does anyone have any suggestions?
# Posted on June 25th 2006 by dtb
Re: sticky buttons
I rub talc powder onto my finger tips, but not so much powder that it will drop onto the keyboard.
# Posted on June 25th 2006 by ʎɹoʇısuɐɹʇ
Re: sticky buttons
I've seen button box players use baby powder, or talc as laitch said.
I've yet to see a piano box player use it!
Roger
# Posted on June 26th 2006 by rogfox
Re: sticky buttons
Rub the side of your nose with your fingertips (that is the OUTSIDE of the nose). Your nose is one of the oiliest parts of your body, and the added moisture will help your fingers glide over the buttons better.
# Posted on June 26th 2006 by AlBrown
Re: sticky buttons
I've tried Fast Fret on buttons, as used on guitars.
The other week I saw a box player dip his fingertips into an ashtray presumably to get the same effect as talc.
# Posted on June 26th 2006 by millionyears_bc
Re: sticky buttons
millionyears_bc,
So did the Fast Fret work? That ashtray thing I wouldn't believe except you say that you say the guy do it!
# Posted on June 28th 2006 by dtb
Re: sticky buttons
I assure you the ashtray stunt was genuine and done in a way that suggested years of practice. The player was very good, but wasn't young and as he was playing a Soprani I guess he needed all the help he could get .
Fast Fret is just an expensive version of Al Brown's remedy. It
makes the buttons slippery for a while but the effect doesn't seem to last long so rather than have to get used to carrying another pack around and regularly rubbing the stuff on the buttons, just to keep a consistent touch on the keyboard, I gave it up.
Buttons can be too slippery. Worst thing for buttons is food - keep finger snacks and box entirely separate otherwise you'll be struggling because your fingers are skidding all over the place. And the food usually isn't worth all the trouble, even if it's free.
These days I just try to keep my fingers dry and the buttons clean. It would be nice to be able to buy excellence in a tube and rub it on the instrument, but for me, life sadly isn't like that.
I think that Dante mentions the box in Canto CXXXIII of the divine comedy, somewhere arond the fourth circle of Hell. I also think that his descendants live on in Castelfidardo.
Good luck
MYBC
# Posted on June 28th 2006 by millionyears_bc
Re: sticky buttons
MYBC,
I guess it makes sense if the guy was playing one of those old 9-coupler Paolos. It sure wasn't one of those really mint "grey boxes" that some guys are still using 'cause those are great.
I know exactly what you mean about the food thing. I'm pretty uptight about that myself and won't touch anything like that unless I can get to a sink and soap right away before playing again.
I think the talcum powder may make the most sense so I may try that. It's funny because this only seems to be an issue with my Gaillard. The other box that I have (a Van der Aa) is no worries (although the Gaillard is a much better inst. so that's what I use 99% of the time).
Thanks for the input guys.
DTB
# Posted on June 30th 2006 by dtb
Re: sticky buttons
And the guy I knew from back home-he was a trad. "newfie" (someone from Newfoundland) player that is 2nd to none. The guy is an absolutely brilliant player in the old push-pull style of Kimmel, Derrane, etc.
He used to put butter on his fingers but only enough to get a VERY thin shiny film of the stuff on the keys, which would get worn off by the time he was done so nothing ever got gummer up on his inst. I was just thinking that maybe someone had a better method than this...it would save having to carry around a stick of butter around after all
# Posted on June 30th 2006 by dtb
Re: sticky buttons
I think the material and profile of the buttons also has a lot to do with how "sticky" the keys feel. I have a b/c pokerwork which has sharp edged buttons made of plastic with a good "tooth" - so it's quite sticky to play.
My Cairdin has flat-topped rounded edge buttons of pearly plastic and always feels quite smooth in comparison.
I've noticed that Catagnaris seem to have domed buttons.
Any thoughts on these aspects of box playing?
# Posted on June 30th 2006 by millionyears_bc
Re: sticky buttons
I have played those sharper edged buttons and don't like them. My Saltarelle has nice dome shaped buttons that allow good sliding. And since I definitely fall into the "slide where you can" school of box playing, I like to be able to slip around!
# Posted on June 30th 2006 by AlBrown
Re: sticky buttons
Al - do you slide all ways or just inside row to outside?
I use only 3 fingers, so sliding from inner to outer, outer to inner, and up and down the rows has always seemed to be a necessary feature of my playing on b/c. However, as my speed and precision very gradually improves, I'm finding that tunes come out more crisply if the slides can be cut out, especially around the beat notes.
What's your experience been?
MYBC
# Posted on July 1st 2006 by millionyears_bc