Anyway, the weather is a little less humid the last couple of days and I now have the inclination to play music and practise again. For a few days, it was absolutely "hellish" and I wasn't in the mood at all. Last Saturday, a few of us started to play about 22.30 (it was an informal session after a more formal night) but I'd already had about 5 or 6 pints before I started. I was still all "hot and bothered" and my playing was terrible. Also, I deliberately stayed at home on other session nights and enjoyed the sunshine and warm nights. Basically, I just didn't have the inclination or energy to play.
Don't get me wrong. I love the summer and sunshine but not excessive heat and humidity. My ideal temperature is a maximum of about 20 degrees Celsius. How about you?
The only problem with hot and humid is that the instruments get slippery. The fiddle will not stay on the shoulder and the bow looses actual feel. BUT personally I love it. If I do not have to be in the direct sun, 30 celsius is no problem. When cold, the sound is somehow not what I want it to be.
So: I hope the summer stays
yeah 20 sounds good, i'm in tenessee for the summer tryin to pick up some bluegrass but it's too hot for an irish girl! 97f yesterday but on the up side when i get back to ireland even a really hot pub might not feel as bad! but i'd rather it be too warm than too cold cause when its cold i cant move my fingers (kinda important dont ya think!)
You're from up North, aren't you, John ?
I'd certainly agree that a bit cooler than current UK tempratures would be nice - last Sunday it was up to 33 degrees Celsius in Central London, and remember that many establishments and most vehicles do not have air-conditioning. There is also a strange need in the english to get in a car and travel when the temprature rises ! Haven't these people heard of global warming ?
I know these tempratures, and the high humidity, are more common in the US, and I have a theory that if the Pilgrim Fathers had arrived in August instead of late autumn then they would have returned to England and history would have had to nominate a different pioneer group as the first true pioneers.
Been 36-37 here the past couple of days, with 98% humidity. Normally I don't let this sort of thing stop me much. I've gone out for a 100 mile ride on a fully loaded touring bicycle in like weather (when the actual air temperature where the cyclist is, on blacktop in the sun, can approach 50).
This time around I decided to take it as a sign to come in into the cold.
I'm with John, I didn't play for a couple of days last weekend when it got humid. Then I started doing half an hour or so until the small room I play in got unbearably hot.
Unfortunately I have had a couple of gigs and had dreadful problems keeping the fiddle in tune. At last weekends ceilidh we had more dancers out on the terrace than in the hall but luckily enough danced to keep sets going all evening.
I live and play in Spanish Mediterranean Coast. Winters are quite allright, a bit humid, but bereable. But summers are terrible around here: over 30ºC and 85% humidity every single day... and night !!! You start sweating with the first tune, Guinness gets warm almost immediately, and fiddle and guitar players complain about how their instruments suffer. I think my playing improves with cool rainy weather, I feel more confident, more comfortable, with a kind of "irish mood" , if that exists at all.
I only like summers because they make me appreciate winters even more. (Maybe it sounds a bit radical).
We had a hot and sticky weekend in Rhode Island. On Saturday night, me and the wife walked around Newport, where the temp was about 10 degrees cooler because of the sea breeze but the humidity was close to maximum. And last night at the pub, I swear the owner didn't have the air conditioning on, we opened a window to cool off, and it was about 90 outside!. But although the musicians are humid, as long as the drummers have their little hex wrenches handy to tighten up their heads, things seem to go OK.
Hey John - your thread was posted on the 2nd anniversary of mine - 26th June! I've since been back to the session I mentioned then - and it was much livelier and friendlier - so I guess I just caught it on a bad night that first time.
I personally don't mind playing in warm weather, though I do perspire profusely.
My blackwood Boehm flute loses its bottom D around now. Never sussed out why. Any thoughts?
We're close to 30, I think, with whatever percent humidity it is when breathing is a legitimate cardiovascular workout. My fiddle is really happy about it. As for myself, I live on a top floor apartment with no air conditioning, spitting distance from downtown. I've taken to sleeping on the patio where the possibility of a slight breeze still exists.
I play just as much as ever though - possibly more, since it's the season of backyard / campfire / cottage sessions. Canadians are immune to weather.
In case anyone was wondering about the last line of my previous post, our drummers use the hex wrenches on their drums, not their heads. Although some would argue that there are drummers who have heads that aren't securely fastened!!!!
We played a festival this past weekend just across the river from Cincinnati. Afternoon temps were 95Deg F+. Humidity in the 90's as well. It was giving a lot of the instruments and players fits. But the craic was pretty good in spite of mother nature.
Hot humid weather causes the music to suffer
Hot humid weather causes the music to suffer
Last year, I started a discussion "Fair weather sessioneers"
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display.php/3421
and Danny had a similar one the year before
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display.php/1814
Anyway, the weather is a little less humid the last couple of days and I now have the inclination to play music and practise again. For a few days, it was absolutely "hellish" and I wasn't in the mood at all. Last Saturday, a few of us started to play about 22.30 (it was an informal session after a more formal night) but I'd already had about 5 or 6 pints before I started. I was still all "hot and bothered" and my playing was terrible. Also, I deliberately stayed at home on other session nights and enjoyed the sunshine and warm nights. Basically, I just didn't have the inclination or energy to play.
Don't get me wrong. I love the summer and sunshine but not excessive heat and humidity. My ideal temperature is a maximum of about 20 degrees Celsius. How about you?
# Posted on June 26th 2005 by Johnny Jay
Re: Hot humid weather causes the music to suffer
The only problem with hot and humid is that the instruments get slippery. The fiddle will not stay on the shoulder and the bow looses actual feel. BUT personally I love it. If I do not have to be in the direct sun, 30 celsius is no problem. When cold, the sound is somehow not what I want it to be.
So: I hope the summer stays
# Posted on June 26th 2005 by wolferen
Re: Hot humid weather causes the music to suffer
yeah 20 sounds good, i'm in tenessee for the summer tryin to pick up some bluegrass but it's too hot for an irish girl! 97f yesterday but on the up side when i get back to ireland even a really hot pub might not feel as bad! but i'd rather it be too warm than too cold cause when its cold i cant move my fingers (kinda important dont ya think!)
# Posted on June 26th 2005 by lanefest rec.
Re: Hot humid weather causes the music to suffer
You're from up North, aren't you, John ?
I'd certainly agree that a bit cooler than current UK tempratures would be nice - last Sunday it was up to 33 degrees Celsius in Central London, and remember that many establishments and most vehicles do not have air-conditioning. There is also a strange need in the english to get in a car and travel when the temprature rises ! Haven't these people heard of global warming ?
I know these tempratures, and the high humidity, are more common in the US, and I have a theory that if the Pilgrim Fathers had arrived in August instead of late autumn then they would have returned to England and history would have had to nominate a different pioneer group as the first true pioneers.
# Posted on June 26th 2005 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Hot humid weather causes the music to suffer
And for some strange reason Guinness turns very watery and one has to switch to cider!!
# Posted on June 26th 2005 by flanum
Re: Hot humid weather causes the music to suffer
Been 36-37 here the past couple of days, with 98% humidity. Normally I don't let this sort of thing stop me much. I've gone out for a 100 mile ride on a fully loaded touring bicycle in like weather (when the actual air temperature where the cyclist is, on blacktop in the sun, can approach 50).
This time around I decided to take it as a sign to come in into the cold.
KFG
# Posted on June 26th 2005 by KFG
Re: Hot humid weather causes the music to suffer
I'm with John, I didn't play for a couple of days last weekend when it got humid. Then I started doing half an hour or so until the small room I play in got unbearably hot.
Unfortunately I have had a couple of gigs and had dreadful problems keeping the fiddle in tune. At last weekends ceilidh we had more dancers out on the terrace than in the hall but luckily enough danced to keep sets going all evening.
# Posted on June 27th 2005 by Tarrantella
Re: Hot humid weather causes the music to suffer
I live and play in Spanish Mediterranean Coast. Winters are quite allright, a bit humid, but bereable. But summers are terrible around here: over 30ºC and 85% humidity every single day... and night !!! You start sweating with the first tune, Guinness gets warm almost immediately, and fiddle and guitar players complain about how their instruments suffer. I think my playing improves with cool rainy weather, I feel more confident, more comfortable, with a kind of "irish mood" , if that exists at all.
I only like summers because they make me appreciate winters even more. (Maybe it sounds a bit radical).
# Posted on June 27th 2005 by jorge o'lochlainn
Re: Hot humid weather causes the music to suffer
We had a hot and sticky weekend in Rhode Island. On Saturday night, me and the wife walked around Newport, where the temp was about 10 degrees cooler because of the sea breeze but the humidity was close to maximum. And last night at the pub, I swear the owner didn't have the air conditioning on, we opened a window to cool off, and it was about 90 outside!. But although the musicians are humid, as long as the drummers have their little hex wrenches handy to tighten up their heads, things seem to go OK.
# Posted on June 27th 2005 by AlBrown
Re: Hot humid weather causes the music to suffer
Hey John - your thread was posted on the 2nd anniversary of mine - 26th June! I've since been back to the session I mentioned then - and it was much livelier and friendlier - so I guess I just caught it on a bad night that first time.
I personally don't mind playing in warm weather, though I do perspire profusely.
My blackwood Boehm flute loses its bottom D around now. Never sussed out why. Any thoughts?
# Posted on June 27th 2005 by Rudall the time
Re: Hot humid weather causes the music to suffer
We're close to 30, I think, with whatever percent humidity it is when breathing is a legitimate cardiovascular workout. My fiddle is really happy about it. As for myself, I live on a top floor apartment with no air conditioning, spitting distance from downtown. I've taken to sleeping on the patio where the possibility of a slight breeze still exists.
I play just as much as ever though - possibly more, since it's the season of backyard / campfire / cottage sessions. Canadians are immune to weather.
# Posted on June 27th 2005 by Kerri Brown
Re: Hot humid weather causes the music to suffer
In case anyone was wondering about the last line of my previous post, our drummers use the hex wrenches on their drums, not their heads. Although some would argue that there are drummers who have heads that aren't securely fastened!!!!
# Posted on June 27th 2005 by AlBrown
Re: Hot humid weather causes the music to suffer
We played a festival this past weekend just across the river from Cincinnati. Afternoon temps were 95Deg F+. Humidity in the 90's as well. It was giving a lot of the instruments and players fits. But the craic was pretty good in spite of mother nature.
# Posted on June 27th 2005 by RogueFiddler