A duct tape convert

It's rare that I get blisters from playing anymore. (In fact, the last time I got one was last year at this time. I wonder if it's the weather or (gasp!) the lack of practice since the Christmas playing rush?)

Anyway, I've got a doozy of a blister. 4th finger of left hand, the finger that anchors all those big chords on those huge gut and metal strings in the bass. Owie. And with four Valentine's events to play for this weekend, it's really not a good time.

I brought this dilemma to my Facebook friends. What's a harpist to do? Some suggested painting super glue over the blister. Yeah, I tried that once, and not only did the hardened glue make a horrible tapping sound on the strings, those same strings ripped off the glue — along with the upper layer of the skin of the blister — within 20 minutes. Double owie. Some suggested sports band-aids. They didn't last even 20 minutes when I tried them. And then some hard-core musicians in the group suggested the glossy grey miracle, the "handyman's secret weapon," the substance that makes guys everywhere feel more manly...

Duct tape.

Once I resigned myself to the fact that it wasn't going to look pretty, I gave in. Duct taped finger it would be. I packed up the harp, got it into the warm truck and went to my tool box — No. Duct. Tape. And I didn't have time to stop at the hardware store before I needed to be at the Wine Café. So I steeled myself to just play through the pain.

I shouldn't have worried, though. There were plenty of great musicians at the Wine Café, and the likes of Paul Durenberger and Minnesota Music Hall of Famer Billy Steiner rushed to my rescue with a roll of duct tape and a Swiss Army knife to trim the edges.

See? Not pretty.

 And yes, a blister popped on the right hand 4th finger, too.

At least I was balanced.

It made for some interesting adjustments in my playing. While I didn't feel any blister pain, I also didn't feel the strings at all. I spent more time looking at my fingers while playing than I have since I was first learning to play the harp. But I adjusted, and people enjoyed the show tunes and romantic songs I played.

I'm sold on the duct tape cure. So much so that I went to the drugstore last night to buy a roll for myself. The cashier looked at me a little strangely when I put the duct tape and a Valentine's Day card on the counter (the card was for my 90-year-old neighbor, Ethel), but I didn't explain. I just tripped off into the winter's night with my purchases, ready to give myself a manicure with some silvery nail polish to match my newest performance accessory.