Re: [Harp-L] dry lips

[Michael Rubin <michaelrubinharmonica@xxxxxxxxx>]

I have always been a wet mouth, until I worked on bass harp.  I discovered
that behind closed hands a lick of the lips goes a long way.  Glad you're
playing, Tim!
Michael Rubin
michaelrubinharmonica.com


On Fri, Feb 28, 2014 at 7:42 PM, Steve <moorcot@xxxxxxx> wrote:

> > As many of you probably know I had a stroke a few months ago.  most of
> my harmonica playing abilities were unaffected, the biggest problem for me
> now seems to be dry lips sticking to the coverplates of my beloved Golden
> melodies.  if I remember correctly th late great Doug Tate used to maintain
> that silver was a better material for keeping the lips moving with agility
> over the harmonica, but like everything on this list I think I remember a
> lively debate on the topic.  I woul really appreciate any advice - except
> for "drink more water" - on this topic as I work to get my chops back.
> >
> > thanks,
> >
> > -tim
> > Tim Moyer
>
> Fantastic to hear from you, Tim! I remember that we bantered quite a lot
> many moons ago. It's great to hear that your playing skills are still there
> to be exploited!
> I didn't start playing "in public" until I was in my 40s, and both my kids
> were not only better musicians than me but were also far more nerveless!
> Dry lips were the bane of my life for a number of years and I tried all
> kinds of remedies. Eventually I discovered a brand of thin, non-greasy,
> fragrance-free lip cream that is mildly antiseptic and intended to soothe
> dry lips and cold sores (non-curative in the case of the latter!)  In the
> UK it comes in tiny 5g tubes and the main brand is called Cymex. Some
> pharmacies do their own brands which are identical in all but name.  The
> merest smear, whenever my lips feel sore or just dry, lasts me for hours,
> and a tiny tube lasts me for six to twelve months.  I avoid anything based
> on petroleum jelly or which has any sort of perfume added.  It isn't
> expensive and I reckon that if you can track something down your end that's
> similar it would be well worth a try. It has the added advantage, being so
> thin and grease-free, of not clogging up your mouthpiece holes either!
> All the best
> Steve
>
>