Living Water - Dissertations - Bass Ringer's Notebook - Tape

Tape

I don't usually tape my hands for normal rehearsals and performances. That's because my hands are sufficiently conditioned to be able to deal with a two-hour rehearsal or the few minutes it takes to play a piece. Sometimes I even notice that I have a slight line of callous along the inside edges of my index fingers, just like Oddjob in the James Bond movie.

I do use tape, however, for big events, such as festivals and concerts. The whole idea is that of preventing hot spots and blisters... once you have one of either, it's already too late, and your level of enjoyment will probably inhibited by the fact that your bell handles are going to keep on hitting you in just that same spot.It's no fun to play with pain!

There are different kinds of tape. You must decide on which type is optimal for you. But remember that you get what you pay for, so here's my take on some of the options:

• Paper tape: Too fragile, and it won't stay in place once you start slinging buckets.
• Dermicel tape: Also too fragile, and not sticky enough.
• Moleskin: Can be made to work, though it's on the expensive side. Bell handles also have a habit of hitting you just where you have no tape!
• Duct tape: Probably too stretchy to be of good use, and the adhesive is a bear to get off your hands.
• Gaffer's tape: Better with respect to stretchiness than duct tape, but with an even nastier adhesive. Don't use this, or after a hard day of ringing you may find your tape is taking bits of skin with it.
• Cheap adhesive tape: Cheap adhesive tape is meant more for bandages which aren't going to see much stress. This stuff stays put for a few measures, and then slips off - end of protection.
• Good adhesive tape: Much better. The adhesive is designed with skin in mind, but holds firmly. Curad tape has been a past favorite, but the problem is that I've had a hard time finding widths greater than ¹/₂", which means it takes a LOT of tape to prepare for active bell duty.
• Rubberized athletic tape: My current favorite, and the most bang for the buck. The rubber-based adhesive sticks to my hands enough, but not so much that removing it's a problem. It comes in 1-¹/₂" to 2" widths, which is perfect for wide-area applications. It also is very affordable.

How to apply tape: Basically, just cover the area you want to protect with one or more layers of the tape of your choice, and then pull your gloves over the tape. The main thought here is to tape diagonally so that you don't cut off circulation, and to err on the side of caution with extra tape rather than finding yourself having to tough out a blister.

Using tape isn't for everyone. The idea, however, is that of prevention, and so I'm not worried about being called a wuss if it means my hands will be unscathed for the next day of the bell festival. Other ringers watch me put my tape on, and some of them ask for a bit, and others think it's way too much trouble... but it so happens that at practically every festival I've attended, someone becomes a believer in tape. Why? After the event's over, their hands hurt, and mine don't.

Historical note: I went to the 2004 Rogue Valley Handbell Festival. Since I was a stray ringer, Marcy put out the word that I was a bass ringer looking for a position to play - and I got a special treat from the Concordia University group, because they let me ring all of their 3's! I was so busy the first afternoon thatI neglected to tape for the first mass rehearsal, and got a blister after only an hour. The only answer was to triple-tape that spot, and after awhile, I was having so much fun that I pretty much forgot about the injury. Well, till I took the tape off!