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Question: How did Itzhak Perlman manage to play outside without having his pegs slip!?
I know from experience that playing a fiddle (violin - in this case) in temperatures below about 50 degrees F will cause the wood to shrink and the pegs to slip!. I have machine head pegs on my fiddle just for such circumstances!. I know Perlman plays a genuine Strad!. How did he keep from suffering this disaster yesterday when he played outside at Obama's inauguration!? I can't imagine him dusting the pegs with rosin or spitting on them (a couple other old tricks) to make them hold!.Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
What I would Really like to know is how both he and Yoyo Ma were able to play the piece so perfectly without messing up in that freezing weather!. I personally know how difficult it is to play a stringed instrument when your fingers are cold!.!.!.

Anyhow, both of the orchestral instrumentalists are professionals - one of the best, if not THE best in their fields!. They've dealt with weather issues many times beforehand!. Maybe he did put rosin or spit on the pegs to hold them!. Maybe he knew his instrument would hold until the end of the piece, since it was only up to 5 minutes long max!?Www@QuestionHome@Com

Did he play the Strad there, though!? I'm sure he has more than one violin!.Www@QuestionHome@Com