I like the rubber picks that Sylvia Woods sells. They are about the closest sound to a finger that I thing picks get. I find the felt ones too percussive and they get floppy quickly. When you get them, drill or poke a hold in them and thread through and tie off some elastic string so you can drape them around your neck and not worry about dropping them. The last thing you want to do in December is get giant callouses on your fingers, or worse, get a blister. I’m sure the Woods Harp Center can overnight them to you, or you might find them in a music store.

I use Petite Pigs. They’re egg-shaped picks made of layers of felt glued together. Depending how you hold them you can make a bright, really loud sound, good for cutting through with a fff glissando, or you can make a more natural finger sound.

Because there always seem to be too many of them, I never do glisses at this time of year with bare fingers. Sylvia Woods’ rubber picks are good but I also use felt picks at times. Definitely drill a hole and put them on a cord to hang around your neck. You’ll either never grab them off your stand in time or you will knock them on the floor.

I’ve used something called Liquid Bandage quite successfully. You paint it on your finger(s) — think clear nail polish — and it produces a clear coating. Be sure to let it dry before you play!