Majestic1

So, Relaxed Lips is the answer?

If the various parts of the body could talk what would they say to each other when they are working to play the trumpet? If a trumpet player suffered from VM to the point that he passed out and had a heart attack, let’s not pronounce him dead yet, and this matter was brought to court with Relaxed Lips as the judge, what would happen?

The case of Relaxed Lips

Relaxed Lips (Judge): Ok, who is responsible for making this guy pass out and have a heart attack? What do you have to say Brain?

Brain: What could I do, I wasn’t getting any oxygenated blood from the heart.

Heart: Hey, don’t blame this on me, my aorta blood supply was cut off by the lungs. Besides, it is getting harder and harder to pump blood on a regular schedule any more when the lungs are filling up and pressuring me to stop pumping.

Lungs: We just fill up with air and empty out to that big ugly tube, Trachea.

Trachea: First of all, let’s not get personal as to how we all look and second of all, I’m the biggest tube around here so it’s not me to make this guy fall. I think that the over grown Thyroid played a part in this.

Thyroid: Sorry guys, I have nothing to do with this and I’m not over grown. I recently had a test and I am fine. I think that the Larynx (vocal cords) should have something to say about this.

Larynx: I was silent on this one. You all know that I have a hard time accepting what Relaxed Lips is doing in trying to take away my job by all those funny buzzing sounds. As far as I am concerned, those buzzing noises are nothing but high pitched farts. I think it might be that thing next to the Sinuses which closed off the air.

Soft Palate: I don’t know if you are talking about me but I only take directions from the Brain to close off the Sinus cavities. I must say that I’m getting tired of this after 30 years and I have let some air get by me once in awhile. Boy, you should hear this guy sneeze! I also just don’t have any rest at night with his snoring. I’m just too tired for this kind of work anymore. I think it was the Tongue who did it.

Tongue: Nope, not me. I sometimes direct the air to help make different pitches and I rise or lower to keep the sound in tune. I AM THE ONE WHO STARTS THE NOTES and don’t you forget it. The air that passes by me goes to you Judge, Relaxed Lips. Maybe you can tell us what you do with it.

Relaxed Lips: I just past the air to the MP which has about a 4mm hole.

Trachea: WHAT?! A 4mm hole?! I’m 20mm wide and we are trying to get air into a 4mm hole? That’s 5 times smaller. No wonder there is such a high back pressure!

Heart: No wonder I stopped pumping blood!

Brain: No wonder why I didn’t get any of it from you Heart.

Trachea, Heart, Brain, Lungs, Thyroid, Larynx, Soft Palate, Tongue: YOU, Relaxed Lips, are guilty of attempted man slaughter. No matter how you work it, Relaxed Lips, you are trying to pass air from a large area into a very small one thus creating VM.

Post note:
It has been reported that Relaxed Lips had been kissing over 101 different trumpet mouthpieces and in fact was known to even smooch up to a trombone month piece.

JMesh

Very entertaining post! However, if someone is playing hard enough to instill the valvsalva maneuver, they aren't playing right. Plain and simple. It's not only about relaxed lips. Every part of the entire system must in fact be relaxed. Tension only causes impediments. The other key is to take in what air you need to play a passage and take the horn off your face when you aren't playing. If you don't, you will tire yourself unnecessarily.

Never try to force your air or your sound. Let it come naturally. Having changed that this year and still working on making it consistent, I can vouch that playing will not only be easier, but you will get better tone, intonation and overall technique. This is the true key.

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Joseph Mesh
Student
School of Music
Memorial University
St. John's, NL

CHAMP

everything to do with this topic has already been said in the last 14 pages

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POW!!!

tedh1951

Majestic,
Mate - you really have to get a life.

An historical search of ALL your 26 previous posts shows

22 referring to "trumpet playing may be dangerous to your health",
2 mentioning "I'm going to have a heart attack",
1 referring to "practicing while sick", and
1 exhorting us to "wear.. protective clothing" while shattering wine glasses with our trumpets.

BUT NO OTHER SUBJECTS and no other posts.

Please lighten up or you'll frighten yourself to death.

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Ted

Toobz

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Conn 10B New Era trumpet
Martin Committee cornet
And lots of other old and smelly stuff !

rowuk

Majestic just won't give up, but still has not published his findings after consulting with Jeanne Pocius, the chop doc. She offered to help figure out what is wrong with this guys playing. I guess he is not interested in trumpet.

Majestic, if you are really interested in this, take your problem to someone willing to help, not to someone that has financial interest in keeping you worried. Many of us here play a lot of gigs per year (I had close to 200 last year - just did my taxes) and if what you claim were even close to applicable, we would be seeing players passing out or getting dizzy all the time. It just ain't happening. Go see Jeanne and let us know what your REAL problem is!

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Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

BlackWhite

EVERYTHING can be dangerous.
EVERYTHING is dangerous.

Sitting home watching TV can be dangerous too.

And by the,we all know that playing too much will definitely cause dizziness.All good trumpeters, infact musicians know that.

hose

My family MD is an active trpt player in his 60's. A bit of a hypochondriac I've noticed. During my exam a couple of years ago he found a slight murmur and an abnormal EKG. I was sent to a cardiologist who administered many tests. I now have regular checkups and take a low dose of blood pressure meds. I asked point blank to both MDs about trpt playing. I asked if trpt playing could have caused the murmur. I was told by both that it was highly unlikely. Neither could see any reason not to continue to play just as I had always done. The cardiologist (not a musician) just gave me that blank stare that we get when we ask a question about the medical aspect of trpt playing. I didn't ask either MD again. There are certain times to "cool it" on the trpt playing after certain surgeries. Other than that, if you are playing correctly...go for it! In my senior years, I have learned not to abuse myself with things that I have no chance of playing. Did my share of that when I was younger and it didn't work then, either!

AngelofMusic

ya'll all know that the power behind your playing is supposed to come from the diaphragm, right? everywhere else is supposed to be relaxed. There will be natural pressure from the fact that you are in fact trying to push a lot of air through a tiny hole, which makes it even more important that the rest of body is relaxed, otherwise you'll add to the pressure. If you want to know the total amount of pressure this can cause naturally, study Physics--more specifically pressure caused by moving fluids. Yes air is a fluid, the term fluid refers to a specific way a type of matter can act.

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CHAMP

did any of you read the last 14 pages?

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POW!!!