Ross91

Hey guys,

Recently, whenever I play in the upper register or if I play for extended periods of time, pockets of air gets trapped in my top lip. Sometimes the air sends agonizing pain to my cheek and my ear. Has anyone heard of this and does anyone have any advice? I'm not sure if this is because I am fairly young (17) and my face is changing or if I need to use a different mouth piece (currently I have been using a Bach 3C)

Thanks

edcon1981

that actually does happen to me currently... it's not a matter of age or experience (27 years old been playin for 15). it's simply that you're pushing yourself too hard, your lips are getting tired and you're losing muscle control. take a break, and by break i mean put the horn down for a few minutes in the middle of practice. during a normal practice session for me i'll take a couple five minute breaks during the course of an hour and a half of playing. during a regular four hour rehearsal i'll sit out for fifteen minutes a couple times towards the end of practice, as a lead i have to balance playing versus hurting myself... something i learned the hard way.

and welcome to tm.

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Ross91

Thanks for the advice!

Bob Grier

yes, rest is good. even better find a GOOD teacher and take a few lessons and see what he says. No matter how tired you are there shouldn't be any pain in your cheek or ear. Something else is wrong. get it checked out ASAP

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oohhh yeah

well, its definitely not cuz you're too young, i'm 14 and i play on a bach 3C megatone and i can get up to high A(two notes above the highest ledgar line)

Al Innella

If your ear hurts it could be a dental problem, get a checkup.

Ross91

Well, I rested for about 5 days and its still bugging me :(

I'm going to get a checkup this week though. Again, thank you very much for the advice :)

rowuk

Ross,
it is simply a sign of lacking muscle control. alot of long tones and lip slurs played softly will work wonders until you have earned the strength to keep your chops in place.

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Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

Ross91

Ya its just extremely annoying when you have a problem and it doesn't go away lol

rowuk

Problems only go away when we sort them out. as cool as we all are, we are so far removed from your face that this thread could almost be considered a complete waste of time.

If you had a decent daily routine, you probably would have fixed the problem before it became one.

After you get done trying EVERYTHING out that was suggested here, you may end up wanting to play Tuba.

If you really care about your face, you need personal attention from a decent teacher. That is about the only way to really zero in on the issue.

__________________
Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.