jazz9

Hello everyone. I have been on a very demanding and extensive playing schedule since I have been at a summer music program. This includes much more practice than I am used to. My lips are doing OK. My playing is getting more consistent when I rest for long enough. But, for some unknown reason, I have been sort of biting my bottom lip when I play high. A really painful sore has developed on the corner of my lip, and it limits my range because it just hurts like heck. Any suggestions that don't include not playing at all? I am open to anything else.

Thanks a lot!

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Bach Strad 37

stchasking

Swish some mild salt water in your mouth a few times a day.
Stop biting your lip.
Stay away from acidic foods.

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"I was performing professionally at age 17 and have never had a real job." Allen Vizzutti

http://cdbaby.com/cd/mcking

MaynardTrumpet

It will be good that you don't play until it goes away. If you continue to play it can get so bad that you might not be able to play at all. This happened to Mendez, and I think you might want to take it easy and just let it go away...

wilcox96

Rest if/when you can...for sure. For the sore, go to the grocery store - in the spice isle...and get some ALUM. (it is a pickling spice). Wet your lip at the sore spot...wet a Cu-Tip and dip it in the ALUM...and apply directly to the sore. It will burn like heck. However, it will also draw out and nullify that sore. Apply this a few times a day and that sore will be gone within a day or so.
This is an old circus musician trick that works great.

This is all under the assumption that you don't keep re-injurying your lip! If you are in rehearsals so much during the day...lay off the personal practice otherwise. You will be playing enough.

I wish you the best...

__________________
Brad Wilcox
NYTC Endorsing Artist
Stage 1 California Light w/Rose Brass Bell
Bach Strad Flugelhorn
GR Mouthpieces
http://www.newyorktrumpetcompany.com...rad-wilcox.htm

http://trumpetland.ning.com/profile/BradWilcox

Miyot

Stop biting your lip. Sounds as though you are straining some and developing a bad habit. I believe you should at the least back off and play more quietly during practice. Get used to playing with a smaller aperture. Playing softly during practice will enable this. Soft playing does fix some things. (I got this advice from rowuk and it is working) My endurance had suffered because I was over doing a little. Back to basics worked for me. But the soft playing while thinking of a small aperture helped me the most. Took about 2 weeks to really get back togeather. Get enough rest and stop the biting. Good luck

jazz9

I've really been trying to stop the biting. I don't know why I even started because it seems stupid, but this thing hurts like heck, especially in the high register. Our brass teacher told me to rest too, so I guess that would be best. I just hate it when these things happen. I'm having a great time and really progressing, and I have to develop a stupid habit that limits me for a little bit. As far as the ALUM thing goes, I will try to find it, but we are not allowed off campus and the little store on campus is just that: little. Thanks everyone for the help and support. It's really great that people actually care about others enough to try to help.

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Bach Strad 37

rowuk

I had a period of time where I kept getting lip sores. I switched to gold plated mouthpieces and the problem went away.

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Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

jazz9

Well, I'm almost completely sure that this sore is from me biting down on my lip when I try to play high. I just kept reirritating it until it developed into a very painful sore. I just wish it would go away so I could play again.

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Bach Strad 37

tedh1951

Have a care - broken skin, for whatever reason allows in infection, you may already have reached this point. Salt rinses are a very good, inexpensive way of dealing with the wound/infection drama and you don't have to go off campus, stop biting the lip (sounds easy I know), reduce the personal practice in the upper ranges particularly, practice softly if you can. Get plenty of sleep, eat well, and stay healthy because general good health helps healing. Remember to give your mouth a chance - the mouth area generally heals very quickly - but you have to let it happen.

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Ted

wilcox96

Upon further thought.... (and even though the alum might help a bit) nothing will help completely until you break this bad habit.

I know you say you are playing a ton. I get that. If you have such a rough schedule throughout the day, I don't think you need much "personal" practice. Take it easy outside of rehearsals. Soft... lower...no strain. Maybe even mpc only. Not too much. Forget high notes outside of rehearsals. Work on getting "set" in a relaxed fashion. Breath attacks only so everything will be totally natural.

I certainly wish you the best. Sounds like you are a good player and doing some very fun things. I am glad that you have these opportunities.

__________________
Brad Wilcox
NYTC Endorsing Artist
Stage 1 California Light w/Rose Brass Bell
Bach Strad Flugelhorn
GR Mouthpieces
http://www.newyorktrumpetcompany.com...rad-wilcox.htm

http://trumpetland.ning.com/profile/BradWilcox