Ep 13 Preventing Injury: Learning to Hear Your Body's Cues

[@mattdalton1]

Yet another great video. Thanks for the reminders to pay attention to what our body is telling us and the practical advice for addressing issues that arise.

[@ryanstrumpet]

Thanks, @mattdalton1 -- I appreciate that, so much!

[@Chazd1949]

Wow - thanks Ryan for this advice. I am a two-time come-back player. The first time was back in the late 1980s after completing grad school in engineering and feeling inspired to take up the trumpet again after many years of not playing. I studied with a good teacher and attained to a semi-professional level which was very gratifying. Then tragedy struck my family and my world fell apart. I didn't play much again for about ten years and then after starting life over in a new town, found a church with a brass ensemble and started playing again. Then about five years ago, my playing took a severe downturn. I think having to play some strenuous parts without adequate warm-up may have been the cause, but after more than a year, was not able to recover range or endurance in spite of trying many different "cures" including following some of the exercises in Lori Frinks book. I have since switched to low brass (bass trumpet, trombone, and euphonium) which has at least allowed me to continue to play, but still with limited range and endurance. I'm now a senior citizen and it breaks my heart that I cannot play anywhere near the level I once did.

[@ryanstrumpet]

Thanks, @Chazd1949. My heart goes out to you for the tragedy you mentioned. I can only imagine what that would have been like. And I'm so glad that you're still playing . . . . I wonder if maybe we could find a meaningful path forward on the horn for you still . . . . The thing about the Carmine Caruso-inspired lineage of trumpet playing/pedagogy is that, while the long-setting can be a life saver for some, it can totally break down the muscle for others (of course, much depends on how it is done, and there are a LOT of misconceptions about how to do Carmine and Laurie's exercises). Anyways, if I can be a help to you in any way, please feel free to reach out! You can contact me personally at [e-mail] All my best, Ryan

[@Chazd1949]

@@ryanstrumpet Thank you so much! I do have a question or two that you could help with.

[@juniormichel1255]

Who are you and where have you been ? Lolllll Thank you for all those amazing content ❤

[@ryanstrumpet]

Lol! Thanks, Junior. Glad it feels helpful!

[@gregcampbell8888]

Interesting - I’ve never really had any of these symptoms despite having many struggles over decades as a brass player. My main physical issue now as an elderly trombone player is a sore left arm from holding the horn up. This is actually limiting my practice to about half an hour per day. I’m starting to feel that despite my chops issues, I may be quite fortunate!

[@gregcampbell8888]

I should have mentioned that my main symptom of fatigue is a «used» sensation in the muscles above my top lip, not painful as such.

[@doors7559]

I’m another comeback player (trumpet major in college, 40 years with little regular playing, then playing a lot for the past 5 years), and my problem seems to be overuse. Every time I start a new practice routine it seems to go well for a few days, but then my range regresses. A good day for me is a fairly clear high D, but I’m lucky to have that once a month. Even high C can sound scratchy, and I can never play high C# or D in the middle to end of a rehearsal. Finding a balance between knowing how much to play every day or even if I should play every day is incredibly frustrating. It’s a rabbit hole I can’t seem to escape. Tried Claude Gordon with an online teacher for three years and got nowhere. Any suggestions?? Happy to schedule a lesson if you think you could help and have the time.

[@ryanstrumpet]

Thanks, @doors7559. I tend to prescribe a balance of lip bends, moving long tones, and pedal tones for most players. If you're feeling regression, it's likely you need to stay away from things like static long tones and long-setting exercises (like Caruso). Shift the goal away from getting a workout, and towards playing as easily and beautifully as possible, with easy response, and see if that yields some helpful fruit. All my best!

[@bernardomanara389]

Thank you Ryan!! Wll I often feel the upper lip swallowing after 1/2 hour practice. Is it normal?

[@ryanstrumpet]

Hello @bernardomanara389 🙂 I can definitely say that swelling after 30 minutes of practice is a common experience . . . so I want to normalize that experience. I think every single one of us has experienced that. That said, we really do want to get to a place where we aren't playing with any swelling. The most likely causes of swelling within 30 minutes? 1) The placement of the mouthpiece. It may be that you are setting the rim of the mouthpiece directly in the lip tissue (particularly on the upper lip). Episodes 6 and 7 go into the details of a healthy embouchure setup. It may be worth your time to hang out with those. 2) Not being aware of the "tingle" that I talk about in this episode. Especially in those first several minutes of the day! Play a few notes, then stop and check in with the tingle. Rest until it comes down to a 1 or 2 on the scale, then play a few more notes, gradually increasing the length of your phrases until you feel like you can comfortably play a favorite etude of yours, start to finish, without any signs of swelling. 3) Possible allergy to the metal of the mouthpiece. This happens most often when our equipment loses some of its plating . . . if there's raw brass coming through on the mouthpiece, be sure to get a new mouthpiece with plating in tact. Some of us have allergies to silver of any kind too . . . you might experiment with gold plating, or with a Delrin rim (a kind of plastic). If you live in a humid climate, or happen to sweat when you're performing, the gold might feel a bit too slick; where the Delrin will feel like it "grips" the face even when sweating. Hope that helps!