uncontrolled chin shake during concert

DH · Veteran Member Joined: 17 May 2006 Posts: 493

I have fairly old chops (same class as Vince DiMartino, Phil Collins, Chappy Perry) and have mostly been a college teacher and recitalist, playing the last 30 years in the local symphony. The chops have routinely gotten a workout to some degree every day.

Last Friday night the weirdest thing happened. Twice on holding G above staff (or somewhere in that locale) my chin, all on it's own, started a HUGE vibrato. My brain said STOP, my chin said NO WAY.

Never happened before and hasn't happened since. At this point I'm not looking for a "cure" since it hasn't happened enough. What I'm looking for is to see if anyone has seen or had this happen

(Outside pops concert, probably in the high 70s, lots of playing (Raiders, Superman, Rocky type stuff), tiring but not enough to get an assistant. Also used a smaller mpce for brighter sound)

Anyone seen this?

Pops · Posted: Mon May 29, 2017 4:17 am Post subject:

Yes.

Once is an irritation and means nothing.
Don't worry.

Now for people with a problem:
If it starts happening 30% of the time then it is something that needs attention.

Essential tremors, Parkinsons, Palsy if it happens suddenly, Dystonia and a few other things can cause this. It starts on a few notes but if a player keeps playing and doesn't get help then it can finally do this to all notes played.
The list gets scary but many things can be controlled IF they act before they lose everything.

I point this out because I have seen a few people with Dystonia that ruined their playing by ignoring the signs and pushing through until they crashed. And with Bells palsy fast medical treatment is vital.
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Clint 'Pops' McLaughlin
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50 years Teaching. Teaching and writing trumpet books is ALL I do.
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trumpetchops · Heavyweight Member Joined: 29 Jun 2003 Posts: 2644

I had this happen twice. Both times I was in an audition and nervous. It's been years since the auditions and never happened again.
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Joe Spitzer
Monroe Ct.

kehaulani · Posted: Mon May 29, 2017 7:54 am Post subject:

Pops said it all. If it happened once, don't fret. If it happens more, see a doctor.
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TKSop · Posted: Mon May 29, 2017 7:58 am Post subject:

Could be all kinds of things...

Sounds a bit like one of the examples in one of Dave Wilken's youtube clips, can't remember what the cause was but there was one with uncontrollable tremors... Might be well wide of the mark, but without seeing it, everything is speculation... Maybe worth checking out to see if it resonates?

I'll see if I can find the link...

Edit: https://youtu.be/nAELJiAYfCo