Help: Learning Clarinet is Having Adverse Effects

[BbTrumpet1]

Hello! Hoping that there are some other music educators (or really ambitious people who learned clarinet as a secondary) who can help!

I am wrapping up my second degree in music education, and I am currently refining my clarinet skills for my woodwind technique class. I have small, double-jointed fingers which makes the instrument very challenging for me, so I’ve had to shed on it A TON. Now, my trumpet playing is really starting to hurt. I have a top spot in the top ensemble at my school. A day after a long clarinet practice day, I had rehearsal. I noticed when I warmed up the horn wasn’t responding well, but when I sat down for band I could hardly get a note out... YIKES!! I had to fight my way through, playing what I could without straining and sitting out for the rest. My range and tone have been significantly hurt.

I have stopped practicing clarinet and have a long weekend before I have to play in class (thank god). Luckily, everyday my playing is getting better with hours of low long tones/etudes. My top and bottom lip both hurt. I’ve read a lot of forums that say that playing clarinet will not always harm your trumpet playing, but this is not the case! I’ve spoken to my trumpet professors and they all said they experienced the same issues in college, and had to really fight through it. I do not want this to significantly impact my playing.

First, how do I get my chops back ASAP short-term?
Secondly, when I do have to play clarinet for class, what can I do to keep damage minimal?

Any info on this topic is appreciated even if you do not have the answer to the specific question. And yes, I am well aware that not all trumpet players experience this when playing a secondary reed instrument.

[Don Herman rev2]

There will always be those who say it is easy or hard but IMO the switch from something like clarinet (or most reeds) to trumpet is a bit perilous. The embouchure and wind control are pretty much opposites.

Take the following with a grain or maybe block of salt as I have not tried clarinet in ages (all I can do to play trumpet now and then).

I would return to the very basics on trumpet for a day or two without really pushing to sort of "reform" your mental and physical chops. Start over and build up again in short sessions and chances are by Monday you'll be pretty close to where you were.

Going forward, I would be careful not to focus exclusively on one or the other if you must do both, but alternate even if only for a little while during your practice sessions. E.g., warm up uon trumpet, then clarinet, do a clarinet session, warm down, then warm down on trumpet. For a trumpet session swap the instruments, i.e. warm up on clarinet, then trumpet, do the trumpet session, warm down, then play a little on clarinet to end.

If trumpet is your main instrument, I would always start and end with trumpet, sticking in the clarinet practice as it fits. E.g. trumpet warm-up, clarinet warm-up, trumpet or clarinet session, trumpet warm-down if trumpet, clarinet warm-down (either way), then a final trumpet warm down.

Things like flow studies, Stamp, Hickman's lip flexibilities, etc. may provide good "low-impact" trumpet material to get your chops working again.

HTH - Don
_________________
"After silence, that which best expresses the inexpressible, is music" - Aldous Huxley

[BbTrumpet1]

[kehaulani]

Well, I was a music-ed student, then a composition student but with the same basic instrumental methods class requirements. I had no problem. Are you sure you're not putting more emphasis on the clarinet than you need for the class?

If I were you, the first thing I would do is the minimum on clarinet, and I would also have a talk with my ensemble director and let him know what is going on. Maybe s/he even has a solution. Certainly you're not the first trumpet/ww methods class student s/he has had.
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[BbTrumpet1]

[BbTrumpet1]

UPDATE: After digging around the internet, I believe I may have actually had an allergic reaction to a reed! I have very sensitive skin (eczema) and have reactions to tons of bizarre things. I am not discounting the fact that the difference in embouchures is a contributing factor, but my symptoms are very severe and seem to align with others who have verified their allergy.

For the first two weeks, I used one reed and had no problems switching back and forth from trumpet to clarinet. Our teacher handed out new reeds from a different brand this week, and this is when my lips swelled up immediately after class and my problems on trumpet began.

Apparently, all brands use different herbicides/pesticides/fertilizer for growing their cane. The brand that I switched to that caused me problems is Vandoren.. Currently shopping for a plastic reed to use in class, and then I am never touching a clarinet again!

Here's to hoping this solves my problems and that my lips return to normal soon!

[david johnson]

I never had that problem. Both embouchures require firm mouth corners. Push the cl mouthpiece up against the top teeth some.

[BbTrumpet1]

[Don Herman rev2]

Well, that was a painful (literally!) lesson, glad you figured it out. One more reason to stay away from reeds...
_________________
"After silence, that which best expresses the inexpressible, is music" - Aldous Huxley