"Stoppage" problem

[Edwardsrk]

Hello!

This is my first post on here but I just would love to get people's ideas on a problem I have been having for about a year now. Basically what happens is I take a breath to play, and then instead of releasing the note my tongue stays locked and I can't get the air into my horn even though I'm "telling" it to articulate. I've discussed this with a few players with a similar problem, that this may be a form of the valsalva maneuver, only talked to a few players though that this has happened with the tongue as opposed to in the throat though. I've tried various things with varying success, and basically have a decent handle on it now. It totally is more a mental thing than anything else and I think is the body's coping mechanism for performance anxiety. Because I also feel that when I am in a good head space it doesn't happen as much which I find really interesting! But I was just wondering how many players have experienced a similar thing and how they dealt with it being breath exercises, timing drills, meditation, therapy, just trying not to think about physicality and only about sound, whatever!

I appreciate and look forward to y'all's answers! Happy practicing!

[JayKosta]

Do you have a fixed sequence of actions you do for the inhale/prepare/attack process.
Particularly in the 'prepare' step, what is your tongue doing before/during/after as you get the mouthpiece positioned for playing.

Jay
_________________
Most Important Note ? - the next one !
KNOW (see) what the next note is BEFORE you have to play it.
PLAY the next note 'on time' and 'in rhythm'.
Oh ya, watch the conductor - they set what is 'on time'.

[coraltrpt]

Dear Edward,

I think this is a much more common problem than people talk about. I’ve dealt with it throughout my career. Although its cause can be debated, I agree with your assertion that it comes down to mental mechanics. After consulting a few coaches on the problem over the years, these have been the most helpful approaches to improving the idea of a “confident start”:

-Incorporation of confident start exercises into your daily routine. (Counting at least a bar out. Verbally and inside your head) - tons of great exercises that work. I switch between using a metronome and just my body rhythm. Lots of Thibaud, Shuebruk, and Flow studies.

-Instilling the idea of a very relaxed breath (almost a yawn) that is in-time before the first note. Chicowicz would speak on this point in his masterclasses.

-Training yourself to “let go” and let whatever comes out of the horn happen. (This is the mental training)

Just a few thoughts. I still deal with it on occasion, but usually when I’m not confident about my preparation. However. the above practice has helped immeasurably.

I hope this adds to the dialogue!

[PH]

I have two suggestions.

1) Sing everything you are going to play in a practice session before you play it. Use the syllable that is best for the sound you want on the note (Tah, Dah, Tu, du, etc.). Then, when you play simply recreate that on the horn.

2) Subdivide the beat before each entrance into 16th notes or triplets (if you are playing 12/8, 6/8, swing 8ths, etc). This will give a more precise musical and timing demand to your unconscious mind. This is like a conductor who gives a great preparatory beat and that results in solid entrances.
_________________
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[Brassnose]

Interesting question. I used to have a similar issue albeit not as strong. Also used to happen in musical sequences with a lot of short breaks between phrases - to breathe or not to breathe type situations. I have just recently started to get a real handle on this but the improvement has been dramatic. I can now play with higher „fluidity“, more precise attacks, fuller sound.

What I did was an embochure change, actively work on a more relaxed approach, and having my tongue much farther in the front than I used to. Plus I play a lot (like in: I am an amateur player who likes to practice) of bass trumpet. This greatly improved the steadiness (not the power!) of my air support.

Overall I have arrived at a playing state where inhaling and playing are one process, not two anymore. It is mental, I agree and working out the mechanics and getting it to work depends a lot on a relaxed but focused and controlled approach. Hard to describe but thinking in phases helped me enormously - if I think of a full phrase rather than of phrase parts, everything flows more easily, musically speaking.
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1977 Conn 6B
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[JayKosta]

The OP hasn't been back to give more details, but I'll make suggestions.

1) At the completion of inhale, keep your lips open, and your tongue down behind your lower teeth. Continue to use only your torso muscle to keep your lungs in expanded condition.

2) Finalize the position of the mouthpiece on your lips very shortly before playing, and continue to keep your tongue behind lower teeth, and lungs expanded via ONLY torso muscles.

3) At the INSTANT of playing the note, make a simultaneous tongue movement and breath release.

Jay
_________________
Most Important Note ? - the next one !
KNOW (see) what the next note is BEFORE you have to play it.
PLAY the next note 'on time' and 'in rhythm'.
Oh ya, watch the conductor - they set what is 'on time'.

[Al Innella]

Try using breath attacks on 1/2 notes,then with out stopping, add the tongue using a modified K or anchor tongue.

[Rod Haney]

Try to open your lips to let the tongue slightly protrude tip of lip. Spit a grain of rice on a g and learn to center the resulting note. This should help with sounding the note correctly and if used and perfected thruout your range will help a lot of things, especially accuracy
Rod

[BobList]

Al Innella beat me to it! do what he said.... I use "HOO" "HAA" "HEE" breath attacks ( depending on the note) when things like that happen to me, then gradually add a soft tongue every 3 notes, then 2 then 4, etc...... mix it up, I think Caruso had some guys doing that as well.
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[Bachatit]

Hi Edwardsrk!

I have had this problem many years and, while there are many excellent suggestions mentioned above, none have "cured" the problem for me . Stuttering typically disappears for most after several months and doesn't recur. For me, the problem comes and goes but never dissappear completely.

I agree the problem is anxiety over the first note in a phrase.

My most recent approach:

1) I never correct a first note mistake--ignore it and go on. This reduces anxiety over making a perfect entrance.
2) Spend a proportionately higher time on "poo" or breath attacks depending on how severe the problem is.
3) Anything to reduce anxiety over the first note is helpful (counting off, head nodding, foot tapping, or any of the previously mentioned approaches).

Best

[TrpPro]

PM me and I'll give you the cure for stuttering and insecurity on first attacks.