Playing when chops are tired?

Mr._Buttersmile · New Member Joined: 29 Dec 2021 Posts: 5

I'm still a relative beginner on the trumpet (started less than a year ago), and though I never apply more mouthpiece pressure than needed, my chops get tired quite fast. I'd love to practice and play more, but I'm afraid this would only worsen my technique(what usually happens when I chop out is my attacks begin to sound sloppy and everything goes out of pitch, making everything sound 'weak' if I don't adjust the amount of effort I put into it), and let that be one of the main things I'm currently working on... any thoughts on this?

Sorry for any grammar mistakes.

huntman10 · Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2022 1:25 pm Post subject:

After only a year, I would recommend shorter playing sessions, actually. The idea is to put the horn down before you tire out. Get a cup of ice water to drink keep your swelling down. After a couple of hours, practice some more. The point is not to have to fight lip fatigue, using shorter but more sessions.

Over time, you should be able to stretch the sessions out and develop more technique and endurance without damaging your chops.
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JayKosta · Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2022 1:40 pm Post subject: Re: Playing when chops are tired?

Dayton · Posted: Sat Jan 01, 2022 2:45 pm Post subject:

Playing with tired chops offers diminishing returns, at best. Your endurance will be limited at the early stage of playing. One way to maximize your practice time is to...rest more. Make sure you are taking short breaks between exercises and divide your practice into several short sessions. You'll probably find that you can spend more actual playing time by doing those shorter sessions and resting between exercises. As time goes on, your sessions will become longer.

Mr._Buttersmile · New Member Joined: 29 Dec 2021 Posts: 5

[/quote]
------------------------
I might not be understanding you correctly ...
Do your lips feel actual pain from the mouthpiece pressure?[/quote]

Thanks for replying. I never feel any pain in my chops from playing a lot, only fatigue, just like my arm and shoulder muscles would feel after a set of push ups

Mr._Buttersmile · New Member Joined: 29 Dec 2021 Posts: 5

Thanks for the replies. I guess then I'm just going to stick with what I'm already doing, which is shorter sessions spread over the day, but stop each session before instead of after I'm tired, and just wait for my endurance to improve.

JWG · Veteran Member Joined: 27 Jul 2011 Posts: 257

My "trick" for playing with tired chops is as follows:

As you feel your face muscles fatigue due to lactic acid buildup, compensate by remembering your fundamentals for wind production.

1. Sit up as tall as you can;
2. Lift your elbows away from your rib cage to free up your rib expansion;
3. Breathe deeper and/or use the double breath technique (i.e., take your deepest breath and then take another breath on top of that);
4. Hold your trumpet up to your optimal angle (as determined by the angle you naturally use when mouthpiece buzzing);
5. Use your core muscles to squeeze your lower organs to press upward against your lungs to create adequate wind pressure; and
6. Relax your body and focus on resonating sympathetically with the standing wave in your horn.

Doing all of these things helps me avoid muscle fatigue and/or alleviate muscle fatigue when it happens, because my face muscles often become fatigued due to trying to over-compensate for poor wind production.
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Jaw04 · Posted: Sun Jan 02, 2022 11:27 am Post subject:

I usually recommend only practicing when you still feel fresh, so that bad habits don't creep in. But I am sure every great trumpet player has done a lot of playing on worn out chops and there is probably something to be gained from putting that kind of time in.
It's more important that your brain isn't tired. You need to be mentally focused and aware of what is going on when you are playing the trumpet.

Mr._Buttersmile · New Member Joined: 29 Dec 2021 Posts: 5

Mr._Buttersmile · New Member Joined: 29 Dec 2021 Posts: 5

Seymor B Fudd · Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2022 5:00 am Post subject:

Playing when chops are tired? In so many words: Don´t!

You have been given a lot of good advice already.My contribution is this: try to become keenly aware of the state of your chops. If vibrations stop don´t push-
- Do a proper warm up - learn which warm up method is the best one for you.
- always play progressively - which means that you should never start out on the high register - go upwards (Bolvin´s take on the Schlossberg intervals is one good example; Jeff Smiley´s BE another.
-intervals done progressively from the low register are very healthy
-easy does it - when practicing be observant of the point in time when your chops begin to feel less vibrant - then take a pause; maybe do some double pedals (although very softly and carefully)
- really number one: never "create" the sound with your lips alone - always do use enough air. This is the number one prerequiste. it´s far too easy to forget this basic ingredient. Apply air whenever you feel more more power is in demand, never never press more.
-take pauses practicing; this has been repeated over and over again on these pages.
-of course you will experience fatigue when playing say on a gig; then try to add more air, or take a small pause (if in a section).

Praciticing like this will ultimately provide a proper foundation
Good Luck!
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Jaw04 · Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2022 9:25 pm Post subject:

SquidHM3 · New Member Joined: 04 Dec 2021 Posts: 1

Good evening everyone! Found this place and decided to make an account. I played trumpet in high school (been out of HS for 36 years now). For someone who hasn't picked up his horn in a very, VERY long time, anyone have any suggestions? I'm considering just starting out as a beginner all over again. I still have my horn from high school. I still can't believe my parents were so generous with what they bought me - and it's time to stop letting that thing gather dust and lay unused (it's a Bach Stradivarius Model 37).

Any advice from those of you who were once in a similar situation?

raynjtrumpet

jhatpro · Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2022 6:59 am Post subject:

These YouTube posts by John Daniel will help a lot! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJqpVdHpyitre4f7bhNWJT0wyNIrZRXwH

His book, which is excellent, is available here. It’s made a huge difference in every aspect of my playing.

http://johndanieltrumpet.com/
_________________
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"The notes are there - find them.” Mingus

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Dayton · Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2022 7:37 am Post subject:

JayKosta

starkadder · Heavyweight Member Joined: 01 May 2008 Posts: 542

When I know my chops are tired, but still want to put in practice time, I switch to finger practice.

I always have something that I need to drill (etudes, Clarke studies, etc...), so I take the horn from my lips, set the metronome, and bang the valves. It helps me address focus, dexterity, and speed without wearing out my lips.