Endurance Shot when Playing in Marching Band(and in general)

[Logan Bowers]

Hello,

I am a CS major (freshman) in college, but I played trumpet extensively in middle/high school and want to continue playing at least on a recreational level. I did marching band my first semester with the hope that I could keep up my playing and have fun in the process, but my ability to play for long periods at a time continually got worse as the season progressed. Despite playing on the 2nd part (I played 1st part in HS), I cannot seem to get through a single rehearsal/game without my lips giving out. It has gotten to the point where I cannot even get passed warm-ups without getting tired. This is nothing new; it happened throughout high school, but I really want to figure out how to fix this issue and be able to improve as the season progresses instead of regress.

Additional side note (I should put this in a separate post, but it feels relevant): Every year (at about this time), I get really bad chapped lips, which completely stunts my range (everything above an E on the staff sounds very quiet or does not have a good tone). It physically hurts to play, so I am not able to play as much, and even when I recover, my lips do not feel the same. I feel like I have to strain a lot to play in the middle C to high C register. It feels like my lips are trying to spread apart, and I am trying to hold them together, which results in an overall bad tone.

I feel like part of the problem is in the embouchure I am using to play. Over the past few years (partly unconsciously), I have developed an embouchure that relies heavily on upper lip pressure. I hate this way of playing because I always end up with a mark where the mouthpiece was on my lip, and my lips seem to suffer within a few minutes of playing. I was taught by my private teacher to use 50% embouchure and 50% air (still more focus on air though because I had a tendency to use too much embouchure), but I feel like I unconsciously developed this way of playing trying to compensate for playing while marching. Every time I try to alter my embouchure to be more balanced and use less pressure, I get a much worse tone and it is generally unusable in a band context. I feel like with enough practice I could refocus my embouchure to rely less on pressure, but I am afraid of sacrificing all of the progress I have already made and permanently damaging my playing. I feel like my embouchure is trained to play in this specific way, and even though it gets results when I am fresh, its limitations with respect to range and endurance are holding me back.

I guess I am mainly just looking for advice, book recommendations, exercises, anything that can improve my endurance. Also, I want feedback on if training my embouchure to work differently is a good idea, or if I should stick to small changes (because I know how detrimental it can be if I try to force my lips to work a different way).

Another side note: I currently work out of Arban for general studies. In the past, I have done Caruso, which I am thinking about bringing back, and I have recently experimented with Stamps. I also watched this video, which is more specific to range development: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_zYNudrpaY, but I am having trouble playing with more air pressure (and actually more air flow in general both for volume and for range) without tensing up the throat.

I know this is a long post with a lot of disorganized information, but I hope that I can at least get some feedback on how to improve endurance.

Thank You,

Logan

[HaveTrumpetWillTravel]

Here are several possibilities:
1. It's a fundamentals problem. Something is off with embouchure or breathing and you're giving out too early. The best next step is probably to post a picture or video or get time with a teacher at your school. <--From what you've written it sounds like you probably need to rework your embouchure.
2. It's a stress and/or marching problem. Do you only have this problem in marching season? Did it happen in concert band too? My air sometimes "disappears" when I'm under stress. It may be that marching is just hard on your chops the way you're doing it.
3. It's a cold weather problem. Try a plastic mouthpiece and shift to blistex instead of chapstick (or lanolin or something).
4. It's an equipment problem. Something is off with your instrument or mouthpiece. What are you playing now? Maybe your mouthpiece is too big or your trumpet has some mechanical problem.

Other ideas:
-More practice in shorter increments
-Move down a part if you can while you work on endurance (no shame in that and 2nd and 3rd parts are super important)
-Talk to a section leader or other player

It sounds very frustrating! I hope you get some good answers.

[JVL]

hello Logan
i'll add to Havetrumpet's advices, that what i notice is you getting tired just during warm up.
you're overtrained and need a full recovery.
there are not enough infos about your backround, practice, equipment.
i'd then suggest you at least a week of total rest, doing only fluttering many many times a day, just for the muscular fibers, nerves, tissues, being sure there's an anatomical recovery, reparation process occurring.
then, when you come back, do very soft playing : attacks, note centering, clarke in low register, very slowly and pianissimo (pianissimo with a clear cklean sound, don't play pianissimo with a dirty sound).
be patient.
i'd also have at least a skype lesson with Bobby Shew
best

[HERMOKIWI]

There is a long list of possibilities and problems such as these typically involve multiple things on the list. It can be extremely difficult to diagnose problems and provide remedial instruction in person, let alone on the basis of a written narrative. So, rather than try to diagnose the problems I'll discuss the process of solving the problems.

Your post reflects an "it could be worse" philosophy. You are not content with your current results but you express fear that changes could further compromise your results.

In all fairness this philosophy is very common. Diagnosing and correcting serious fundamental problems in playing trumpet can be a very mysterious "hit and miss" process which can become very prolonged and frustrating. So the approach often mirrors a line from the musical 1776: "Most people with nothing would rather protect the possibility of becoming rich than face the reality of being poor." As a result, players are very reluctant to make big changes even though big changes are indicated. Players want to run the 100 yard dash when they really need to be running the marathon.

You have a choice: You can approach this cautiously in tiny increments or you can attack it aggressively and comprehensively. The first approach indicates some willingness to tolerate existing problems. The second approach indicates much less willingness to compromise.

Time doesn't care which approach you take because time doesn't have an opinion on the matter. A year from now you'll be a year older whether you've remedied your issues or not.

So, you have decisions to make: Are you content to sound/feel like this a year from now? If so, nothing is necessary. If not, attack it aggressively and comprehensively and don't be afraid to sound/feel worse before you sound/feel better.

The way you sound/feel is holding you hostage. It's threatening to make things worse if you try to change it. Don't let it do that. Be willing to try anything and everything without fear.

You need a competent teacher, a teacher who can pinpoint your specific issues and show you how to correct things in the most effective and efficient ways. More practice/methods, in and of themselves, are not the answer: You don't just want to get better at playing the wrong way and that's a frequent result of practice/methods. Learning about the right way needs to precede doing it the right way.

If I were you I'd contact Clint McLaughlin and set up some diagnostic lessons. You can find him in an internet search. He is a chop/fundamentals specialist. His reputation is well earned and speaks for itself. The sooner the better. None of us are getting any younger. The longer you wait the longer you postpone the solution until one day you'll look back and say, "Where did the time go and why didn't I take the action I really knew I needed to take?"
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HERMOKIWI

[Brad361]

To the OP:

In addition to other information above, I think HERMOKIWI’S eighth paragraph is absolutely critical to correcting your problem.

One of the downsides to the internet is that because there is so much good (and not so good) information available to us today that sometimes we become overly dependent on solving our problems via an internet search.

I am NOT implying that this is not a good place to pose your questions, it is. But I really believe that you need a qualified, in person teacher to help you.

Best of luck!

Brad
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When asked if he always sounds great:
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[dstdenis]

It's difficult to diagnose this from an internet post, but the symptoms you've described are consistent with a significant, sudden increase in workload on your chops.

For example, suppose your average playing time over the summer was maybe 5 hours/week, and not too stressful, but then you joined the band and your average playing time suddenly jumped to somewhere around 15 hours/week, and pretty strenuous, then that would gradually grind down your chops as you've described. (You wouldn't be the first who ever did that, BTW.)

If that's you, then you can probably guess what the remedy should be. Rest up a bit, follow a recovery program like JVL described, then build up your stamina and workload more gradually. That might mean you have to play an easier part, play softer, go tacet when tired, etc. Don't try to be a good soldier and grind your chops to mush. Good luck.
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[Logan Bowers]

[Logan Bowers]

[Rod Haney]

Before you go too far take a serious look at how loudly you are playing, are you overblowing? Playing at high volume especially if you are playing close to maximum is very very hard on your lips. Many people believe, me included, that centering your tone and working on developing overtones greatly improves projection and results in greater volume with more controlled air. Marching band is not particularly good for recovery. I’d say you should back your volume down considerably (unless director is in front of you) and just try to make a good representation of the music and sound as good as you can at a volume comfortable to you.

I can recommend acrylic mouthpieces as the most comfortable I’ve tried. I also think a 3c is a bucket. Get a Bobby Shew or something that has more cut. This can also give more volume above the staff. Arrange a lesson with th e head of trumpet dept. or whoever the better players recommend. Blowing hard doesn’t create range, fast air and embouchure does. Slow down and live🎺🤪
Rod

[JayKosta]

Use 'Chap Stick' on your lips every night, and during the day as needed.

https://carlsaunders.com/?p=468 for embouchure guidance.

Don't abuse your upper lip with high mouthpiece pressure. Playing high is about making your lip able to vibrate, not by smashing it flat and thin like a stretched rubber band!

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'.

[cgaiii]

I tend to have a problem with dry lips too. Blowing a lot of air through your lips exacerbates the problem. I am very careful to always keep my lips lubricated in some manner throughout the day. Most any of the stick or salve type lip applications will help if you use itm consistently. I always keep one with me all the time. I put something on my lips at night before going to sleep (very important in my book). You can also use something like Mentholatum. You cannot put it on right before you play.
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[Rod Haney]

Liquid vitamin e or a (don’t remember) was recommended by a good player. Much lighter than chapstik

[HaveTrumpetWillTravel]

You've gotten some really good advice. I think if you've had a teacher for 7 years it may not be a major problem but instead a confluence of smaller problems. From the above, perhaps you could:
-Drop the volume during marching band. Especially if there are 50 trumpets, then you don't need to be FF and can back it down.
-Try some plastic mouthpieces. I'd go with clear or silver since it's probably less conspicuous.
-Invest some money in different lip balms. Try aloe, lanolin, vitamin, blistex (if my lips were dead the white cream brought them back, but not the chapstick style), and chapstick. Some players hate chapstick but for a lot of us it is no big deal. For me, blistex was the only thing that brought back my lips if they were really badly chapped.

I would also add: buy a practice mute you can noodle on with the TV or radio in the background. I like the sshhmute which is around $50 and ultraquiet. If you can add 20 minutes of practice in your room doing long-tones, slurs, and other core rehab-type work, I'd do that for sure. While mutes can encourage overblowing, you can also practice quiet work on them.

Good luck! Your post is very helpful and I'm sure others will learn from it.

[kalijah]

[jondrowjf@gmail.com]

As always previous posters have given excellent advice. To stop your lips from cahpping: have you tried playing a plastic mouthpiece in marching band?
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