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bnbechtel Regular Member
Joined: 26 Oct 2021 Posts: 66 Location: US
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Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2021 1:25 pm Post subject: Coming back after a lip injury |
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I hadn't played in years, but I would sometimes pick up a horn and just check to see if I could still make a sound.
Then, about a year ago, I walked out the back door at night, tripped on a rug, and fell face first onto the concrete patio. Short version: my teeth went most of the way through my top lip, right where I play cornet. After it healed (leaving some nasty scar tissue) I was unable to buzz my lips. So I gave up on playing forever. But then about four days ago, I tried alternate positions, and was able to make a sound. Two days ago, I was amazed that I could bow buzz and play in my old embouchure position. I have no idea how. The scar tissue makes a line right about where I buzz. Anyway, I could try to develop an off center position, but I think I'm making progress despite the injury.
The easiest thing to play on at the moment is this beat up Besson Prototype cornet that I fitted a Holton Farkas MDC to. (I wanted to make it really conical.) I'm ordering a 3B I think to play with my Olds Ambassador, that will be my typical set up, I think. Unless ... Can I use a short shank Yamaha 14E with the ambassador? Regardless I'm five days into playing, and I thought I'd share a clip of my Besson with a horn mouthpiece in it, just for fun?
Anyway, hi to everybody.
[url]
https://www.instagram.com/p/CVitflQlcPO/?utm_medium=copy_link
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royjohn Heavyweight Member
Joined: 12 Jan 2005 Posts: 2272 Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
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Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2021 2:16 pm Post subject: |
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Hey, Man!
Glad you tried again! You don't sound half bad for someone who's not played in a while and has had a serious lip injury.
I know from reading Doc Reinhardt that he worked with a number of players who had a lip injury and had to move their placement thereafter, so that's an option if the original placement doesn't work out for you.
Let us know how this works out for you! _________________ royjohn
Trumpets: 1928 Holton Llewellyn Model, 1957 Holton 51LB, 2010 Custom C by Bill Jones, 2011 Custom D/Eb by Bill Jones
Flugels: 1975 Olds Superstar, 1970's Elkhardt, 1970's Getzen 4 valve
Cornet: 1970's Yamaha YCR-233S . . . and others . . . |
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bnbechtel Regular Member
Joined: 26 Oct 2021 Posts: 66 Location: US
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Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2021 4:00 pm Post subject: |
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royjohn wrote: | Hey, Man!
Glad you tried again! You don't sound half bad for someone who's not played in a while and has had a serious lip injury.
I know from reading Doc Reinhardt that he worked with a number of players who had a lip injury and had to move their placement thereafter, so that's an option if the original placement doesn't work out for you.
Let us know how this works out for you! |
Thank you so much for the encouragement. I was overjoyed when I was finally able to get a note to sound again. Being able to play cornet or trumpet -- or at least pick it up and play a scale after years of not playing -- always made me happy. I guess in a year of healing, and with some effort, I was able to buzz again. I may have to move to one side or the other; my range is best in the center, so much muscle memory I guess! But the scar seems to interfere with buzzing on some notes. It's too early to tell yet, though.
So, this was two days into going back to my original lip position -- I'll keep practicing, and I'll post another clip to this thread in about a month; we'll see how I'm doing. Maybe it would be inspiring for other people with mangled lips.
Best,
Brent |
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royjohn Heavyweight Member
Joined: 12 Jan 2005 Posts: 2272 Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
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Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2021 5:01 pm Post subject: |
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Hey Brent,
And I forgot to say that you have great courage to put your video out there in front of all us self-appointed experts! Good luck! I predict success! _________________ royjohn
Trumpets: 1928 Holton Llewellyn Model, 1957 Holton 51LB, 2010 Custom C by Bill Jones, 2011 Custom D/Eb by Bill Jones
Flugels: 1975 Olds Superstar, 1970's Elkhardt, 1970's Getzen 4 valve
Cornet: 1970's Yamaha YCR-233S . . . and others . . . |
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GeorgeB Heavyweight Member
Joined: 20 Apr 2016 Posts: 1063 Location: New Glasgow, Nova Scotia
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Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2021 12:46 am Post subject: |
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Playing the trumpet with healthy chops is difficult, so it takes a lot of determination to do it with damaged chops. Good luck.
George _________________ GeorgeB
1960s King Super 20 Silversonic
2016 Manchester Brass Custom
1938-39 Olds Recording
1942 Buescher 400 Bb trumpet
1952 Selmer Paris 21 B
1999 Conn Vintage One B flat trumpet
2020 Getzen 490 Bb
1962 Conn Victor 5A cornet |
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bnbechtel Regular Member
Joined: 26 Oct 2021 Posts: 66 Location: US
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Posted: Fri Nov 05, 2021 9:24 am Post subject: |
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royjohn wrote: | Hey Brent,
And I forgot to say that you have great courage to put your video out there in front of all us self-appointed experts! Good luck! I predict success! |
I think I'm about 12 or 13 days in now. I'll post maybe weekly updates for the first month -- it would be interesting to research how long it takes to come back.
And yes ... I realized that this is a forum full of actual professional trumpet players a bit after the fact of posting a video. Oh well. I swear! I used to be quite good; I'm hoping I make mucho progress quickly. It has to partly be muscle memory, right?
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CV5uecDsrmE/?utm_medium=copy_link |
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gwood66 Veteran Member
Joined: 05 Jan 2016 Posts: 301 Location: South of Chicago
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Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2021 2:12 pm Post subject: |
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Good luck with your comeback. _________________ Gary Wood (comeback player with no street cred)
GR 66M/66MS/66**
Bach Strad 37
Getzen 3052
Yamaha 6345 |
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bnbechtel Regular Member
Joined: 26 Oct 2021 Posts: 66 Location: US
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Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2021 7:32 am Post subject: |
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gwood66 wrote: | Good luck with your comeback. |
Thank you. I'm getting a little bit better every day! (And I'm putting in a few hours every day, which likely has something to do with the progress.) |
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Mike Sailors Heavyweight Member
Joined: 30 Oct 2012 Posts: 1838 Location: Austin/New York City
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Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2021 9:00 am Post subject: |
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You should reach out to Brad Goode or Rich Willey. Both had similar experiences and play great now. _________________ www.mikesailors.com |
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