Out of Shape...

[phoenix]

Hey guys!

Ok so here's my dilemma. I just got back from a 4 day mountain trip where i had no access to the horn. I leave for Eastman on Sunday. As you know, being away from the horn really sucks. I'm way out of shape. I've been doing mostly long tones, scale work, and basic excercises such as thirds and what not. Some etudes also. Is this all i should be doing to get back into good enough shape for school? I'm trying to put in at least 2 hours a day, but with working and all, that's kind of tough. I just don't want to go up there and get yelled at for sucking too much...

Thanks for your help,
Brett

[drandomtubas]

I'm having a very similar problem, except that I was unable to practice for seven days, due to the removal of four wisdom teeth...

I leave for college in six days, and after practicing for a half hour last night, I couldn't even speak properly! My range has shrunk substantially, and it wasn't that great to begin with... and I can't seem to play low notes!

I really don't think this should have affected me that much, because I had almost no swelling, bleeding, or pain, and I've been buzzing without a mouthpiece since Day 3...

My auditions are coming up... should I just play long tones as much as possible? Do you think that'll help? ... or do you have any other advice? I'm kind of getting scared!

[tubeast]

My first reaction was along Iowegianstar´s lines.
My personal experience says it never hurts to be off the horn for a couple of days provided I´ve been in good shape before that. Usually that break even helps my face (and mind) relax a little and after the first 20 minutes of warming up I feel better than before.
Unfortunately you don´t specify what exactly has gone out of shape.

I've been doing mostly long tones, scale work, and basic excercises such as thirds and what not. Some etudes also.

Plus, the things you´re doing cover just about anything one can do: air flow, intonation, articulation, slurrs, toungue/finger coordination.
I´d say with 2 hours of efficient practise there´s not that much more you can do. I wouldn´t waste time on technical exercises or solos, though, just the really simple stuff.

[Matt Good]

Today is the first day I have played the tuba since July 15th. I had a great vacation. I need to go back to work on September 1st.

I have been doing this now every summer, for the past 6 years. This is the most important time of year for me as this gives me the opportunity to establish a better foundation for my playing.

If you thought about playing the tuba for 4 days while you were riding your bike, you most likely will benefit from your time away from the horn.

I ususally don't post about topics like this but I'm having a blast playing the tuba today.

[Rick Denney]

If you thought about playing the tuba for 4 days while you were riding your bike, you most likely will benefit from your time away from the horn.

Listen to the man.

Most of what we do in any field succeeds or fails on the strength of our conceptual grasp of what we are trying to produce. It's as true in my engineering work as it is in Matt's tuba playing.

Skill is the means by which we bring that concept to life. Skill is important, but without the underlying concept it's a waste of effort.

Last year, I took a month off without pay. I needed a long vacation for once and was between projects and could do that without leaving clients hanging. I spent that time grafting a new rear end on the old motorhome I'm restoring, plus a range of other projects on that old beast. During that time, I spent quite a lot of time allowing ideas about my work to gestate. The previous three years have been spent wishing I was in another line of work, but over the last year I've been downright enthusiastic about the projects I'm doing. They are demanding and I think I would have folded at the knees had I not taken a break before getting started on them.

Back when I raced cars, I had very little time available on race tracks to practice my skills. So, I had to develop strategies for practicing those skills while not in the car. I would visualize situations and my reactions to them, to encode them into my reflexes. I needed enough skill to know what to encode, of course, but it was a way to make down time productive.

I'm an amateur with many commitments and I sometimes go weeks at a time away from the tuba, but I doubt there have been four days in my entire life when I didn't think about music at some level. Skills sometimes fade for a time but I still seem to improve as a musician as I get older.

Rick "who always enjoys that first day back after a proper break more than the last day before the break" Denney

[ufoneum]

First off - don't panic. This is normal. I recently spent a week w/ Patrick Sheridan and Sam Pilafian. Pat says that there has been research that after 3 days, you lose all muscle memory to form your embouchure. So 3, 4, 7 - it doesn't matter. But, you don't lose any of your information that is stored in your long-term memory. He says, you are never more than 3 one-hour practice sessions away from where you left off. Here's the key:

Remember how to breathe. You need to practice your proper form to "remember" how to do it. The pedagogical way: air makes buzz, buzz makes sound. If you don't have air, you don't have sound - pretty simple. Arnold Jacobs simple... don't fret.

Do the breathing, do the Clarke studies, do the Arban's - voila. Happy Eastmaning. cya.

[Joe Baker]

I just took a month off of playing, much of which has been spent driving (not just A long story, but A COUPLE of long stories). I listened to more music than I've listened to in a long time. I sang (when I was by myself, anyway, heh heh). My musical concepts became more refined, at the same time as my technical fitness level was declining from unuse. I know I didn't really lose all that much, but I had so much more TO SAY, such higher aspirations, that picking my horn up Tuesday was quite frustrating -- yet exciting, because I at least had some new things I was TRYING to accomplish. As an amateur, my practice-room time had dwindled to approximately... ZERO. The time away has given me new motivation to hit the practice room and get my technique caught up with my concepts. I don't want to put words in Mr. Good's mouth, but I wonder if he's talking about a similar thing (though definitely on a MUCH higher level!)
____________________________
Joe Baker, who will strategically incorporate "time away" into his musical habits from now on.

[Chuck(G)]

I'll second (or third or fourth) the opinion that a rest can be a good thing.

One tuba-related incident sticks in my mind. When I was taking lessons, I was struggling with something (I forget what) that just wasn't working. I subsequently picked up the mother of all flu bugs and was away from the horn for two weeks. I walked into my next lesson with absolutely no preparation. Much to my surprise, I breezed through the problem areas. My teacher's opinion was "You ought to get sick more often".

In fact, when I'm struggling with any kind of problem, I find that not thrashing it results in the quickest and best outcome. Programmers in the TubeNet audience will certainly recognize this. Instead of bulling straight on to churning out a pile of bad code, it's much better to let the ideas percolate in the background. The result is always better. One returns to the problem with a fresh eye and a new bag of ideas.

I can't help but think that you'll return to your horn with a fresh ear and hear things in your playing that you otherwise would have missed.

[windshieldbug]

I'll second Chuck(G)! Often the most difficult problems seem to be solved subconsciously while you do something else, even though I seem to be subconscious most of the time these days...

[MaryAnn]

I have pretty much the same problem on horn; if I'm away a few days it seems like I have to start over....I thought I knew how to play, but it appears I didn't, because nothing works for a while. I have to consciously think to blow, to put my chops "like this," etc etc etc.

However, on violin, I can pick it up after six months and people's heads turn. Not because of my outstanding technical prowess but because I still know intrinsically how to get a professional tone out of it.

I've played violin since I was 11, went through college on it, and played professionally. I've been playing horn since I was 45. There is the difference....you can be really good but not settled into your technique yet on a level that is cast in stone, so to speak (which can be a good thing; read below.) So I believe you as to what happened, and also agree on the advice to take it as an opportunity for a new beginning, to fix things that maybe weren't optimal.

I picked up a tennis racquet a couple months ago after a long time off, and suddenly (?) my technique is worlds better than it was. I always "knew" I wasn't supposed to hit with just my arm but to use my body, but that knowledge managed to jell into usefulness somehow over a time period when I wasn't even consciously thinking about how to swing the racquet. Suddenly it just happened, and my elbow doesn't hurt any more.

MA

[happyroman]

Play anything you want, within reason, to get back in shape. Simply playing is what will do the trick. There's no substitute for time with the horn on your face. You only missed a few days, and it will come back very quickly.

Just be careful not to do too much in the extreme upper register until you are closer to 100%. Spending some time on the mouthpiece alone is a great way to get back in shape as well.

One last thought, start back in short sessions with lots of breaks, 15-20 minutes on and 5-10 off, repeating until you have put in a total of a few hours of actual playing time, then stretch out the length of the playing session and cut out some of the breaks.

[tubatooter1940]

Psychology Today had an article claiming that thinking about an activity caused improvement even if that activity was not practiced.
I have gotten busy often and skipped practice for months at a time-most recently for four weeks while I healed up a bunch of zits I got from blatting too much on two Bourbon Street gigs.
I usually suck for the first practice session or two when I start back but the level of enthusiasm I have for the next gig or project carries me to a new level sooner or later and I feel justified to continue in music.
I got my tapes from John Reno with the lead vocal and rhythm guitar lines for our second C.D.,"Many Recent Upgrades". All I have to do now is write my bass lines and solos and drill 'em 'til I got 'em down,then send my tape of the two of us to Kurt,our harmonica/rhythm guy. when he has figured his lines,we will meet,put it together and get into the studio.
Our first C.D.,"A Bonifide Social Club" by John Reno and the Half-Fast Creekers is now in the black and financing this new project.
Unlike the first C.D.,which was recorded live before hundreds of our beer-soaked friends,this second one will be done all in the studio with opportunities to add extra instruments and lots of vocal lines. I am at the point where I am obsessing over this new music and after a month layoff I am satisfied with my new lines and am drilling them twice a day . My wife heard my tuba lines for the first time today and gave her approval.
She is my bestest critic of all and I feel we are on the right track. Big fun!
Dennis Gray
www.johnreno.com/

[Rick Denney]

However, on violin, I can pick it up after six months and people's heads turn. Not because of my outstanding technical prowess but because I still know intrinsically how to get a professional tone out of it.

I have long observed that periods of intense practice lead to breakthroughs that are nearly impossible to lose in the future. Most musicians with professional-level skills studied music in college (even if "college" was 6 nights a week of gigs in their normal college years), and went through a period of several years playing many hours every day. Most of those folks never lose their professional touch, even if they subsequently stop playing professionally and their practice lapses to that of the rest of us.

For me, that did not come in college but many years later when I played a theme-park gig with the TubaMeisters. That year of playing every day and for hours every weekend allowed me to cross a number of bridges. I don't play nearly as much now because my life won't allow it, but I don't think I've lost much of what I learned during that year except a bit of muscle endurance. And I've continued to improve in many aspects since then, even with limited practice. In no way did that experience equal what those who study music as a full-time job get at age 20, but it gave me a taste of the long-term benefits of even relatively short periods of full-time devotion.

I once heard Ansel Adams play a few bars of the Bach Arioso, at age 78 and suffering from arthritis in his fingers. He had turned from professional music (he was trained as a pianist) to photography 51 years before, but the sound of his playing still reflected that musical concept and the ability to express it, even with the occasional wrong note.

It happens even outside of art. I raced bicycles in college (unsuccessfully by any measure) and stopped riding soon after graduation. During that period I was logging 200-300 miles a week for several years. When I started cycling again 15 years later as part of a go at triathlon, I found I still had my reasonably efficient pedaling stroke, and within a short time could easily hang with riders who in running or swimming could destroy me. It wasn't fitness that I remembered, but the fundamental concept.

You may forget how to move the fingers or lips for a time, but I don't think it's as easy to forget the sound and expression once the concept is cemented.

Rick "who envies those who have been able to cross those bridges" Denney

[MaryAnn]

to the original poster:
It sounds like you're falling into the "impress the teacher trap" a little bit, too. We all want to go to our first lesson, or our 87th, with a teacher and have him/her say: Wow! You're REALLY GOOD!! .... when the reason we're taking lessons is because we're NOT as good as we want to be.
I mean, I cancelled a lesson last Saturday because the horn wasn't working well because I'd had a stomach bug and missed a few days. I'm still not back where I was, but that doesn't mean I can't learn anything, and I'm going to go to this Saturday's lesson no matter what.

Since you're a new high school grad, I understand your nervousness about making a good impression on the teacher. However, you'll find that you'll make the best impression with your willingness to listen and learn and practice your butt off. You'll be amazed at the progress you can make in a single semester with good attitude and practice.

MA

[phoenix]

Thank You all for the awesome advice. i had a very good practice today, using some of the suggestions on here. Go tubenet!

[Alex Reeder]

Brett,

I am a current ESM student, going into my sophomore year. I am on the Eastman Orientation Committee, so I'll see you when you move in Monday.

First of all, don't worry about getting back from the time off. Second, maybe you don't realize, but we will have a whole week of orientation before classes start, so you won't have your first lesson with Don for at least another week. You will have more than enough time to get in great shape.

I'll see you soon!

[adam0408]

I'm having a very similar problem, except that I was unable to practice for seven days, due to the removal of four wisdom teeth...

I leave for college in six days, and after practicing for a half hour last night, I couldn't even speak properly! My range has shrunk substantially, and it wasn't that great to begin with... and I can't seem to play low notes!

I really don't think this should have affected me that much, because I had almost no swelling, bleeding, or pain, and I've been buzzing without a mouthpiece since Day 3...

My auditions are coming up... should I just play long tones as much as possible? Do you think that'll help? ... or do you have any other advice? I'm kind of getting scared!

It is probably way too soon to be playing on those wisdom teeth. Give your body time to recouperate, and don't worry about a teacher being upset because you missed a few weeks before school because of a medical issue.

Don't ever let one practice session or even a week of practice scare you too much. It isn't worth your trouble. Keep playing (but probably not in the wisdom teeth case) and the problem will no doubt go away. You can blame lots of stuff on a bad day.

For your health, I would suggest calling your orthodontist and telling him about your problem, and asking him what you should do. Probably laying off for a while longer is best. You don't want to gamble with your oral health.

[drandomtubas]

lol, well, it's a little too late for that now.

In all honesty, my mouth stopped hurting at all 5 days after my surgery, unless I did something strange with my mouth, like chew tough meat, or yawn.

I called my doctor and begged him to let me start practicing earlier, but he refused, he said one week, and I have a check up today.
My upper register still sounds a bit icky, but other than that, I'm fine... and I'm leaving tomorrow morning for band camp, WOO!!

Now all I need is a cure for my incredibly violent hiccoughs.