Keep your chops up

[Dan Schultz]

One banana, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a piece of apple pie, an 8 oz fillet, baked potato, three shots of Drambui, and six beers. Works every time!

[TubaRay]

One banana, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a piece of apple pie, an 8 oz fillet, baked potato, three shots of Drambui, and six beers. Works every time!

Nothing elaborate, is it, Dan?

[windshieldbug]

after a long performance... especially when you have another long performance in say, an hour

Drink heavily and rest (muscle relaxing is good). Keep yourself in shape before and lay out when you can.

[Leland]

There's not really much you can do on that day. I honestly haven't tried ice cream, though.

Many people try to relax their lips by buzzing them out, i.e. going "pbbbppbb" loosely without the mouthpiece, but I don't like doing that. I've taken to completely relaxing them, maybe push them around a bit with my fingers. The idea is to get fresh blood & fluid through them. I don't think that going "ppbpbp" helps at all, because it does require muscle tension, and the tingly sensation is just from slapping them together.

Besides that, you'd have to just play often enough on your other days so that your endurance builds up. Long tones, flexibility, etc etc -- same old stuff that you always hear about.

[David]

Lots of playin in das pedal range. Keeps everything loose and limbre

[Ryan_Beucke]

I relax them, play some pedals, and sip ice water or something else cold. It'll help keep them from swelling.

[Rick Denney]

What do you do after a long performance to keep your chops up? Especially when you have another long performance in say, an hour. Just curious of the different methods out there.

One trick learned from a dixieland trombonist: When you are not making a note, take the mouthpiece away from your lips. It seems obvious, but I was amazed at how much time I spent pressing the horn against my face for no good reason. Since then, I've observed players who performs for hours at a time, and I've noticed that the horn will leave the face even for a two-beat rest.

Rick "whose endurance is at a low point just now" Denney

[Mark]

One trick learned from a dixieland trombonist: When you are not making a note, take the mouthpiece away from your lips. It seems obvious, but I was amazed at how much time I spent pressing the horn against my face for no good reason. Since then, I've observed players who performs for hours at a time, and I've noticed that the horn will leave the face even for a two-beat rest.

This is a good point and one I don't think I have ever heard. I don't keep my mouthpiece to my lips when not playing, but it is sure not because anyone ever taught me not to.

[tubeast]

One thing I realized when switching from trumpet to tuba: there didn´t really seem to be a problem, provided one´s lips could get SOME rest in between.
On the trumpet, once my face felt tired I had to wait at least for the next day to get back in shape. Trying to force it would tighten up the lips beyond usability.
On the tuba it seems to me the very act of playing is what keeps you relaxed.
Playing tuba in brass quintet, I always made sure I practised hard maybe 3-4 hours before a gig. That way the lips tingled just enough to provide that better approach the horn.
I encountered something similar after wrestling practise in high school: a feeling of well being and relaxedness. One feels tired, but great. Once the being tired vanishes, the feeling great remains.

[windshieldbug]

I encountered something similar after wrestling practise in high school: a feeling of well being and relaxedness. One feels tired, but great. Once the being tired vanishes, the feeling great remains.

endorphins

[Chuck Jackson]

I'm all for the beer thing.

[ArnoldGottlieb]

Water, cold works for me, warm works for some. Alcohol dehydrates you and dries out your chops, I'm not against drinking (some might say I'm for it!!!), but there are certainly gigs where I would question that choice. On the other hand, when I'm playin' Chuck Jackson's old sousaphone........Peace. ASG

[tubatooter1940]

A tuba lip is soft and fatigue is not the problem for us that the higher brass have to deal with. Maynard Ferguson has to have the athleticism of a star football running back to do what he does. Playing tuba for an excessively long time will result in abrasion damage to the lip area inside the mouthpiece and exposure to infection and allergic breakouts.
If you need to play loud and long,you pay the price of whatever form your lip damage takes. The minute I get in the car after a gig,I slather the inside-the-mouthpiece area with A and D diaper rash ointment which is shiny and quite noticable and pray that tomorrow morning brings no zits.

[Chuck(G)]

A couple of trumpet-playing friends swear by arnica One guy eats it like popcorn during a gig.

But then, they're trumpeters...