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Check out this guy with his moustache. Would all that hair interfere with a tightly-sealed embouchure? Obviously, since it was Helleberg, there was no problem. But what about mere mortals? Any of you guys with big moustaches have problems playing?

http://www.yeodoug.com/articles/trombon ... ra_001.jpg

Since it's been 30 years since I grew my mustaches and beard, I have no idea what it's preventing in my playing. Could be that explains why I have no decent pedal register.

The worst problem I have is that when it's not trimmed just right, the buzzing lips can find the tip of a hair, which can go right through the skin. It happens only rarely, but when it does, the resulting scene resembles an abattoir.

Rick "whose five-year date with a bloody lip occurred last Saturday" Denney

I had a beard and moustache for many years and thought it didn't affect my playing.

I was wrong. Besides the things previously mentioned I discovered, after shaving clean, that I had been using way too much pressure to get a good seal on the mouthpiece. I use far less pressure now and it's improved things quite a bit.

But, I still may grow the beard and moustache back anyway.

I think this was discussed, at length, in a previous thread that you can search for. I had a mustache back in my Guy Lombardo days, and I don't recall it affecting too much, but the playing in that style wasn't demanding and there wasn't much low register playing. I eventually shaved it off, which scared my 1 year old daugher at the time. Daddy wasn't Daddy anymore. Two years ago, I grew a goatee, and the mustache gave me definite problems with my low range. Being older, this mustache was more coarse than the one I grew when I was 25 yrs. old. I found myself losing about a half step in my low range almost daily. I would buzz (cut) it short and gain the range back. This went on for about 6 months, until I decided it wasnt worth it. When I finally shaved it off, I was amazed at how much clearer my tone was and how the low register was so much more easy to deal with. That's just my situation. I know there are plenty of great players that have mustaches and beards. Have you seen the picture of Bobo back in LA when he had the long hair and full beard? It didn't seem to bother his playing. To each his own.

For me anything more than a 5 day stubble has degrading effects both on high register controll, and on low register range. And while the effect is not so noticable as the beard/mustache grows (I think one automatically adjusts to it?), the effect of shaving a 2-week beard is HUGE.
Try it, and preferably halfway practice: you're likely to be pleasantly surprised
Mark

46K wrote:For me anything more than a 5 day stubble has degrading effects both on high register controll, and on low register range. And while the effect is not so noticable as the beard/mustache grows (I think one automatically adjusts to it?), the effect of shaving a 2-week beard is HUGE.
Try it, and preferably halfway practice: you're likely to be pleasantly surprised
Mark

Before I grew a beard to cover some scars from skin cancer surgery, I had this same experience. Stubble definitely affected my playing. Now that I've had the beard for 5 years, I doubt that there is any effect. After you stop shaving for a few months, the beard softens and is a lot more comfortable. I don't even notice it while playing any more, and I sure do like having an extra 5 minutes or so every morning by skipping the shaving nonsense.

Bill Anderson

I know several people with "Amish" beards, but when I let mine grow, I find it's more comfortable to shave below the lip (the "soul patch") and not worry about the moustache. Despite what you'd think, I've never found any problem with sealing above my lip.

Like so much else, I'd say it depends on the person in question.

I had a 'stache and beard in my JR/SR years of high school, and all through my undergrad and masters. I have since shaved it (during DMA) because I was having issues with my embouchure. It turned out I just had WAY too much bottom lip in the mouthpiece and not nearly enough top.

I'm convinced this was a bad habit I developed in college b/c my face fuzz was forcing the mouthpiece lower on my face. I shaved and took a year to rebuild my setup and now things are dandy.

mmmmm... Mustachio Ice Cream.

I've never had even the slightest problem with my beard of mustache.

MA

Having a moustache and/or beard has never affected my playing to a noticible degree--but I'm probably not a good enough player for it to matter. But I'm not shaving my moustache anymore.

CATransplant wrote:

MaryAnn wrote:I've never had even the slightest problem with my beard of mustache.

MA

Ah...wait until you're in your late 50s.

Too late....60 is over the horizon and fast approaching the zenith. Beard and 'stache are both pure white at this point.



MA

I don't have problems with my moustache, and neither do the regular growing/shaving guys I know.

I do have isues, though, with my Kellyberg. After a while, it stings in my moustache area when I play. I don't really get it...

I occasionally must grow a mustache or beard for a dramatic role, and find that a mustache bothers my tuba embrochure more than a beard. I can still play, but it takes more concentration, and I'm pretty sure I have less control with unshaven follicles.

I can play trombone or baritone with a mustache, but not tuba. When I started playing again 7 years ago, I had a full beard, but couldn't hit a low Bb on tuba. I had to shave my upper and lower lips and kept my Amish/Lincoln/leprechaun/Israeli beard.

Don't shave 1 day---okay.
2 days---no pedal notes.
3 days---trouble with low F.
4 days---barely can hit low Bb.
5 days---can't hit low Bb at all, but the more of my face that can't be seen, the better I look.

I can play trombone or baritone with a mustache, but not tuba. When I started playing again 7 years ago, I had a full beard, but couldn't hit a low Bb on tuba. I had to shave my upper and lower lips and kept my Amish/Lincoln/leprechaun/Israeli beard.

Don't shave 1 day---okay.
2 days---no pedal notes.
3 days---trouble with low F.
4 days---barely can hit low Bb.
5 days---can't hit low Bb at all, but the more of my face that can't be seen, the better I look.

My experience exactly. Well said.

stubble - bad
beard - good