Soft Palate problems

[Wes Krygsman]

This has happened to me on occasion. It always has been when I was trying to play way too loud, and usually for too long. I realized that the sousaphone that I used really was adding too much resistance because of a bend in the gooseneck/leadpipe, so I figured that was the reason(still could be), but it happened when I was playing my normal tuba when I tried to play too loud for too long. I simply paid attention to making it not happen. After the first time, I was a little freaked so one of my teachers gave me a tip to fix it: inhale, blow out through only your nose, then inhale and blow only out of your mouth. If there is an air leak, hold your nose when you blow out and after doing that a few times, try without holding. This for me was not a frequent problem so I guess it just went away for me. Hope this helped a little.

[mog976]

I'm just a bad high school tuba player, but I had this problem consistently about three months back. With the aid of my teacher, I managed to make it disappear in about a month. For a few minutes every single day, simply try to blow a very controlled and thick air stream through your lips. Aim the air at a spot just in front of your lips. This helped me to focus the air stream to a point where it stopped going through my nose. Also, try to just go back and forth between buzzing on the mouthpiece and playing the instrument.

Hope this helps.

[JB]

We used to play a church picnic every year...and many beers...Doc

"church picnic" and "many beers"



Me thinks the church I grew up attending had pretty lame picnics by comparison to your church's!

[DanJPeck]

I dont know if you have had your wisdom teeth taken out. but a month after the surgery I had a similar problem. The space where one of my teeth was impacted was leaking into my sinus passage, so when I tried to start buzzing again, air was leaking into my nose. Can you feel exactly where it is escaping from?

Dan

[JB]

We used to play a church picnic every year...and many beers...Doc

"church picnic" and "many beers"



Me thinks the church I grew up attending had pretty lame picnics by comparison to your church's!

Hey JB, long time no hear.

Down here in Texas (central and south Texas especially), the vast majority of Catholics are Czech and German (many german Lutherans too). The Catholic church picnics involve good folk, good food (fried chicken, real BBQ, stew, sausage, sauerkraut, potatoes, green beans, kolaches and other czech and german pastries), music (sometimes good), and lots of beer(always good). It's a different culture down here - one you'd like, I imagine. EVERYONE drinks beer at church picnics. If you don't have one, someone might offer to buy you one.

Chucrch picnics are not just some little piss-ant gathering here, they are major events. The picnic to which I referred earlier is the grand-daddy of them all - Praha Picnic (Prazka Pout). It has been held in Praha, TX (pop. 50) every August 15th for over 140 years, regardless of the day of the week. We played it for about 15 years (until 2001). This year, 6000 plates were served for lunch, and attendance was estimated around 8000-9000. (no gate charges at any picnics, BTW) The last time we played on a Saturday, they estimated there were around 12,000 people there. A television station crew from the Czech Republic was there to do a report on it. Many of the people in the area still speak Czech (I'm German, but I know the dirty words ), and they will buy the band a round of beer. If you are ever around when a church picnic is going on in central/south Texas, you owe it to yourself to check it out. You may even see me there. You know I'm good for a beer or two (or more).

Doc

I now want to move there!

Thanks for the insight; wish I'd grown up in that "church environment" rather than the more "sober" (he he he ) atmosphere where it was somewhat different.

[MaryAnn]

I'm guessing that you unconsciously started using your throat muscles differently. I went through this on horn, at one point.
Can you make a snoring sound? if so....that's pretty much what you're doing to let air leak out your nose. If you can figure out what you do muscularly to make a snoring sound, then you can figure out what not to do, to stop using those muscles.
good luck.
MA

[JB]

Hey JB, long time no hear.

Down here in Texas (central and south Texas especially), the vast majority of Catholics are Czech and German (many german Lutherans too). The Catholic church picnics involve good folk, good food (fried chicken, real BBQ, stew, sausage, sauerkraut, potatoes, green beans, kolaches and other czech and german pastries), music (sometimes good), and lots of beer(always good). It's a different culture down here - one you'd like, I imagine. EVERYONE drinks beer at church picnics. If you don't have one, someone might offer to buy you one.

Chucrch picnics are not just some little piss-ant gathering here, they are major events. The picnic to which I referred earlier is the grand-daddy of them all - Praha Picnic (Prazka Pout). It has been held in Praha, TX (pop. 50) every August 15th for over 140 years, regardless of the day of the week. We played it for about 15 years (until 2001). This year, 6000 plates were served for lunch, and attendance was estimated around 8000-9000. (no gate charges at any picnics, BTW) The last time we played on a Saturday, they estimated there were around 12,000 people there. A television station crew from the Czech Republic was there to do a report on it. Many of the people in the area still speak Czech (I'm German, but I know the dirty words ), and they will buy the band a round of beer. If you are ever around when a church picnic is going on in central/south Texas, you owe it to yourself to check it out. You may even see me there. You know I'm good for a beer or two (or more).

Doc

I now want to move there!

Thanks for the insight; wish I'd grown up in that "church environment" rather than the more "sober" (he he he ) atmosphere where it was somewhat different.

Have you ever heard of St. Arnold? He is the patron saint of BEER.

Doc

My favorite uncle's name was Arnold; now I know why.

Coincidence? I think not.