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OK, so I'm playing a marathon on Ustream this Saturday to benefit the Semper Fi Fund. I have heard a lot of stories and old wives tales about how to lengthen your playing time for long concerts. I play so much on a regular basis ( and teak breaks so I don't hurt myself) that I have not experienced fatigue for a long time, but this is going to do it. I am going to try to play 5+ hours, with no more than 30 seconds in between each piece. What tricks have you used to last longer? these are a few I have heard:

Ice
mouth stretches
chap stick
Preparation H (on your face {seriously this came from French Horn players})

I might just stick with the ice, but I was wondering what other people have heard

Shameless plug: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/euphonium ... er-fi-fund" target="_blank" target="_blank

-Richard Demy

Here is an old wives tale I got from an old time tuba player that I've tried with some success.

Try marginally rotating (clockwise or ant-clock wise) the mouthpiece in the receiver each time you have a break (in between pieces). The end result is you are using different contact points on the mouthpiece.

Try having a few mouthpieces, I always play longer with a cold mouthpiece. And drinking cold water always helps me play a little longer. That just works for me.
Dmeacham5

Beer

When I was in marching band, I would alternate between the top and bottom tuba parts on the 'pep' pieces while we played in the stands. Usually 2-3 in one range, then 2-3 in the other range. The other guys in the section would do the same so we had a balanced sound.
You lip muscles can cramp if they're constantly doing the same thing. Varying between sections of LOW notes (loose lips) and high notes (not loose lips) was all the variety I needed, along with a good drink of water/gatorade every so often.
That worked as well as anything else for keeping me going through the 3rd Overtime.

Use the widest mouthpiece rim you can manage and don't over blow. When your lips are tired, you'll know. Find a way to rest them or you will pay for it for a long time.

Harvey Phillips told me to play short notes when possible. I played the circus for a couple years and it helped.

Keep the horn off your face as much as possible, including the shortest rests possible. Ibuprofen two or so hours prior to the gig helps. Probably a little late to start now, but you can build endurance by mouthpiece buzzing time whenever you can, say while driving around. Lay off or take a very light playing day before the gig.

As you begin to tire, remember to keep breathing and blowing. Keeping the air moving at good speed will keep the muscles of the embouchure from being too involved and improve your endurance. When we get tired the first thing that goes away is the air flow. Then the small muscles and nerves in the embouchure have to pick up more of the work.

Get the mouthpiece off your face as often as you can to keep the blood circulating.

Good luck to you for this great cause.

Roger

If you are attempting a marathon none of the above-listed tricks and gimmicks will help you survive it like PACING YOURSELF.

One of the dreaded things we faced playing the Ringling Circus was a "nine-pack" - three 3-hour shows a day for three days in a row.

No heroes - only survivors here. Lighten up, open big, close big and let the stuff in the middle take are of itself. That was pretty much our rule when faced with a grinding schedule.

Take your most comfortable horn (if you more than one) that blows easy; keep in mind the object is to get through the day, not "prove" anything.

Again congratulations on volunteering for a good cause - and good luck!

Mark Heter

I even forgot one of my old favorites for chapped lips. if you break open a vitamin E gel cap on your lips before you go to bed, your lips usually heal back no mater how chapped they were!

I now have a couple friends from UNT who are going to join me in this task. I forgot that cello with continio makes a really easy bottom part!