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I'm an amateur adult tubist, been playing for 6-7 years now. I play a King 2341 and love the sound - play in a good community wind ensemble (with 4-5 tubas) and a good community orchestra (got that gig after only 4-5 months of lessons. Talk about a trial by fire!)

For the past few years I've been having muscle tightness in the right mid and upper trapezius (side of the neck, yes, I am a doctor) with playing. There is no radiating pain so no pinched nerve stuff. It gets a bit better with stretching and/or massage but it isn't going away. I've tried to be extra conscious of relaxing the upper back and neck while playing, especially with breathing and that seems to help but only a little bit and not consistently.

I've tried using a rest while playing, that didn't make a difference.

I have permission from my wife to look into getting a different horn to see if the ergonomics might make a difference. I wonder if the reach to the valves of the 2341 is causing me to strain the neck and upper shoulder. I like the feel of pistons, but would be open to rotors if there's compelling hope that this might fix the problem. I'd also be willing to change to a CC model if there was one that might do the trick.

Has anyone else had this issue and, if so, did a change of tubas help resolve it?

BTW, I'm 6'4", 55 yrs old, not overweight, in reasonably good physical shape. Maybe moving the leadpipe would help???

Thanks in advance for input.

Hi-
Do you carry your horn on your back with a gig bag/back pack?

Mark

I get this from time to time; starting back up after the summer, or during a strenuous concert series. A certain amount of mouthpiece pressure is required, and the neck is of course involved in this as well. My recommendation: be aware of how much mouthpiece pressure you're using.

check and see if you are stretching/tilting back your head to reach the mouthpiece while it's on the horn. If so, you're causing stress in the C1, C2, C3 of the neck, and that will cause upper back/shoulder muscle problems, and also affect your tone quality. Take your tuba when you visit a chiropractor and let him/her observe neck position when you are in playing position. You may have to alter mouthpipe angle to cause less stress.

whatsupdoc wrote:
I have permission from my wife...

The origin of your pain in the neck has been identified.

How are you supporting the tuba? I also play a King 2341 and when I hold the horn in my lap I eventually end up bending my back to get to the lead pipe that leads to stress in the upper back. I would wonder if using a tuba rest might not take care of the problem for. This one seems to be highly recommended http://www.baltimorebrass.net/index.php?cat=11" target="_blank" target="_blank. I have gone back to using one and it helps. I also fine that I have a lot more air to put through the horn using a rest. Also, a tuba rest doesn't require surgery on the horn....YMMV

Best of luck.

In music ed training at U Mich. we learned, no matter what you play, you should have a relaxed body position. A lot of people don't because they are very distracted with the task at hand. Playing a tuba should amount to sitting up straight and bringing the mouthpiece to your face. One's arms rest on the horn, at least mine do. I have seen folks do creative things to support the horn (pillows, stands, whatever). Stay upright and comfortable, and whatever means you use to get to this end is up to you. I'm two inches shorter and horns are well matched to my size, FWIW

You mention lessons, so I'm not sure that posture is the culprit here.

It could be a result of a lot of things:
-- angle of your right hand
-- how far around your right arm goes to get to the valves
-- what's your left arm doing?
-- How far do you carry the tuba? In a gig bag on your back?

Another thought -- if you feel the pain while playing (and not just when you get home afterwards), can you try your section-mates' tubas? Might be helpful.

Some tubas just "fit" different people better than others. I have owned (and sold) several tubas that just didn't "fit" very well, even though they were nice playing instruments.

swillafew wrote: Playing a tuba should amount to sitting up straight and bringing the mouthpiece to your face.

Let's be honest: a certain amount of mouthpiece pressure is required to keep a seal. That's a fact. This requires unusual use of neck muscles which may be troubling OP, especially if not kept within reasonable limits.

hrender wrote:
... I'm working on the angle/pressure thing, but it's tough since I also have progressive lenses and that means getting my head at the right angle to see the music. To deal with that last issue I've tried a pair of "music" (single-vision) glasses, but they've not worked well for me.

Re music glasses: several Tubenetters have praised music glasses that are made using "Executive Lens" bi-focals. I replaced my progressive glasses with a pair of these, and they are very nearly ideal for playing (kudos to whoever came up with the original idea). This is the type of bi-focal where the division between the reading section and the distance section runs horizontally, straight across the full width of the lens. You need to get a bi-focal prescription for intermediate reading distance (depending on how far away your music stand is). When you get the glasses made up, be sure to specify "Executive Lens" bifocals, and have them dispensed with the dividing line in the lens placed level with the top of your pupil, so you will have to look up slightly (or tilt your head down) for distance vision. You will then find that with your head in the correct position for playing, you can set the height of your music stand so that the line across the lens aligns with the top of the page. The reading area will then cover the whole page, and you can see the conductor through the distance part of the lens by just glancing up a bit, without moving your head. These are great for playing, and for computer work, and our conductor has a pair too (great for looking down at the score, then back up at the band).

It has been mentioned that Executive lenses are getting harder to find. My local Lenscrafters branch (in Canada) had mine made by Lenscrafters' central operation in Toronto, in about 10 working days. If you can't find Executive lenses, you may be able to get Franklin lenses made - these look very similar, but the lens maker has to cut two blanks in half, one reader and one distant, and glue the half-lenses together in mismatched pairs to make the bifocals (obviously not as strong as Executive lenses, which are ground from a single piece of glass).

Viagra usually does the trick for me! Wait about one hour before playing

TubaMusikMann wrote:Viagra usually does the trick for me! Wait about one hour before playing

Did I say Viagra??? I meant Vicodin! Oh hell............just take both

For the fellow recommending Viagra, wouldn't it be easier to just buy a tuba stand?

Usedtobeatubaplayer wrote:For the fellow recommending Viagra, wouldn't it be easier to just buy a tuba stand?

Actually, I use both
Love the name btw.............Usedtobeatubaplayer

The reason I play frankentubas is because when I put them together I place the mouthpiece receiver in a location and at an angle that is comfortable for me.
Most new tubas are set up to be comfortable for somebody else, and playing on them produces the kind of pains your describe because they don't fit me right.

I have recently realized that the tubas that fit me right 10 to 15 years ago no longer fit me because I have aged 10 or 15 years, so I have been re-positioning the leadpipes. It's not very difficult, but it does affect the appearance of a shiny new tuba.

Hold the tuba in a comfortable playing position with the mouthpiece not quite touching your face, with your eyes closed, and with your head and neck in their most comfortable position. The tuba should be balanced so that practically no effort is needed to hold in in that position. Have someone take a side-view picture showing the position of the mouthpiece relative to your face. That photo will show you how the receiver position need to be adjusted.

In some cases an ordinary sousaphone bit can solve the problem.

whatsupdoc wrote:I'm an amateur adult tubist, been playing for 6-7 years now. I play a King 2341 and love the sound - play in a good community wind ensemble (with 4-5 tubas) and a good community orchestra (got that gig after only 4-5 months of lessons. Talk about a trial by fire!)

For the past few years I've been having muscle tightness in the right mid and upper trapezius (side of the neck, yes, I am a doctor) with playing. There is no radiating pain so no pinched nerve stuff. It gets a bit better with stretching and/or massage but it isn't going away. I've tried to be extra conscious of relaxing the upper back and neck while playing, especially with breathing and that seems to help but only a little bit and not consistently.

I've tried using a rest while playing, that didn't make a difference.

I have permission from my wife to look into getting a different horn to see if the ergonomics might make a difference. I wonder if the reach to the valves of the 2341 is causing me to strain the neck and upper shoulder. I like the feel of pistons, but would be open to rotors if there's compelling hope that this might fix the problem. I'd also be willing to change to a CC model if there was one that might do the trick.

Has anyone else had this issue and, if so, did a change of tubas help resolve it?

BTW, I'm 6'4", 55 yrs old, not overweight, in reasonably good physical shape. Maybe moving the leadpipe would help???

Thanks in advance for input.

why not go to your doctor with this? Middle aged men don't like going to their doctor, and a middle age doctor more so. Imagine what you would say to a patient who consults the internet before seeing you? It might be less expensive than a new tuba

For several years now I've been using a sit-on stand that I made myself. It's height-adjustable, and with the height adjusted correctly (so I'm not leaning forward and also not leaning back), I get no pain or fatigue while playing for a couple of hours. I no longer need to engage any muscles just to wrestle or hold the horn in a particular position.

My guess is that if you are using a stand and still having any pain or fatigue, then you just aren't using it quite correctly. For me, this almost always means that I've got the lead pipe and mouthpiece a bit too low and am leaning down and forward -- even just so slightly. You've got to get the horn back to you so that you're not reaching or leaning for it.

The only other problem is the side-to-side balance and what is required to hold the instrument "up" in that plane. So you need to be careful about that as well. I discovered that once I switched to a top-action horn, this was not such an issue.

I have pretty severe shoulder arthritis, but since I started using the stand I'm just not having any pain in the shoulders or upper arms from playing for even quite long periods.

Thanks for all the good thoughts/advice so far. It's good to know at least I'm not alone with this issue.

In reply to some thoughts:

I have tried a rest (from BBC). It made little, if any, difference.

I do think that my lead pipe angle and mouthpiece height may be an issue. I do have to "reach" for it a bit. But it seems a bit strange that only my right side is affected. I'd think that if this were the entire problem that both sides of the neck might get sore. Which is why I wonder how much the reach of my arm is contributing to the problem.

I am going to my doctor next month and will bring it up. I know there are many people who've found chiropractic to be helpful - I'm just skeptical given my background... (And I don't mean to start a flame war here.)

The thought of trying a section mates' horn is a great one, except they all play CC and I'd be lost in the music without some time to practice.

Finally, I agree that the time to strike for a new (to me) tuba with the wife being on board is now. No, I don't need to ask permission for everything ( ) but marital harmony is better if these kinds of things are done cooperatively - writing from now 26 years' experience.

In the meantime I'll keep working on muscle isolation and relaxation. Stretching before and after playing also helps but I hope for a resolution rather than ongoing treatment of a problem, if possible.

FYI: Dvorak 8th next weekend then Planets and Shost. Festive Overture in May. Fun stuff.

1. If it's a tension issue and not a position issue, a couple sessions with an Alexander Technique teacher can open your eyes to a lot.

2. For position....what I plan to do is get a picture of me sitting comfortably buzzing just on the mouthpiece, holding it in my hand. That would be the angle I want. Then compare to a picture of the tuba just touching my face without my trying to buzz into the mouthpiece, and that should give info for both height and angle. I'm always amazed at the angles I use to play in instruments that are fixed in space, as opposed to the angle I use if I'm just holding the piece in my hand. I find those bad angles also affect my usable range.

whatsupdoc wrote: But it seems a bit strange that only my right side is affected. I'd think that if this were the entire problem that both sides of the neck might get sore.

Tuba isn't played symmetrically. As others have pointed out, almost all horns have to be balanced L-R, causing tension & back and neck strain. Plus, no-one places their mouthpiece directly in the middle of their chops. This could also be a cause of unilateral discomfort (strain on one side only).