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I try and take a day off every week. there are weeks when I can't, and then there are times when I decide I need to turn down work so I can have a day off. I used to be very much of the opinion that time off from the horn was amazingly counterproductive, that you had to work two days to get back every day you took off. Now I know from experience that never taking a break is a sure way to set yourself up for wearing thin and eventually burning out. Our bodies and minds need a day of rest every week from work, and tuba is the same way.

My playing and my sanity have been much more consistent since taking days off regularly. I make sure to have a good warmup on my day back, and I never feel like I've lost anything. Having that "fresh start" once a week I think helps me to make sure I don't get too musclebound and I'm using my air right.

-ck

I'm a strong supporter of breaks. Taking a day or two off from your normal routine gives your face a chance to heal and rest. Also, it's important to have other hobbies or activities you're interested in. Fitness is a great way to fill the times you're not practicing. And heck.. it'll even help your playing.

As for extended breaks, I also support those. Following winning my job, I took off nearly 4 months. I was auditioning almost monthly, and got burnt out. I decided to take some time off, and enjoy life outside of a pratice room. The summer in Bloomington, IN is gorgeous! When I started playing again, It was a little rough. After a week and a butt kicking from Mr. Perantoni, it sounded and felt as good, if not better than before.

Last summer, I took a softball to the chops. Teeth went through my upper lip at a jagged angle and I was all sewn up. It left some scar tissue, but also gave me a 2 month break. In that break, there was a lot of healing, doubts about playing, etc... When I began playing again, it took a lot of time, patience, and adaptation. With a slight embichure movement and a lot of repetition, everything's worked right back up. It was a terrific 2 months to work on my golf game! Of course, I don't recommend trying this at home.

The short of it.. breaks can be good. They can open opportunities to do other things, and prevent you from burnout that many musicians suffer. Know your limits to breaks, and I believe you'll have more success than banging away in a practice room for 7 hours, daily. Of course, this is totally negated when gearing up for an audition... That's a completely different routine.

Best of luck!

Speaking for myself, our symphony contract specified one day a week off, but with the proviso of a premium for a service scheduled THAT day, too. And, ya gotta eat, so I never turned down decent gigs unless I had to. Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger, I guess, and there were also lots of lean playing periods...

I think planned periods are good, and I've always felt that after such a period I came back refreshed, with a clear head, and stronger. I think one has to see how things fall. And it IS a physical activity, so normal cautions should apply.

Your milage may vary. Not Available in all states. Conductor pictured is not actual conductor, only a representation.

Mike

Man... I've been taking a break from not playing tuba for awhile now... I should really get back to work.

Thank you. Thank you. I'll be here all night.

Seriously, you've gotta listen to your body. It usually knows what's best for you. I'll usually take a day or two off every month when I'm hardcore auditioning and I always feel refreshed when I come back. This book I'm reading called Performance Success by Don Greene recommends that you take a day off every week in the days leading up to an audition - usually the day after you do a run through or mock audition. Helps to keep your energy levels up.

A break that changes routine and scenery is most often a good thing.To be a professional musician,one does not have to be a player for dollars all the time.I took a job in a local factory to be home after two years on the road.I made some great home town friends and got much handier with tools.After being hired as a postal worker,I found good part-time work as a single act.It kept the chops up and was an outlet for my need to pick.
On the gig I have become wary of "breaks".The band breaking often leads to the audience heading for the exits.When I was younger,I could pace myself and pause for a few deep breaths between tunes and go without a break,indefinitely.Now,our trio John Reno and the Creekers take breaks individually.One of us will light out for the loo with a pass by the bar and a word with some folks while one or two of us stay up on the bandstand and keep playing.This is a nice change of sound and the band never stops.When we do break together,we have a C.D. player going out thru our P.A. system so we never lose control of the tunes that are played
when we're in the room.
Dennis Gray
www.johnreno.com/

I don't like taking days off, but I'll still deal with it.

I was playing at my best when I was going for two or three years straight.

ive been playing 4-5 hours every day since almost January, and now that im out of school for summer, its been almost 6-8 hours, and i have found that, and this is for me, one day off every 2 weeks is perfect, it is almost always a sunday, so i start the week over. Almost every monday my chops are so much more inapt to playing what i want. Just before an audition, however, i make sure to take at least one day off a week so that i dont get to worn out. This helps to keep the endurance up, as well as allow for your chops to relax, and not deal with all of the stress from playing. Truthfully though, no two people are alike, so whether you take time off is up to you, and how much time you take depends on your bodies recovery time.

It's tough to play EVERY day. Sometimes I feel under the weather or I may travel where I can't take my horn. Only take a break if you feel like you need to. If you want to play, go ahead and play!

Will wrote:It's tough to play EVERY day. Sometimes I feel under the weather or I may travel where I can't take my horn. Only take a break if you feel like you need to. If you want to play, go ahead and play!

This sounds like a very good approach to taking a break.

When I said that I was playing at my best after two or three years straight, I didn't mean to say that I played for a few hours every day.

I would at least get in there, warm up, and play for a while until I felt flexible. Then, I'd stop and go home.

I would go for quite a while without "serious" long practice, but I'd make sure that my face got a decent workout. Building strength requires breaks for muscle regeneration, but that wasn't the point -- my sessions were for endurance & flexibility, and that kind of activity can be done every day.

Do not hammer your face every day. You must take a day off here and there. Aubrey said "listen to your body" a few posts back. Reread that about ten thousand times. When your chops are sending you the memo "Stop playing!" you obey. You also need vacations, extended time away from the horn to let yourself heal. It will save your face and your sanity. Your left and right brains both need to relax once in a while.

I have a few colleagues, pros, who have told me, "Oh, if I don't get my hour-and-a-half of warmup every day, before practice, I'm not worth anything..." I don't buy it. Not for a second. Hey, whatever floats your boat--but I don't buy it. Take the time off.

I take a break when i'm feeling lazy...

But seriously, playing the tuba can be quite a physical thing. Always be sure you're fresh and ready both mentally and physically before your practice. Otherwise the hours are just gonna go down the drain..

Im under the belief that you dont have to take a day off to give your face a rest. I like to go for about 5-6 hours a day for m-f and then use Sunday as a "slow down" day. Instead of doing all of my stuff, I'll just do my morning routine but doing it around the afternoon just to keep some sort of shape to my face. Ive been doing this for months now and my face always feels great on Monday. This method seems to work for me, may be it will for others or you or maybe it won't.

My 2.56789 cents...........