Endurance

[Albertibass]

How do we develop endurance regarding our face. I drink plenty of water (while i play, and all throughout the day), and i never had quiet a problem. Of course that was back when i battled endurance with pressure we all did it at some point...

I understand the facial structure is a muscle, so does that mean that over time, it will grow stronger (no pain no gain?).

thanksssss

[josh_kaprun]

One thing that I've found GREATLY increases endurance is to do long-tones...and I don't mean long-tones like they do during a high school band warm up for 30 seconds to a minute, I mean 15-30 minutes of long tones at a good "mf". Hold each note for 8 counts at 60bpm. Make sure to cover as much of your range as you can, starting in the middle, working down, then working up, and finally starting high and coming back down to the middle. When I started doing that routine about a year or so ago, I noticed a huge difference in my endurance (as well as my tone) VERY quickly.

So, give that a shot the next time you sit down to practice...and, try not to cry.

[Alex C]

Always the contrarion: Endurance should never really be a problem on tuba. The fact is that tubists use the least amount of muscle contraction of any brass instrument. If you are feeling fatigue after an hour, you are probably using too much tension.

The amount of inter-oral pressure for a tuba playing notes in the staff is around 7 oz. of pressure. It shouldn't take a lot of strength to maintain an embouchure formation at that level.

How long can you play without a break? Don't know. I would expect that you could conceivably play 6-8 hours a day (with breaks) and not feel especially tired, if you did it regularly. There is some consideration for muscle conditioning but not a lot.

Exceptions might be when you are learning a "new embouchure" and when you play in a very high tessatura for a long time.

I remember Chuck Dallenbach telling me that CB rehearsals ended when the trumpets said, "enough." When the trumpets were out of gas, it was over. It was always the trumpets who tired first and that was understandable. No ten minute break would do, so they always stopped.

[Albertibass]

One thing that I've found GREATLY increases endurance is to do long-tones...and I don't mean long-tones like they do during a high school band warm up for 30 seconds to a minute, I mean 15-30 minutes of long tones at a good "mf". Hold each note for 8 counts at 60bpm.

Long tones are a part of my everyday routine. I don't however usually go for about 30 minutes on just longtones. at most i do about 15, and they aren't even really 8 counts at 60 bpm. Do you recommend i do this at the beginning of the practice time or end?

[Roger Lewis]

is a mental thing, not a physical one - if you are doing everything else well. I would tend to agree with the consensus that your air is the problem. Many players use too much tension in the embouchure to create the sound instead of letting the air MAKE the embouchure work. As I tend to say - the horsepower isn't in the engine, it's in the FUEL

Try the Spit Valve Drill as mentioned here: viewtopic.php?t=16642&highlight=spit+valve+drill
and learn from it.

Neither the embouchure or the air by itself creates the sound. They have to work together to make the buzz - BUT they are NOT equal. It is air OVER embouchure and that's what this drill teaches you.

Roger

[windshieldbug]

Do you recommend i do this at the beginning of the practice time or end?

Yes. It shouldn't really matter. Your brain should be getting tired sooner than your chops, so do what you need to to stay focused. If your chops are getting tired, rethink your approach along what's been recommended. Think air movement, and music.

[iiipopes]

is a mental thing, not a physical one - if you are doing everything else well. I would tend to agree with the consensus that your air is the problem. Many players use too much tension in the embouchure to create the sound instead of letting the air MAKE the embouchure work. As I tend to say - the horsepower isn't in the engine, it's in the FUEL

Try the Spit Valve Drill as mentioned here: viewtopic.php?t=16642&highlight=spit+valve+drill
and learn from it.

Neither the embouchure or the air by itself creates the sound. They have to work together to make the buzz - BUT they are NOT equal. It is air OVER embouchure and that's what this drill teaches you.

Roger

Otherwise known as Bernoulli's principle.

[josh_kaprun]

Long tones are a part of my everyday routine. I don't however usually go for about 30 minutes on just longtones. at most i do about 15, and they aren't even really 8 counts at 60 bpm. Do you recommend i do this at the beginning of the practice time or end?

Well, the first time I did long-tones for that amount of time was right before I started a day of teaching, so it was one of the first things I did that day. However, after I did it and saw how much of a difference it made after just one sitting, I became VERY excited and proceeded to do it with all of my students that morning (which added up to about one and a half hours of long tones between the 6 of them...you want to talk about endurance...). Then, I drove back home, ate lunch, and drove to the other school that I teach at (all of that took me about two and a half hours or so). I then did 15 minutes of long tones with 7 more kids...so, I did over three hours of long-tones that day. I woke up the next morning and I was still warmed up as if I had just went through my normal 45-minute long warm up routine. After that, I just started doing 15-minute sessions at the beginning of my practice.

[iiipopes]

Remember the long tones are a means to an end, not an end in themselves, unless you're going for being able to hold the longest tone, somewhat analogous to weightlifting as a sport in and of itself with the snatch and clean & jerk, as opposed to using those techniques of weightlifting to develop your main sport.

The purpose of the warmups and the routines is so you can focus on the rest of your session of playing and whatever that may require, depending on your particular situation, and work on building your musicality, which includes endurance as one element.

[Stefan Kac]

I understand the facial structure is a muscle, so does that mean that over time, it will grow stronger (no pain no gain?).

Just remember, these muscles are overwhelmingly located at the corners of your mouth; they are not evenly distributed all the way around. Hence, if you feel that distinctive "burn" (as in weightlifting or other strenuous excercise) at the corners, then you are giving those muscles a useful workout (though you still need to be careful and take breaks). Conversely, if you feel pain anywhere near where the mouthpiece contacts your face, then you are hurting yourself.