Back Pain and the Sousaphone.

[tofu]

--

[46K]

Hi there,

In my experience back pain is not a normal thing associated with a sousaphone.
A beginner (or anybody carrying one around for too long) will have some shoulder pain, but pain in the back indicates something is wrong.

Have this checked by a professional as soon as possible.
Although not very likely, there is a chance that you are doing serious damage to yourself which you may regret for the remainder of your days... Probably this situation is revealing a problem that was already there, which you can deal with, with the help/advice of a professional.

Kind regards,
Mark

[Roger Lewis]

Some people were not meant to carry this kind of load in such a manner physically. Back pain is forever if you screw it up - I'm sure there are several of us on this board that can testify to this.

Get to a doctor or switch to flute or something else. Don't let anyone tell you that "you'll be fine" because none of us can possibly know. Being "macho" will only hurt you in the long run.

This reminds me of the old joke: "Doctor, it hurts when I do this." and the doctor replies "Then don't do that."

Just my $0.02.

Roger

[Kory101]

This reminds me of the old joke: "Doctor, it hurts when I do this." and the doctor replies "Then don't do that."

My teacher says that all the time in lessons. It goes something like this:

Me - Ugh, I keep screwing up the end of this phrase.

Gene - Well, don't do that.

[tokuno]

Back pain is forever if you screw it up - I'm sure there are several of us on this board that can testify to this.

+1
I'm too young for my back to keep me from sleeping through the night, because I "toughed it out", but that's the way it is. To say nothing of protracted sitting, picking up my children, or lying on the floor to play with them.
I was you, but I "yeah-yeah, sure-sure'd" the well-intended advice others gave me to protect my back. I hope for your sake that you're smarter than I was.

[Funcoot]

Today went ok. I came home feeling the best out of all 3 days. The strectching and re-stretching seemed to help. Everything was going fairly fine until certain people in my section decided to play while we were just doing M&M, we had to run a lap with the tubas on.

A few hours later during sectionals, I though my holding technique could have been the culprit. I think my back was supporting the tuba more than it should have been.

I went through the last hour of marching outside pretty much pain free for the most part. It was highly reduced.

I still plan on going for a physical just to make sure everythings ok. I am also going to go ahead and do the next 2 days of camp, assuming nothing escalates.

[Funcoot]

The more I site here and think about it, the more I think it's a bad idea to keep marching sousaphone. My back is aching 2 and a half hours after band camp. I don't know what to do, if I switch, I can already tell my band director will be pretty steamed seeing as we are half way through the half time show, and I would be in a few awkward places for a baritone to be standing.

I would really like some advice. Especially from a director.

[imperialbari]

The more I site here and think about it, the more I think it's a bad idea to keep marching sousaphone. My back is aching 2 and a half hours after band camp. I don't know what to do, if I switch, I can already tell my band director will be pretty steamed seeing as we are half way through the half time show, and I would be in a few awkward places for a baritone to be standing.

I would really like some advice. Especially from a director.

The compromise:

[Funcoot]

Are those e-flat sousaphones? Isn't really a possibility, we don't have any nor the money to buy one. I do not have the money for one either.

[imperialbari]

Are those e-flat sousaphones? Isn't really a possibility, we don't have any nor the money to buy one. I do not have the money for one either.

No, it is a Bb tenor. Cheap, and not expensive either.

[Funcoot]

Are those e-flat sousaphones? Isn't really a possibility, we don't have any nor the money to buy one. I do not have the money for one either.

No, it is a Bb tenor. Cheap, and not expensive either.

Cheap to you probably isn't cheap for me. I'm a high school student with no job and parents who aren't exactly happy with spending tons of money on band.

[tubatooter1940]

My high school band director was a very considerate fellow. I was only 5'3' and 110 pounds first year on sousaphone. My director let me play snare drum in those three mile long Mardi gras parades.
The next three years I carried a heavy Conn sousa. I did o.k. once I came up with an effective shoulder pad.

[David Richoux]

The compromise:[/quote]

Is that one of those Indian/Chinese "Fanfare Horns" that are flooding the eBay? Any that are better than others? (I was thinking of getting one to make into a Bb helicon... couldn't be any worse than some of my antique horns in the long run!)

[Rob]

No, I'm not a director, and I don't know that you really need to have a director chime in. Perhaps what you should do, and shouldn't be too much of a problem, is borrow a fiberglass sousa for a few days. You could either play it part of the time, or perhaps all of the time. The director isn't going to be happy if your back gives out and it was avoidable.

Let's look at the logistics here. Your going to be doing a show that lasts for how long, 20-30 minutes(perhaps I'm off in my length), and your practicing for quite a few hours everyday. Now you can obviously handle the sousa for the time required to march the show, it's the endless practicing that is the issue. Get yourself a fiberglass horn for the rehearsal and use the brass sousa for the show and for practicing when your back isn't hurting. You could either start with the brass and switch to the fiber, or vice-versa.

I wouldn't think it's hard to find a fiberglass horn to use, junior highs probably have them, lots of high schools, or someone you might know or be close to on Tubenet might either be able to lend you one or set you up with someone that has one.

And for god's sake don't run with the horn just because everyone else is. The point of bad shoes and bad feet has been brought up and running is only going to make that potential problem worse. I'm sure the resident engineer can chime in to give you a better look at the physics, but running places I believe at least 3x the stress on your body, temper that with the extra weight of the horn(x3) and you've just stressed your body out bigtime--all at the crucial junction when things might have been getting better.

Rob "if they all jump off the cliff, stand to the side and enjoy the show"

[Funcoot]

Rob, that's probably some of the best advice here, not that each post wasn't great, they all were.

The thing is, as far as I know... not a single school here has fiberglass tubas. Most the bands here like to be "traditional." And I'm pretty sure that my director would have made us do more laps if we didn't run with sousaphones. I'll try n talk to my director though. Maybe I could convince him to let me take the bell off in the mornings when we don't play, I don't know. I'm sure that alone would help ten fold.

[TexTuba]

Honestly, if you can't do it, DO NOT DO IT! There is no shame in not being able to handle a sousaphone. Anyone who says otherwise is a damn fool. If your director gets mad, who cares? You need to take care of YOU.

[imperialbari]

The compromise:

Is that one of those Indian/Chinese "Fanfare Horns" that are flooding the eBay? Any that are better than others? (I was thinking of getting one to make into a Bb helicon... couldn't be any worse than some of my antique horns in the long run!)[/quote]

The Indians already make the Bb helicon:

[David Richoux]

The compromise:

Is that one of those Indian/Chinese "Fanfare Horns" that are flooding the eBay? Any that are better than others? (I was thinking of getting one to make into a Bb helicon... couldn't be any worse than some of my antique horns in the long run!)

The Indians already make the Bb helicon:

well, that valve cluster looks like about the same quality as my ~120 year old French EEb helicon (and about as many sharp turns in the piping!) - but it looks like the "Gooseneck" is actually fixed in position, and kind of in an awkward spot! Extra crunchy back and neck pain!

[tofu]

--

[Roger Lewis]

It all comes down to one thing - Screw your band director - he's not the one who is going to have to live with the discomfort for the rest of his life. Just because he is stupid doesn't mean that you need to be. Never try to match wits with someone who is only half equiped - you can only lose.

A great band director with an incredible marching program at a major university once said to me:

"Yeh, they look great, but I feel so bad for them. By the time I get done with them their knees and backs are SHOT."

The director has a job to do. You don't need to be the "canon fodder" for his teaching evaluation. Get out while you can. AND GO SEE THE DAMN DOCTOR!

Roger