This can't be dystonia -- can it?

[jeopardymaster]

Really frustrating week for me as I subbed in an out-of-town orchestra after having taken a week off of playing. I never really did get loosened up completely - during initial warmups each time I had a lot of trouble suppressing a quivering tight vibrato between g and d below the staff. Didn't happen when I blew the mouthpiece alone - just when I picked up the horn. And although it would improve in time as I got warm, it occasionally came back unexpectedly after prolonged rests.

This has never happened to me before. I've always been able to just pick it up and play.

Any ideas?

[jspeek]

I was recently very ill and couldn't play for about 5 or 6 days. I had the exact same problem, even the same note range. It took about 2 weeks to get rid of the "quiver". I'm still having trouble with my E and Eb, but other than that I'm fine now.

[djwesp]

I sincerely DOUBT it has anything to do with the D-Word.


I DO think it has something to do with the type of muscle fibers we employ when playing. Unlike our biceps, or other bulging muscles, the musculature of our face is not typical type I. These muscles (if you have seen "bodies" or diagrams of muscles) bulge, are deep dark red, full of mitochondria, and are aerobic powerhouses. The muscles surrounding our face however are not rich in these typical type I fibers. They are rich in many of the type II fibers. Part of what makes this so special and brass playing possible is that Type II fibers are ultra fast (especially compared to type I) in response time. Type II fibers are also extremely strong for the amount of space they take up.

One of the symptoms of type II muscle fatigue is spontaneous contraction. This can be alleviated somewhat with potassium supplementation, however, it is an issue derived from using that muscle type to failure.

I think the reason it would happen in that range would have to do with your "tucking" your lower lip as you ascend and anchoring more. The mid range in many tubists embouchure is the one that employs the most muscle, because after that range we begin to tuck our lower lip, artificially create resistance with the embouchure and direct our air stream towards the bottom of the bowl to ascend. This is the "break" that many players describe. Right before that break would be very muscle oriented.

Eat some bananas and practice. If it is neurological, you'll figure it out soon enough.

[OSYBass]

Don't worry! This is nothing more than a lack of practice. Get back into practicing and schedule some extra time to make up for the lost time and you will be fine!!

Just know that every time you take time off the horn this will happen, so try to limit your time away from the horn. The more time away from the horn, the worse this will be.

Good luck,
James

[jeopardymaster]

I wish it were that simple. See, I almost never practice, just warm up and blow a little every once in a while. But I just finished a rehearsal tonight - The Planets and Shostakovich Festive Overture - and experienced no quiver at all. So maybe it was just the location. Or nerves. Or "too many mind."