Lost my right hand for six weeks, but I need to practice.

[tubaerik]

Hello fellow Tubenetters

I managed to cut a leader/sinew (I don't know the English word) in a right hand finger. I ended up in surgery last and now my hand is plastered for six more weeks. I cannot use my right hand at all but I can press one or more valves at a time with my left hand, though not shift valves while playing. I've practised for two days now after the surgery but I realised that I don't know many exercises that suit my needs.

Do the tubists on the forum know any exercises that I would be able to play? I guess that this period will be focused on flexibility and tounging. I will probably also use more time for breathing exercises and mouthpiece buzzing without the horn.

Thank you
Erik

[Todd S. Malicoate]

Good advice already. Look on the positive side and use this time to really "fine-tune" the fundamentals.

Schlossberg offers some really good flexibility exercises that involve as little valve-pushing as you would care to do (most do them starting out open and down by half-step). A quick Google search will turn up any number of such exercises to print out for free.

Most people don't take the time to really refine these basic skills, so consider yourself lucky to be "forced" to spend the next six weeks really working these skills to perfection. Good luck to you!

[tubaerik]

Thank you for all the guidance.

I've been practising a lot like you have been advising. A lot of long notes, flexibility exercises, tonguing, buzzing Bordogni on the mouthpiece etc. I realise that there still is a lot to do and that I don't will have to worry about not being able to practise these weeks.

I've tried to create my own flexibility exercises, but sometimes my creativity fails me. I tried to google the Schlossberg exercises as you said, Todd, but I obviously don't possess the required skills for that website. Could anyone provide me with links to the suiting exercises in question?

[Todd S. Malicoate]

Here's a good one:

http://members.troopersdrumcorps.org/do ... 20Tech.pdf

Go down to "Flexibility Exercises." Read down an octave. "Pronunciation #1" is also a good one requiring no valve movement per phrase.

Here's some more if you don't mind reading trumpet treble clef stuff:

http://www.ultrapureoils.com/pdf/warmups.pdf

Best of luck!

[MartyNeilan]

Just been there and done that. Right hand was in a cast - punched something a littler harder than my hand. Fortunately, I had a horn that allowed me to reach over and catch most of the valves. I could use the bad hand to pick up the fourth. About the only thing that suffered was slide pulling, but fortunately my current CC needs very little, none with alternates. You said you could get some valves with your other hand. Maybe you could use your right to just pick up one valve, making it enough to get by.

As far as exercises with minimal valve use, look up Remington trombone warm ups. I think Steve Ferguson at hornguys.com sells a book of them, but may at least find a start on the web.