Lip Twitching After Playing

[jrobba]

I've been getting twitches in my lips in the evening a few hours after I call it a day on the horns. It's only been happening the last couple weeks. It almost feels as if my lip is twitching in the same frequency of the middle range of the horn. It will only do it for a second or two.

Does anyone have an opinion on if this is a negative thing? Perhaps I need to do more cool down playing at the end of my playing sessions...

[eupher61]

hmmm...interesting. How much do you play through the day? Is it one long session, or broken up through the day? Does it happen if you stop to rest or whatever for a couple of minutes, or only at the end? Does it take a long continuous session, or even shorter?

Cooling down sounds like a good thing to try. Low long tones, then pedal long tones. Usually, my own warm down ends with "Dies Irae" (from Fantastique, not Verdi) played starting on the fundamental of whichever horn I'm playing.

Have you noticed anything in terms of flexiblilty on lip slurs or extreme range changes? How about pitch control? Just investigatory questions, not sure what they would mean if positive or negative.

Keep us posted, please.

[Alex C]

Muscle twitching after exercise has been attributed to lack of oxygen to the tissue. I've also read that it is indicative of a need for potassium. Neither is serious but you might eat a banana now and then and maybe breathe more deeply while practicing.

Take two aspirin and call me in the morning.

[Søren]

Mine does that from time to time. Never had any problems with it.

[jrobba]

I play on average about 4 hours a day. The biggest change in my playing is that I just got out of the Marine Corps as a musician where I did a lot of marching and playing. Its been a few months since I've been out though, and I've settled into a pretty consistent playing schedule now. I've been spending more time cooling down at the end of my playing day, but in the evening and when I'm trying to go to sleep my lip still twitches. To me it feels kind of like an involuntary buzz in part of my lip. Its usually in the left half of my top lip. I get a amount of potassium and other minerals and vitamins in my diet and I never get cramps or spasms in any other muscles.

The good thing is it doesn't happen when I play, and its not affecting me in a negative way at all. Its just strange...

[swillafew]

I wouldn't worry, I would just make sure the practicing is all being done correctly. You are pushing yourself to a limit, and your body is telling you so.

[patricklugo]

i would really re evaluate your routine. are you playing in the high register too much ? etc etc
i remember back 1994 when i got really serious about playing. i want to practice for hours and hours because i felt i was really behind the other student at my school.

at the end i over practice my high range and caused other problems . delayed attacks, and weird embouchure movements.

i cant tell you what to do because i dont know you. but i feel like you should revaluate you routine. and be honest with your assessment.

[MaryAnn]

Potassium. Try a tablet with your meal after you play, one a day, for two weeks and see if it goes away. Tablets come in 99mg. Works for eyelid twitches too, which more people are familiar with. Also helps with leg cramps, and some people for sleep. Of course....if it works you are deficient. The banana thing might not be reliable because you don't know what the soil was like that the bananas were grown on. They might have potassium, they might not.

MA