Stiff Embouchure After Playing Low Excercises

[cthuba]

Hey all!

Something that comes and goes but I notice that when I play in the low register for awhile especially loud, my lips becomes pretty stiff and not so inclined to buzz freely.


Curious if any of you experience this

[Nworbekim]

You’re working out those muscles a bit more doing that low register work, so the stiffness is likely a bit of “pump” in those small muscles akin to lifting weights for lots of reps.

[bloke]

I think you’re going to need someone who’s really smart to be sitting there with you to watch what’s going on.
Out of sheer ignorance - and to fill up this text box with not particularly useful rhetoric, I’m just going to have to guess that you are working much harder - in some particular way- than is necessary…(??)

[Pauvog1]

I think you’re going to need someone who’s really smart to be sitting there with you to watch what’s going on.
Out of sheer ignorance - and to fill up this text box with not particularly useful rhetoric, I’m just going to have to guess that you are working much harder - in some particular way- than is necessary…(??)

This!

Is there a local pro / university person who you could take a lesson or two with? If not, is there someone who could hop on a Zoom/Google meet?

I'd "guess" it being an efficiency issue too, but it's really hard to effectively diagnose "sounds" and "embouchure" over text.

[Nworbekim]

i get that feeling sometimes. i don't connect it necessarily to low register practice, but just over practicing in general. i used to go 3 to 4 hours a day but i'm down to maybe 1 to 2 now and not every day. sometimes after missing a few days i'll put in a session and the next time i notice some stiffness... one thing i notice more though is my chops get to feeling stiff and swollen if i DON'T practice. they want to play... so i can't NOT play my horn.