Doublereed Archive - Posting 000011.txt from 2003/02

From: Nat Echols <nat@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [DR-L] Over practising
Date: Tue, 4 Feb 2003 20:30:31 -0500

> Can over practising cause permanent damage do your body?

A friend of mine got tendonitis from practicing too much (I think he said
6 hours/day). But he blamed this mainly on holding the bassoon wrong. I
suppose once your hands start to hurt that's a good indication that
something isn't right. (Are you an oboist or a bassoonist?)

I've also found that on occasions where I was playing an unusual amount
(i.e. rehearsals solid from about 9 to 5, sometimes more) for several days
on end, my teeth would shift position from the constant pressure of my
lips. Things were even worse when I had braces, which shredded the inside
of my mouth. I wouldn't call these "permanant", though; a day off usually
returned everything to normal.

-Nat