Author: hautbois
Date: 2007-10-02 13:17
Cooper's view is in line with my experience -- shorter playing times, increasing the duration over time. I additionally have had the experience of trying to restore embouchure when one is a senior, rather than a person in their 20s-40s. It is a much slower process; muscles are less resilient and need more recovery time. When I have taken time off (e.g. 6 weeks after a surgery, or even a 2 week vacation) it can, at my age, debilitate the embochure. I recommend practicing for 10-15 minutes, four times a day, but shortening the duration when the embochure feels pain. And the reeds need to be light, as has been suggested by other posters, with a gradual increase in reed resistance and hardness. I am always astonished, after a break in playing, how hard were the reeds I had been using just prior to the break!
Another area to attend to after a break in playing, especially for those over 50, and particularly as well for females (which I am) is the strength of the abdominal and other stability muscles. I have a regime of sit-ups and other exercises which I find imperative in order to continue playing. Otherwise I find my breath support weakens and I create bad habits, such as shallower breathing in the upper chest. Some aerobic exercise needs also to be included, to keep the lung capacity and cardio health up. Conscious focus on these things is not as urgent for younger players, as their natural musculature tends to be sufficient without additional attention. They also might note, however, that it will not always be the case....
|
|
The Oboe BBoard
.jpg){kind=small}
