 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Buddy5000
Date: 2020-08-30 02:28
I was practicing bass clarinet the other day and felt a pressure build in the upper back of my throat and started snorting. I brushed this off thinking it was a one-time thing, but it continued the next few days.
I did some research, and I think I am experiencing stress VPI, though I haven't been doing very out-of-the-ordinary in regards to my practice schedule and haven't tried any new equipment.
What might be some reasons this is happening all of a sudden? And since it's only been going for maybe a week can I fix this before it gets worse?
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Author: kdk
Date: 2020-08-30 06:22
I've had occasional episodes of VPI for the past 50 years. It develops when I'm tired or when I'm out of playing condition. I begin to lose control after 45 minutes or an hour of non-stop practicing - it rarely happens during rehearsals or concerts when there's a lot of non-playing time involved (conductor rehearsing the strings, rehearsal breaks, long rests in orchestral music, etc.).
There have been a few threads about it here over the years. You might use the search function to look up older comments.
I have a student who within the past few months (since all of the COVID-19 trouble started) suddenly began to have issues with nasal leakage (classic VPI). It seemed to follow a bout she had of strep throat. The sore throat, fever and other strep symptoms seem to be gone, but she has had a history with the bug, and there must be something still going on in her throat - it may still be swollen - because her ENT doc has recommended a tonsillectomy. It may be that whatever chronic inflammation is driving the surgical recommendation may be interfering with a good seal of her velopharyngeal flap. If you've had any kind of recent throat inflammation, it could explain the sudden onset of VPI.
It may go away by itself. Having an ENT check it out may not help - the problem isn't widespread and the doctors often don't see an explanation, especially one that has an obvious remedy - but it doesn't hurt to have the doctor rule out anything he can think of.
Be careful about using a resistant setup. It's basically a question of which of two exits - your mouth (with the reed/mouthpiece/clarinet obstructing it) or your nose - is the easier escape route for air that you're exhaling under pressure.
Karl
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Author: SunnyDaze
Date: 2020-08-30 21:00
Hi,
I wondered if I could chip in an idea on tonsils and the throat? My family have had *a lot* of trouble with tonsils and adenoids swelling, and strep throats. For some reason when we gave up wheat and dairy, the problem just vanished overnight and never came back.
Now if I ever have any trouble there I just wear a scarf and drink hot drinks, and a sore throat goes away without treatment. Topping up on vitamin D also seemed to help. Fortified wheat flour in bread and other processed food is a major source of vitamins and iron, so those need to be replaced if someone does cut out wheat.
I've no idea if that would help others, or what the science would be that is behind it, but it made a big difference to us. It took years and years of trouble to finally work it out, so I thought it might be worth mentioning.
Jen
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Author: ACCA
Date: 2020-08-31 11:40
I have had this issue in the past after prolonged playing with a Bb clarinet. It seemed to help to use mouthpieces with a larger window and wider chamber, i.e. less resistance in terms of air I think.
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Author: Bob Bernardo
Date: 2020-09-05 07:54
I like what ACCA wrote and there may not be that perfect answer or cure. I've gone through 3 sinus surgeries before I got the needed relief from the sinus back pressure. Seasonal allergies surely doesn't help, even air pollution can effect you as a player.
Often I could practice though this by a slightly softer reeds. Just a 1/2 or 1/4 strength might help.
Designer of - Vintage 1940 Cicero Mouthpieces and the La Vecchia mouthpieces
Yamaha Artist 2015
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Author: nellsonic
Date: 2020-09-05 08:37
An exercise that can sometimes be helpful to "reset" in the moment you experience this is this is to plant the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth just behind your top teeth and take several deep slow breaths through your mouth. It's a momentary fix, not a cure.
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Author: JMason
Date: 2020-09-05 09:23
I have a similar problem but it is a medical condition. In the 90's I had throat surgery they took out my tonsils, tightened up the back of my soft palette etc, because I had a sleep disorder. I used to play on 3-1/2 to 4 reeds. After surgery I could only play for a couple of minutes on a 4 reed before I started snorting. I thought I could strengthen my muscles and get back to my old form. I tried a lot of things if anything it just got worse. I even tried a nose plug like swimmers use to plug up my nose that worked, I still snorted but it did not come out because my nose was plugged, but that was just strange.
I wound up reducing reed hardness until I was down to 2 to 2-1/2 which I can play for hours with out any problem. If I go to a 3 then snorting starts in a couple of minutes. I had to change mouthpieces and found a Vandoren 5JB, which is a very open mouthpiece, and works great with the softer reed. Everyone likes my sound, maybe because my throat is missing??
I am an engineer by trade so I just go with what works and don't worry too much about what used to work or that I had to change reeds and mouthpieces to get a good sound. I just go with what works for me.
Of course because I has surgery I had a different mind set rather then in your case to have it happen out of nowhere.
However I think sometimes people get too caught up in the hardware; I have to play a 5 reed on such and such a mouthpiece, because so-and-so plays that combination, rather then works for them.
Hurry for engineers "function over form"...
Just my two cents...
Jeff
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