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Re: Lip Strength

Author: Bobo
Date: 2007-10-02 14:27

As a guy pushing 50 who made a return after several decades of not playing, i strongly agree with hautbois' view that general physical conditioning is extremely important, increasingly so as one ages. As much as the embouchure, one must develop strength in the abdominal support area, and that includes diaphragm and intercostal muscles (the ones between the ribs that you use to squeeze air out of the lungs)...I pulled a an intercostal muscle last year shoveling snow and had to stop playing for three weeks! A steady regime of aerobic exercise and strength training is very important. I run on an elliptical trainer and do yoga exercises regularly...i got my yoga routine from a video called "yoga for wimps"! I kid you not! Also, pay close attention to the health of your shoulders, wrists and hand muscles...do not play through pain! Your body is telling you to take a break or do stretching exercises. As you age, you gain a lot in musical and intellectual maturity; personally, i think that these are the most important things. We are not athletes; however, it's not a bad idea to think of yourself as one in terms of the need for being in excellent physical condition. As an aside, a close friend who plays the violin was telling me how she envied my ability to just put my fingers in a certain configuration and have the right note come out! So I handed her my oboe and told her to try it. That was fun. This is not a wooden flute we're talking about here!

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Lip Strength new

OldTimer

2007-09-30 22:57