Common cold and playing

ttf_anonymous · Post by **ttf_anonymous** » Tue Jun 27, 2017 6:18 am

Hi, I've had a cold for over a week now, but luckily I think it's about to go away. I have tried to keep up playing, but it has really been hard to keep my motivation, since my sound has been awful these days. I figured it was because of the cold, making my throat stuffy and my lung capacity bad. I complained about it to my wife, but she said I sounded quite ok. I just assumed she was being nice and wanted to encourage me, but then I thought, maybe it's my own impression of the sound that's being clogged up by the cold, more than the sound actually being bad.

What's your experience on this? If you're having a cold, do you sound like you've never played the trombone before? And do your listeners agree, or is it just the subjective perception of the player himself that suffers?

ttf_BGuttman · Post by **ttf_BGuttman** » Tue Jun 27, 2017 7:49 am

A lot of it is the congestion in your ears. Everything sounds odd when you have a head cold. The ears are more a problem than the lungs (you can compensate by just breathing more).

Now that you are more-or-less over the virus, make sure to clean your mouthpiece well. Maybe a trip through the dishwasher (not plastic, though!) or an overnight soak in mouthwash. Don't want to reinfect yourself.

ttf_crazytrombonist505 · Tue Jun 27, 2017 11:21 am

Quote from: BGuttman on Yesterday at 07:49 AMA lot of it is the congestion in your ears. Everything sounds odd when you have a head cold.

Yep, the congestion in your ears will make your playing sound odd to you.

ttf_dershem · Post by **ttf_dershem** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 7:13 pm

http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/fanfare-for-the-common-cold-sheet-music/1780252

ttf_BGuttman · Post by **ttf_BGuttman** » Sat Jul 08, 2017 8:00 pm

Quote from: dershem on Jul 08, 2017, 07:13PM http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/title/fanfare-for-the-common-cold-sheet-music/1780252

Have you ever played this? It's a riot!

ttf_dershem · Post by **ttf_dershem** » Fri Jul 14, 2017 5:56 pm

Quote from: BGuttman on Jul 08, 2017, 08:00PMHave you ever played this? It's a riot!

It's a hoot! I bought the sheet music a few decades ago, and have only found a couple of groups willing to play it, but it's a lot of fun. And who else uses "Sneezando!" as an expression?

ttf_BGuttman · Post by **ttf_BGuttman** » Fri Jul 14, 2017 8:13 pm

My problem was the odd instrumentation for the ensemble. It calls for 2 trumpets, 2 horns, and a trombone. Not much other quintet music can be played with such a group.

ttf_FlamingRain · Post by **ttf_FlamingRain** » Sat Jul 15, 2017 10:59 pm

I had a sinus infection my senior year of high school when I had to do a bunch of musical performances - playing horn... my ears were full of fluid and I really couldn't hear anything. Everything FELT normal playing wise except that I couldn't hear very well - I could only hear the sound of the buzz in my mouth to tell that I was on the right pitch, and I was playing HORN, which I'm surprised I made it through 3 or 4 shows like that...

ttf_FlamingRain · Post by **ttf_FlamingRain** » Sat Jul 15, 2017 10:59 pm

I had a sinus infection my senior year of high school when I had to do a bunch of musical performances - playing horn... my ears were full of fluid and I really couldn't hear anything. Everything FELT normal playing wise except that I couldn't hear very well - I could only hear the sound of the buzz in my mouth to tell that I was on the right pitch, and I was playing HORN, which I'm surprised I made it through 3 or 4 shows like that...