muscles in my mouth not working

[danny]

Hi i am 56 years old and have been practising now for about 10 months. I got a set of Scottish small pipes just before Christmas and have been practising on them for about a month,one of the problems i am having is the muscles in my mouth give out after a few minutes and i have to wait about 5 minutes untill i can play again.I am very passionate about learning to play the pipes correctly and i practise about 2 hours a night.
I am fortunate to have a great teacher who has been teaching for 35 years and he says not to try and make it happen but just let it happen. I was just curious to see how other new pipers delt with the problem when they started. Danny

[Ryan Willey]

Dan try to give your lips a break in between breaths. They only have to form a seal while filling the bag. Also try to find a comfertable position for the blow pipe mine is a liitle off center to the left. Do not get discouraged for this will be solved.
Cheers
-Ryan :eek:

[AWPIPER]

What I found worked well for me was changing over to a airstream blowpipe.It is easier to get a seal and puts less strain on the muscles to maintain it. :D

Just my $.02
Mark

[michael gunn]

danny--
keep at it. it takes a while to develope your chops, and there's some good advice posted here already (i.e., give your lips a break between breaths.)
couple other suggestions:
wherever the blowstick feels comfortable to you is ok, but remember that your lips arestrongest at the center.
playing your practice chanter 1/2 hr per day or so will also help build lip strength.
be sure you don't let your cheek muscles puff out--this puts extra demands on the lip musculature trying to maintain a seal.

hope it helps

[Thom Moore]

Classical musicians call this the development of "embouchure," and this can indeed be difficult for some people. The only thing for it is practice. But you can also try lip-pursing exercises, basically reps doing a kind of "kissing" action--preferably not in public! If you don't like the airstream blowpipe, you might also try using a rubber sleeve on your blowpipe. This may allow you to grip the pipe a little more firmly with your teeth and thus support your lips a little more.

Good luck, Thom

[Lawrie Silverberg]

Danny,

I started at age 53 and it took forever to build up my lip muscles. My instructor told me to practice ever day and blow until my lips wouldn't seal any more (didn't take long) and then quit for the day. Keep it up every day and just be patient. It'll come. Follow the other's advice too. The Airstream blowpipe helped me also and so did lip pursing exercises.

Lawrie

[Derrick Young]

what is people experience with blowpipes and lip fatigue? Is a wider bore easieras there is less resistance or a narrow bore easier as your lips are not at open?

[John McCain]

Originally posted by Derrick Young:
what is people experience with blowpipes and lip fatigue? Is a wider bore easieras there is less resistance or a narrow bore easier as your lips are not at open?

My experience is that wider is better. I echo other's suggestion of an Airstream. There are other blowpipes which have a greater bore for less air resistance, but if one is struggling with lip fatigue, the Airstream seems to be easier because of the dimensions and the rubber grip.

Not everyone likes the look of an Airstream though.

[Johnny]

Does an airstream mouthpiece fit on say a Dunbar blow pipe or do you have to get the whole airstream pipe and mouthpiece.??

JJ

[Ken MacKenzie]

They used to be available as just a mouthpiece in various lengths or as a complete assembly. The blowpipe was an ugly shiny platic thing but it did the job. Don't know what the situation is now.

Call the Toll - Free number on the banner above and they will be able to give you the answer.

Ken

[HepcatBob]

You can still get just the mouthpiece and they're available in different lengths. I like mine except for the fact that it looks a little wierd on my silver Naills. I had to add some hemp to get it to stay firmly on my blowpipe.

[ January 23, 2002: Message edited by: HepcatBob ]

[Iain Sherwood]

The Universal Blowpipe is a far superior beast - much better than the Airstream. The Universal is the 'stick shift' blowpipe used by Jim McGillivray and many others. It is ergonomically sound (it fits your mouth!) and has a built-in valve system. Spiffy projecting mount, too. The mouthpiece is shaped like a pipe-stem, with a lip to keep it from coming out of your mouth.

[Spunky]

It will just take time to build up the muscles. I personally would NOT recommend putting any rubber on your mouthpiece because you will be tempted to bite down. That will, over time, change the position of your front teeth.
How many times have you seen that? The piping world is full of "Bugs Bunnies." :D :D

[Stormy]

A tip I learned when I was beginning on the pipes.

When the lips go and the saliva starts to flow, stop and rub your lips with the back of your hand. Dry off the blowstick and have another bash. This should keep you going for another 5 minutes or so. The drier the blowstick the more purchase the lips have to maintain a tight seal.

If you haven't played for a while time yourself and when you have had enough remember how long you played. Next time go for 5 or 10 minutes longer.

Keep at it and you will be playing for an hour before you realise it!

[Tim Connolly]

Something I tried last week that seems to be helping. I had the original mouthpiece because I put an airstream on my pipes and put it in the car. I drive around a lot during the day and keep puffing on it holding pressure till my thlips sthart to thlobber(thankfully I was alone in the car at this point) When I picked up my pipes to play it seemed I had more strength
Tim

[Tim Connolly]

...Oops, forgot to mention that I plugged up the threaded end with a rubber stopper.

[redhairedpiper]

Wow, some really neat stuff to try.
I always heard airstreams were for "sissies" (I use one anyway) and had a good laugh when I looked on the back of a tutor book and saw a terrific picture of Bill Livingstone with a set of his pipes on it. He plays one too!!

[HepcatBob]

Originally posted by Tim Connolly:
Something I tried last week that seems to be helping. I had the original mouthpiece because I put an airstream on my pipes and put it in the car. I drive around a lot during the day and keep puffing on it holding pressure till my thlips sthart to thlobber(thankfully I was alone in the car at this point) When I picked up my pipes to play it seemed I had more strength
Tim


Practith makth perfect. ;~)
:D

[Ben Ethridge]

After having the same problem (weak mouth muscles), and then getting over it - getting them stronger - I think this is mostly about muscle development, i.e. like any other muscles, the more you exercise them (to a point) the stronger they will be.

A tip: When you can't go play your pipes, "go play your finger". Pretend your finger is a blowpipe. Put it in your mouth and blow, just as if it were a blowpipe. Obviously, since your finger has no hole in it (I assume :-), you won't be letting the air out of your lungs, but the effect on your lip muscles is the same.

Important safety tip: Never do this while looking at a cop or a professional wrestler. :)

Respectfully,
Ben

[Tim Miller]

mmmm, careful, this is called a "vagal manuever", please make sure youre seated as it tends to slow your heart rate down considerably, ie: you could "pass out"(syncope) :blush:

cheers

[Stormy]

Originally posted by Ben Ethridge:


A tip: When you can't go play your pipes, "go play your finger". Pretend your finger is a blowpipe. Put it in your mouth and blow, just as if it were a blowpipe. Obviously, since your finger has no hole in it (I assume :-), you won't be letting the air out of your lungs, but the effect on your lip muscles is the same.

Important safety tip: Never do this while looking at a cop or a professional wrestler. :)

Respectfully,
Ben

Many cops do this while standing on a corner, all you have to ask yourself is this:-

Is he a piper or is the job getting to him?

:D

[Spunky]

That's not his finger Stormy, and he's just trying to get a promotion.

[David Dunbar]

It's an article of faith in weight training that you're only supposed to work a particular set of muscles every other day -- that way you give them a chance to repair and to become stronger. I wonder if this wouldn't also apply to learning to blow the pipes?

[Ben Ethridge]

Agree. That's what I meant by "(to a point)".

Tim, are you serious about that "vagal manuever" post? If so, that would be a REAL (no joke) safety tip.

Respectfully,
Ben

[Lori Wilson-Gaudet]

Originally posted by Tim Miller:
mmmm, careful, this is called a "vagal manuever", please make sure youre seated as it tends to slow your heart rate down considerably, ie: you could "pass out"(syncope) :blush:

cheers

Are you not confusing this with the "valsalva manoever??"
this is a method of holding one's breath and bearing down for instance when arterial lines are changed etc to avoid taking in of air and killing someone with an air emboli??
Lori

[AWPIPER]

Valsalva manuever is holding ones breath and bearing down to achieve a decrease in heart rate in accelerated heart rhythms.It has also been achieved by placing a patients face in ice cold water (known as the "diving reflex")Valsalva is not recommended in patients of "advanced Years" as it can cause the fracture of plaque to migrate and lodge in the blood vessels supplying the brain,causing stroke.It is also difficult to get a patient to properly bear down with enough force to slow the heart rate significantly.

Was named after italian anatomist Antonio Maria Valsalva.

Hope that explains it a bit, :D

Mark :cool:

[Tim Miller]

Nope, no confusion here - vagal manuver/valsalva manuver = increase pressure on vagus nerve(in your neck) decreasing the heart rate.

Cheers,

the passed out piper :p

[AWPIPER]

Actually,is one of the pair of tenth cranial nerves that innervate the diaphragm,and in turn has cardiac effects.Slowing heart rate....it can also be caused by stimuli to the back of the throat during intubation or other procedures.Which are more predominant in children due to the vaggus nerves proximity to the skin surface.

OK, medical lessons are ingrained still....You would be amazed at what Paramedics know!!!
Cheers,
Mark :D

[Ken MacKenzie]

Can we get back on track here folks? All the medical one upmanship is most interesting...I guess...if I had a clue as to what this has to do with strengthening ones lips. :(