Stiff Chops
If you have been off your instrument for any length of time, stiff chops is not something you will be facing for extended rest periods will solve any stiff chop problems you might run into. Stiff or inflexible lip muscles are usually attributed to over practicing and under resting.
The reason I included this condition when addressing “Getting Back In Shape” was to precaution you against practicing too much, too soon when gaining your strength and endurance. Too much practice will build chops and at the same time build stiffness which is something you should avoid at all costs.
The obvious solution to a stiff lip is to do lip flexibility exercises and for me, the best method book on the market is the 27 Groups of Exercises written by Col. Earl Irons. I have used and recommended this collection to my students from the beginning of time and have not been able to find anything better for improving ones flexibility. Not only does it include many helpful lip flexibility exercises, but it also is one book which extends the exercises above the normal range of the instrument.
A judicious amount of lip slurs will increase blood flow which in turn will help you regain your flexibility and cut down on your needed recovery time after practicing. Every trumpet player should have and practice out of this fine collection of exercises every day, especially at the end of your practice session.
Another helpful suggestion is one that I have more recently run across which works even faster to rejuvenate the lip muscles and that is a trombone mouthpiece.
At the end of my trumpet practice sessions, I play about ten minutes on my trombone which I find to be the very best way to relax and quickly rejuvenate my trumpet lip muscles. Every day I finish with the trombone mouthpiece, I find that the following day begins with a more relaxed and more responsive trumpet feel and a fuller trumpet sound. Days when I have not “cooled down” with the trombone mouthpiece, I find my tone more forced and my flexibility more difficult. You don’t have to actually buy a trombone and try to play it in order to gain this advantage for trombone mouthpieces are relatively inexpensive and take up very little room in your case. At the end of a taxing practice of performance, just dig into your case and do about ten minutes buzzing in order to speed up your recovery time. Even better than annoying all of your friends on the band stand, just wait until your back in your car and buzz all the way home.
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