I often hear from players having a chop problem or feeling like they are in a playing slump where things aren’t working as they used to. Many things can cause this such as changes in weight, teeth changes, changes in playing routine, road gigs, aging… When players feel like their chops are not working as they used to, we can often identify the problem during a phone conversation. I can then make suggestions as to how to address the problem. Equipment changes or tweaks can help with many of these issues. For serious concerns like lip muscle tears and overuse syndrome I can make suggestions or refer players to players/teachers that specialize in these subjects.
Chop Problem Due to Change in Weight
Weight gain and weight loss in the face can cause big changes in what type of mouthpiece rim will work best. Even though a brass player has always played on the same rim, weight change can cause the need for larger or smaller diameter(s). For weight gain moving to a larger diameter is common and for weight loss a smaller diameter.
Changes in teeth Can Cause Chop Problems
Everyone’s teeth shift overtime and can affect how your chops respond. Other times dental work can cause issues. For example, If a dentist puts on a cap and changes the shape of a tooth sudden changes can occur. In these cases, follow-up dental work or equipment tweaks can help or solve the issue.
Changes in Playing Routine
Chop issues can spring up when brass players encounter slight or big changes in their playing routine, types of gigs and amount of playing. They may not even be aware of these. I’m always happy to talk with brass players and help try and identify what the issue is.
Chop Problem on Road gig
Taking a road gig causes big changes in your playing routine. An especially grueling gig can cause chop response changes. Some Broadway show players report loss of range after being on the road for a while. Keeping your warm up the same and building on that can aid. Equipment changes/tweaks can help e.g. Sometimes chops swell from a grueling road gig and a different rim may be the solution. Obviously making sure you build your chops up (even though you are busy getting ready to leave) can help the initial problems that can occur as well.
Skin Irritation and Allergies
There are different causes of skin irritation so seeing a dermatologist is recommended. One more common to brass players is irritation from raw brass or a brass allergy. If you have any raw brass showing this can cause irritation. This also increases your chance of becoming allergic to brass and getting brass poisoning. A simple fix is to re-plate your mouthpiece before the raw brass is on your chops. For those with brass allergies, switching to a non-metal rim or top such as Delrin or Lexan is a good option.
In Summary, in many of these cases above, a tweak in your mouthpiece set up can get you back to solid chops again.