[Trombone-l] Help! A question for everyone.

Fri Jan 26 00:59:58 CST 2007

Horns do wear out but I don't think going sharp would be a symptom.  I
bought my 42B in 1971 and it has not changed pitch that I can tell.

People wear out as well and at 50 you (and I!) are well down the road.  I
guess I would be looking at physical changes in myself first.  

I have no clue what they might be, but this is the internet after all, and
speculation requires neither facts nor logic.  So I'll throw out a couple of
possibilities.  

One is that the pitch change is an illusion.  Back in the old days you never
knew what pitch you'd play at, nowadays the ubiquitous electronic tuner has
forced almost every group pretty close to A440, which is a good thing.  But
this seems unlikely, you probably really are sharp.

So what goes, as we age?  Well, past 40, hearing, lung capacity, memory, and
timing all decline; strength and fine coordination are not as affected.  Is
it possible you've lost high frequency hearing, causing you to play above
pitch center in an attempt to get the tone and projection you think is
missing (but really isn't)?  Or is it possible you have less air available,
are making up for it with chops, and extra tension pushes the pitch higher?
I play with some old timers, who generally play very well, but never loudly.

Or, horrors, it is also possible to develop a hearing loss that actually
shifts pitch, so you don't hear what you think you do.

Maybe getting more far fetched, you may have changes in the shape of your
oral cavity, especially if you've lost teeth or had gum disease.  The mouth
contributes to the length of the horn, so if you've shrunk there you may go
sharp.  

I think I'll go back to bed before I get even more depressed.  

-----Original Message-----
From: ewigleben1 at aol.com [mailto:ewigleben1 at aol.com] 
Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2007 4:41 PM
To: trombone-l at server5.samford.edu
Subject: [Trombone-l] Help! A question for everyone.

Reading about all of this old trombotine or other lubricants lasting a
lifetime got me to thinking about a problem I've encountered.  No, it's not
which new lubricant to buy, 'cause I have a tube of trombotine older than my
adult kids also!  But instead, here's my query:  

As I get older it seems I'm getting sharper and sharper.  Not my mind, of
course, my playing!  Over the last two years or so I've noticed I have had
to pull out more and more.  And it's not just in my rock band.  I've noticed
it in my playing with the brass choir or other symphony or even church work
around town.  It's not as big a problem with my bone quartet but that's
because I think the other three guys are adjusting to me (I play the first
book).

I've wondered if it is my horn.  Is that possible........a horn simply
"wear" out?  I have played the same Bach Strad 36 since 1975.  It's a small
bore without a trigger for those not familiar.  I bought it because back
then that's what Watrous played and I thought he was the greatest!  

It's not in mint condition but there are no dents in it and the slide still
works great.  No visual weld problems or spit valve problems.  

Has this happened to anyone else?  As I approach 50 lots of things start to
go, the knees, the blood pressure, the cholesterol, (fortunately some things
still work fine!).

If it's not the horn but somehow it's my playing, what would you suggest?
My embouchure certainly hasn't changed.  My hearing (ears) are fine.  I can
hear I'm out of tune if I don't make the adjustments, but soon I may run out
of tuning slide or 7th position!  I've lost no endurance and , if anything,
due to my kids getting older and I have more "playing time", my chops have
gotten stronger and my range has increased!  Besides, the tuning issue is in
all octaves.

There's a fine repair shop in Indianapolis and I may take it in and have it
looked over.

Looking forward to hearing some suggestions.  Thanks.

Tom

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