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One of the most serious problems a brass player can face is that of an embouchure dystonia. Why it is such a hard problem to solve is in part because it is such a hard problem to pin down in terms of causes. Over in The Breathing Blog David Vining has a recent post titled “Breathing and dystonia” where he puts right out there what he considers to be the root cause of his dystonia.
Now that I have recovered from embouchure dystonia I can look back and reflect on what caused it. I believe that decades of playing with insufficient air flow contributed to the problem. This reduced air flow was caused by a misunderstanding of how breathing works and an insistent adherence to some traditional, yet flawed, breathing mantras.
As he explains in the original post, the problem had to do with a flawed concept of abdominal expansion. Read his full article for more but he concluded that
Those who try to MAKE abdominal expansion happen create tension in the body and (ironically) reduce the air flow. I did this for many years and I believe the reduced air flow made the muscles of my embouchure work harder, thereby contributing to the development of dystonia.
On his personal website also check out his personal narrative which is a great resource for any player struggling with symptoms that could possibly be an embouchure dystonia. Reading it he lays out in a very open manner his understanding of the factors that led to his dystonia and also how he worked toward recovery.
Finally I should note that he has published a number of recent resources and in particular check out What Every Trombonist Needs to Know About the Body. Where problems come in is when we start trying to do impossible things that sound “natural” or at least “right” on paper. What comes through in this book in particular is an understanding of how the body works in a physiologically accurate way, something that will help every musician play their instruments better.
