TromboneChat

I'm wondering what some of your thoughts are on this: puckering the lips to help blood flow and ease fatigue on a long gig. Not puckering while playing; puckering during breaks.

I caught myself doing this earlier this week at the end of a long gig (where the bandleader wanted to play a dramatic exit tune with lots of loud potato notes) and it seemed to help.

I do that all the time. Not like a "kiss" pucker, but more of a kind of duck face thing, trying to get the corners forward and out of their normal position

harrisonreed wrote: Sat Mar 21, 2026 8:38 am ... more of a kind of duck face thing ...

Illustrated in your profile picture?

It feels like it helps me too, and I've definitely seen some big name players do it before. Hard to not make it look weird if you're at the front of the stage though!

ghmerrill wrote: Sat Mar 21, 2026 10:42 am

harrisonreed wrote: Sat Mar 21, 2026 8:38 am ... more of a kind of duck face thing ...

Illustrated in your profile picture?

So that guy in my profile pic is actually a really famous main character from the Anime "One Piece", named Usopp. He is supposed to be a coward but he's consistently one of the bravest characters in the series, he just has to overcome his fears.

I have a CD of music from the show and they gave him the trombone on the back cover.

harrisonreed wrote: Sat Mar 21, 2026 12:42 pm ... Anime "One Piece" ...

That's one I missed. Probably a generational thing.

I don't think he actually plays trombone. He's just posing for the CD jacket.

He's been around since 1997, I think. One Piece is still going, I think it's supposed to be one of the most valuable intellectual properties of all time.

RossM wrote: Sat Mar 21, 2026 11:24 am It feels like it helps me too, and I've definitely seen some big name players do it before. Hard to not make it look weird if you're at the front of the stage though!

As a trombonist, I'm long past worrying about looking like a normal human being.

Or try horsey face and macaque monkey yawns face. Anything that gets blood flowing helps recovery of tissues.

From page 24 of Denis Wick's 'Trombone Technique':

"I have even heard it said that a really passionate kiss can spoil a trombonist's embouchure for several hours!"