G-horns Posted August 23, 2010 Share Posted August 23, 2010 There is a cure all though. Switch to a bigger horn with a larger mouthpiece. Still works just fine, even dry. And you don't have all of that black note articulation stuff to worry about. Most of the time. You haven't seen our bari book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supersop Posted August 23, 2010 Share Posted August 23, 2010 One technique you can try is to pull your tongue back in your mouth, which spreads it out, and then bite down on it with your back teeth. That should provide a release of saliva. That's what I taught back in the 1970's before corps could afford lemonade. Same effect if you push the tip of your tongue into the roof of your mouth as hard as you can. 2nd option ... (and it's because your facial muscles are tight between your jaw and cheeks) ... buzz your lips very loosely. Let them puppies flap nice and big and get that tension out of your face. You'll feel the saliva squirt if you're doing it right. Either that or visualize things that make your mouth water (I'll leave that up to you ) Another trick ...... COUGH! Hope these tips help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supersop Posted August 23, 2010 Share Posted August 23, 2010 I was told to bite the sides of my cheeks but the saliva I got was dehydrated and gooey. I don't know about you .. but when I toured I used to go through 2 to 3 gallons of water a day (minimum). How much are you drinking? I swear I used to open throat a quarter gallon at a time. Just drink until your stomach hurts ... it will change the consistency of your saliva and hydrate your body more effectively over the course of tour. DON'T DO THIS THE LAST WATER BREAK BEFORE A MEAL .. you won't be hungry. I think I had to do this because I'm a natural born sweater. It just rolls off of me .. always has. I think I hydrated myself to the point that I wasn't even releasing salt in my sweat most times. When I smelt or tasted salt rolling off my face, I knew I was in trouble .. and filled the tank as quickly as possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fossil50 Posted August 23, 2010 Share Posted August 23, 2010 Hate to be the guy with the bad news, but it's nerves. The "Fight or Flight" mechanism kicks in. Relax. Breathe. Visualize. Think of something that doesn't make you want to "Fight or Flee." I used to get it bad playing high school football, but once I got into "The Fight" it went away. I used to get it bad competing in drum corps, but it went away after the first roar of the crowd. BUT once I started volunteering to play Taps, I never get nervous, because the performance is so much more important than just me. (Note: can't comment on your medication... but I'm sure that has some effect) You beat me too it. I've known people who put a pebble in their mouth, although I've been known to chew gum but really, it's all in the mind. Speaking as an amatuer.......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadow_7 Posted August 24, 2010 Share Posted August 24, 2010 I don't know about you .. but when I toured I used to go through 2 to 3 gallons of water a day (minimum). How much are you drinking? In the Army, there was a period in July in Georgia where some maintenance guy didn't turn some valve back after doing some work and the band and only the band was without A/C in the barracks for at least 2 weeks. I was drinking over 1 gallon day at that time. And doing laundry daily to not go to bed on soaked sheets from the previous nights sauna. And still feeling like crud while drinking more water than my stomach had capacity for. Also a heavy sweater. Ultimately I went to Lowes and bought a window A/C unit. I had a job and a perfectly good pay check that said that I didn't have to live that way. I was wrong, and ultimately got in trouble for using my personal A/C in assigned housing. Complete with locking it away in storage that I didn't have a key to by order of my commander. By order of his commanders. One of many not so fond memories. Not that the 1-800-wahhhhh lego structure in the window to make sure that no one could just rip it out of the window and steal it had anything to do with it. Coming home to water condensing on the window glass, priceless. Older folks have had some form of liver/kidney damage. And other things that limit our ability to absorb water in the first place. So there might not be anything you can do about it, outside of marching a corps in Canada somewhere. Or joining a corps who's competitive busy time is with a circuit that favors the winter months. Or a corps that marches naked. Or #### near close to it. And various camelback accessories as part of the uniform. Or a corps that performs a really short show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BWEAR Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 Some will say this is nuts...BUT....I'm not nervous hitting the field and hydrate myself well days in advance. My solution has been to wrap a few Sour Gummi worms around my mouthpiece and when I get dry I simply lick the worm and the sour stuff makes me salivate. Works for me very well. I've also tried a shot of Tequila. Not as effective but it's a shot of Tequila! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
year1buick Posted August 27, 2010 Share Posted August 27, 2010 Some will say this is nuts...BUT....I'm not nervous hitting the field and hydrate myself well days in advance. My solution has been to wrap a few Sour Gummi worms around my mouthpiece and when I get dry I simply lick the worm and the sour stuff makes me salivate. Works for me very well.I've also tried a shot of Tequila. Not as effective but it's a shot of Tequila! Yeah, alcohol and hydration don't exactly go hand in hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bossop Posted August 27, 2010 Author Share Posted August 27, 2010 Some will say this is nuts...BUT....I'm not nervous hitting the field and hydrate myself well days in advance. My solution has been to wrap a few Sour Gummi worms around my mouthpiece and when I get dry I simply lick the worm and the sour stuff makes me salivate. Works for me very well.I've also tried a shot of Tequila. Not as effective but it's a shot of Tequila! I appreciate all these ideas. It's reassuring knowing that I am not alone in facing this problem.The Sour Gummi worm idea intrigues me. This is what I am going to try for the Alumni Show in Rochester. I was looking on E Bay for a plastic bottle small enough to tape to my soprano near the mouth piece. I found the perfect sized one, and ironically, it's designed for Holy Water. It has a gold cross above the gold "Holy Water" inscription. What makes this especially ironic is the fact that I am Jewish. If I use it, and it works, do I have to get "uncircumsized?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCSeymour Posted August 28, 2010 Share Posted August 28, 2010 I t is true. Researchers used to believe that caffeinated drinks had a diuretic effect. This means that you would urinate more after drinking them, which could increase your risk of becoming dehydrated. Recent research shows that this is not true and that caffeine only has a diuretic effect if you consume large amounts of it — more than 500 to 600 milligrams (or 4 to 7 cups of coffee) a day. Still, caffeinated drinks can make you jittery, sleepless or anxious. Water is probably your best bet to stay hydrated. It's calorie-free, caffeine-free, inexpensive and readily available. a little research and this a bit of what I found. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JCSeymour Posted August 28, 2010 Share Posted August 28, 2010 (edited) deleted double post, sorry Edited August 28, 2010 by JCSeymour Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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