PCEPMB_sop19 Posted July 2, 2007 Share Posted July 2, 2007 Question for anyone that is able to answer this... I have been thinking about getting my tounge pierced for a while now. But i play trumpet and i dont know if it the best idea to get a piercing while i am still activly playing. I wouldn't want it to effect my playing or anything like that. So my question is... Are you still able to play even when you get your tounge pierced? Or would it just take a while to get used to playing again with having a piercing in your mouth? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-horns Posted July 3, 2007 Share Posted July 3, 2007 Question for anyone that is able to answer this... I have been thinking about getting my tounge pierced for a while now. But i play trumpet and i dont know if it the best idea to get a piercing while i am still activly playing. I wouldn't want it to effect my playing or anything like that. So my question is... Are you still able to play even when you get your tounge pierced? Or would it just take a while to get used to playing again with having a piercing in your mouth? Coming from an old fart who can think of only ONE reason for piercing one's tongue.... ANYTHING that changes the airway or the ability to control pitch will impact your performance on a brass or wind instrument. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mchromik Posted July 4, 2007 Share Posted July 4, 2007 Coming from an old fart who can think of only ONE reason for piercing one's tongue....ANYTHING that changes the airway or the ability to control pitch will impact your performance on a brass or wind instrument. And speaking as another old fart who happens to have a significant other with a pierced tongue, I can say that is a valid reason. But I have to agree. Cannot see how there is any possible way a stud would not cause some effect. Try playing with mint or something in your mouth and see how it works. You might be able to make it work, but there has to be some effect. Couldn't you just take out the hardware when you play? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martybucs Posted July 7, 2007 Share Posted July 7, 2007 I think it's a thilly idea. I know some things are aesthetics, but a tongue piercing? My wife is a nurse at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and has some tongue (and other body part) piercings stories of things that did not go as planned. If you're old enough to make such a decision on your own, then you're old enough to also ask yourself some important questions that you'll be asking yourself about every decision from now on: Why do I really want this? What are the benefits of this? Will it improve my life? Are the benefits worth the cost/risk? What are the negatives? Can I live without it and still be happy? Will I regret it? I know you asked about how it may affect your playing, but these questions also apply to that. There will be some pain and swelling and it may be uncomfortable to play for awhile. Because of the risk of reopening the wound you may not want to do anything that directly aggravates or moves the piercing around for an even longer while. The tongue is a group of muscles and you're going to damage it by piercing it. Will it heal properly and will you maintain complete control after the piercing? How much do you trust the person doing the piercing? Do they have a medical degree or a high school diploma? Piercing is mini surgery, an ear lobe is one thing, a complex muscle group full of nerves, like your tongue, is another. I don't know about airflow, but I'm sure the piercing and stud will affect how well you can articulate for a great while and maybe forever. I think the trumpet playing is a definite issue and it can't help but affect how you play. However, from a medical standpoint and not just an "old phart" standpoint, it is not worth the risk. For a non trumpeter, they may not notice any permanent damage to the muscles in their tongue, you may - if you enjoy playing - you will regret it. But hey, there's always the guard and percussion, if it doesn't work out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoreyD Posted July 7, 2007 Share Posted July 7, 2007 (edited) My question is that still fashionable?? I got my tounge pierced in summer of 98, took it out for good in 2005 here are my assessments: -Your tounge will be swollen for at least 4 days, it will be really hard to play then, they say you need to leave it in for a couple of weeks or it will heal up fast, now I could not do this because I was having trouble with performing, someone suggested that when I play to take out the stud and put in a plastic filler. I did this and I was able to perform as good as when I didnt have the piercing, but this just my experience. -Just make sure you get a state licensed professional to do it. usally there is one in every tattoo shop. - Edited July 7, 2007 by CoreyD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCEPMB_sop19 Posted July 16, 2007 Author Share Posted July 16, 2007 Thank you all for your opinions. It has helped believe me, and yes i think it is still fashionable. Considering i know people who have their tounges pierced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravedodger Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 Thank you all for your opinions. It has helped believe me, and yes i think it is still fashionable. Considering i know people who have their tounges pierced. Who cares what other people are doing, unless they are marching corps, of course. :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ContraCutie Posted July 16, 2007 Share Posted July 16, 2007 I got my tongue pierced in the middle of my senior year of HS. I was playing tuba in a few ensembles and horn in the other, and marching contra with a drum corps.... I never really had a problem with it. Obviously yes...your tongue will be sore for few days after after the initial piercing. It should never be swollen for very long. It did takes a few days of playing to get used to having such a large piece of metal in my mouth after I figured it out there were no problems. (recently took out my 6g tongue piercing...standard piercing since is a 14 or 12g barbell). After having it for 3 years playing with out it is taking some getting used to. THe hardest part about a tongue piercing as with any piercing is keeping it clean and making sure it is fully healed before u take it out or change the jewelry. The piercing stud is goign to be quite a bit longer to accomodate the swelling. I would reccomend going back to see your piercer after it is healed and have him/her change it for the first time. Especially if you're unsure that it's completly healed I put plastic or acrylic balls on the ends so that the metal didn't wear on my teeth and gums as much. Once healed I was able to either take it out for small periods of time or put a lighter plastic barbell in. Spacers dont' seem to work very well, most of them are of bad quality and the flat peice on the top just gets in the way. I reccomend going on a weekend...or if you know that you won't have to play for a few days. Just make sure that you keep your piercing clean and listen to your artist when he tells you how to care for it. With tongue piercings you will be brushing your teeth and/or rinsing your mouth with an antiseptic mouth wash or a sea salt rinse like H2ocean everytime you put something in your mouth other than water. Don't forget no kissing while it's healing. If you think it's infected or there is somethign wrong...dont' immediatly take it out. Go back to your piercer and let he/she look at it. Sometimes it will be irritated because a piece of food has been trapped or even something as innocent as sleeping and moving your tongue around can cause a small tear until it's healed. In the case of an infection...if you take it out and let it close up there is a good chance that the infection will be trapped inside, then there are all sorts of not fun ways to take care of it. -Just make sure you get a state licensed professional to do it. usally there is one in every tattoo shop.- I'm not sure what state u live in, but there are only a few states that actually require a license to ink or pierce. Use your own judgement...check out the shop....make sure it's clean and the area where you are getting pierced is sanitized and clean prior to the piercing. ASk your piercer about classes they've taken (Usually most piercers apprenticed for a few years before beign let on their own) dealing with blood borne pathogens and make sure that they are using equipment that has been steralized in a ultrasonic sterilizer (are used in hospitals and doctors offices). The needles need to be one time use, and must be disposed of properly in a hazordous waste container, that you should be shown. Ask to see a portfolio. Look through it see hwat kind of work they've done, ask around and see what kind of reputation the shop has. If you feel at all uncomfortable about anything the piercer has done or said.....find another shop. I know it was kinda a long post....I have been pierced over 30 times and spent a few years hanging out and living with a body piercer. It was allways hard seeing people come in with messed up piercings and tats....because they didnt' take care of them, or had someone unexpericed (like a friend or themselves) do the work. Hope this helps....I warn u though...piercings are addicting. :) Dawn "The Littlest Contra" aka:"Pierced Contrachic" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martybucs Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 If you ever get an MRI done, don't miss taking them all out!!!! However, I think the dynamics of how you play a trumpet is a lot different than how you play a tuba. On a trumpet sometimes you want to arc your tongue to speed the air flow. Sometimes you need really fast articulation. All in all, I don't think it is a good idea for a trumpet player. I can't see it helping and on the trumpet anything that doesn't help, simply isn't worth it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ContraCutie Posted July 20, 2007 Share Posted July 20, 2007 If you ever get an MRI done, don't miss taking them all out!!!!However, I think the dynamics of how you play a trumpet is a lot different than how you play a tuba. On a trumpet sometimes you want to arc your tongue to speed the air flow. Sometimes you need really fast articulation. All in all, I don't think it is a good idea for a trumpet player. I can't see it helping and on the trumpet anything that doesn't help, simply isn't worth it You'd be suprised...they're not that different....sometimes on a tuba.....believe it or not. You play more than long tones. I have had quite a few friends I marched with, sops and mellos with tongue piercings. I marched both mello and sop with a 6g barbell in my mouth. Never had problems. If you do get it done...then decide it's not for u...it will close up within hours of taking it out. You won't even notice it was there after a few days. THe topic is "Brass" players with tongue rings...just giving an opinion and my experiences as a "brass" player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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