playing with a full lower de nture

GeorgeB

I have no trouble playing with a full upper denture, and a partial lower, but I am starting to have problems with what's left of my own lower teeth and may be looking at a full lower denture.

The question is, could I continue to play trumpet with the addition of a full lower ? Anyone here have experience in this category ?

George

Kehaulani

It depends on what kind of playing you want to do. If it's heavy-duty orchestral or big band lead playing, I can't help you. If it's Jazz combo playing, I would look to Chet Baker for inspiration and guidance.

While recovering from getting his teeth bashed in, I know he specifically said playing long tomes. He alluded to "all the books". I assume he meant Arban, Williams and Clarke, etc.. But what I got out of his personal comments was a different approach to playing. He certainly could play with conviction but it was without the kind of aggressiveness of, say, a Lee Morgan.

He learned how to get his trumpet to speak, with little pressure. Of course there's no playing with absolutely no pressure, but I would explore the writings of the "no pressure" advocates and take what works best for you. Playing with false teeth did have an effect, not only on his playing but on his endurance, that's one reason he mixed his sets up with both playing and singing. So, if you can sing, sing and give your chops a rest. If you can't, program an occasional tune featuring ne of your band mates and you laying out. If you're playing alone, this doesn't apply.

I play with very little pressure and what helped me was a change in attitude about using an embouchure plus, using more embouchure and less pressure doing the Maggio exercises. n.b. I did not use Maggio's embouchure, just the exercises.

If you're a combo player, listen to Chet in Tokyo and tell me if that's not good enough,

GeorgeB

@kehaulani

Thanks, lots to think about there. As for pressure, my second time back, playing with as little pressure as possible was my main goal and I feel I pretty well achieved that. A good example is how I hold the trumpet with my left hand. I don't grip the valve casing but rather just let the horn rest over my forefinger and thumb and my right hand floats above the valve tops, including pinkie.

Anyway, to answer your question, I play some pretty tough material at the band and want to continue that if I can.

I am also familiar with Chet Baker's plight and what he did.

The concern I have is will the lower plate move while I am playing. I'm hoping someone who is in this position will post something useful here.

Thanks, kehaulani,
George

GeorgeB

Well after a visit with my dentist I discovered that I will not be reduced to playing with a full lower denture. She can save the two existing teeth, replace the crown I lost and I'll end up with a new partial to give me a full set of teeth to play with.\ in my lower jaw. Hip, Hip, Hooray !!!

Turns out my dentist is also a musician and she understood my problems immediately.
George

Kehaulani

Good deal!

ROWUK

@georgeb I am playing professionally on full upper and lower dentures. It IS possible, but it is different and will require making new habits concerning tongue position, articulation and fine motor embouchure activity.
I got my final implants/dentures last July (2022) and by September(2022) was back to performing. I invested at least 2 hours per day to retrain and still do today.

Kehaulani

Rowuk - any special suggestions? Thanks/

ROWUK

@kehaulani said in playing with a full lower de nture:

Rowuk - any special suggestions? Thanks/

Special suggestions,
well the biggest issue is maintaining attitude when everything is different and not working as expected.

I got lucky as my process started right before Covid. There were no gigs and therefore I could do what was best instead of just trying to get by. I got lucky (or we could call it divine intervention) as a church where I perform a lot had the idea of sending a loud instrument to 4 retirement homes every Sunday to give the church "presence" where the retirees could not go to church and the Pastors could not visit the homes. We agreed on 6 places for me to play and 3 tunes per place - a folk tune, a church tune and a childrens song. It worked out to about 45 Minutes of playing in easy chunks. The tunes were easy enough to allow me to play in spite of changing geometry with each adaptation of the dentures. I learned about what dental creme worked best, I learned that a cup of coffee could spoil the effort (melting the denture creme). Most important, I was still playing and had a reason to practice EVERY DAY!

After 2 years, we switched to once a month and the major church holidays. The first weekend in May 2023 was my "final" performance in the parks and parking lots.

That would be my 2 suggestions: get back to basics and find a reason to play - as often as possible. The people at retirement homes are eternally greatful. I have hundreds of stories and anecdotes from my time there. A lot of individual fate/destiny - including my own. I learned that what I have been teaching for the last 40 years + even works for an old guy like me.

GeorgeB

@rowuk

Those are two good reasons for any problems you may be having, sir.
Right now I am trying to play on only 2 front teeth when my embouchure was used to much more than that, so I am now dealing with a cranky embouchure. Once I have the dental work done at least I will be playing with a new partial that hooks on to exixting teeth to keep it in place, and I am already used to that. But another change for the embouchure. Oh, well it will all work out.
George