Re: Been 21 Years - HELP! I'm Brain Dead


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Posted by Steve Dedman on March 24, 2001 at 20:05:54:

In Reply to: Been 21 Years - HELP! I'm Brain Dead posted by Steve Kinsel on March 24, 2001 at 15:36:56:

Steve,

Welcome back!

I think that the best thing to do is find an inexpensive used BBb, and work on your chops for awhile. The most important thing is to find a pro that you trust to get you back on the right track from the beginning. I waited almost 2 years after returning to the horn to take a lesson, and I am paying for it now in breaking bad habits that set in very quickly, and I was only off for 3 years. Taking a few lessons now, even as rusty as the lips are, will save you a lot of problems in a year or two. Perhaps a grad student at a nearby university would be a good match. Don't worry about sounding bad right now, because you probably will. I still don't sound like I want to, but I would venture that few of us do, and I will probably never be satisfied with my sound.

Dillon's has quite a few used BBb's on their website. The anonymous BBb might work well to get your chops in shape before you sink a boatload of $cratch into a new horn. It looks to be about the size of a Miraphone 184, the disclaimer being that I have never played this horn, and have no idea how good it is. I would e-mail Matt Walters and ask.

Above all, don't try to play at the level you were at for quite some time. Realizing that you are no longer in the same league you used to be is a frustrating and humbling situation, but a little patience will go a long way. Again, if you push too hard too soon, it causes problems in short order.

Good luck, and above all have fun!

Steve "wishing I had found this site before I started over" Dedman



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