[Jolle]

I'm playing for three years now, and I'm doing some "power training" on my saxes to restore what I've lost in a more difficult period of my life some time ago. Normally it's all going OK, but yesterday I've almost passed out after only 20 minutes of playing. I was very light headed to that extent that I had troubles staying on my feet.

I played long tones, the Phil Barone exercise, arpeggio's through the circle of fourths, and then one tune before I lost contact with reality.

I've played with a harder reed from the box I'm using now (I always prepare a box, select one reed for performances, and then mark then from soft to hard. I used the hardest one). I went up from a Vandoren 2.5 ZZ to a Rico Jazz Select 3M a few weeks ago, but they should be more or less comparable.

I noticed that I had "less" air than usual, meaning I couldn't hold my notes as long as usual. I might have been hyperventilating, but it's strange that happens now.

Anybody any thoughts on this?

 

[RootyTootoot]

I'm no doctor (!!) but it sounds like possibly you're encountering too much resistance in the reed/mouthpiece combination and this may be causing you to hyperventilate. You could back off the reed strength if it's troubling you. And i would say that feeling faint after 20 mins is "troubling". It sounds to me like you may be on a kind of rollercoaster which is carrying you towards ever harder reeds. IMHO. If the problem persists when there is less resistance you should certainly speak to your doctor, I think.

 

[Lorentz]

are you sure using the correct breathing stomach muscle to breathe in? Are you sure you are not pushing your lung when breathing in?

 

[Jolle]

@ Rootytoot : funny thing is I played two gigs on sunday (both appx. 1,5 hours) with that exact same setup, just with a reed that classified as "softer" in that box. All that without problems. But yesterday that was quite different.

@ Lorentz : normally my breathing techniques is ok, I tend to breath with my stomach as my "standard modus" anyway. But I'll pay attention to it, I'm a bit exhausted and you might just be right that that's the problem.

Thanks both for your insights

 

[RootyTootoot]

Overheated practice room?
Lack of ventilation?
Bad hangover?

 

[Jolle]

hmmm... ventilation....

 

[docformat]

Leaks or a lose fitting neck can require more air.

 

[HOUSTON NONET]

Go To Your Doc A S A P

 

[AltoRuth]

Dehydration?

 

[jazzbluescat]

Maybe you're coming down with mononucleosis.

 

[belliott]

Heed Houston Nonet's advice......see your doctor very soon.

 

[Saxland]

Lungs

You could be having a reaction to something and not realise it. I lived in a house with mold and my heart was starving for oxyogn. Because I could not get enough air in the lungs my heart pounded and I became dizzy. I was having a hystimine reaction when under slight duress, but when tested it was not an alergy, it was a toxic reaction.

You may also have the musceles that take in air impared through trauma, any accidents/life changes that coninside with your dizzy sax playing? An osteopath can bea HUGE HUGE help here. It worked for me in one visit.

 

[Saxland]

lungs

More complete verion of above is here:

http://forum.saxontheweb.net/showthread.php?t=66615