Posted by Jay Bertolet on May 11, 2003 at 07:07:50:
In Reply to: Lips hurting? posted by Concerned Tubist on May 10, 2003 at 13:17:58:
First of all, go see a good private tuba teacher. Diagnosing problems based on written descriptions is like hitting a bulleye in the dark, at best. The best chance of finding the cause will be one on one interaction with someone who knows and understands the process.
That said, the one thing that jumps out at me in what you wrote was the word tingling. My experience with that sensation is usually caused by some loss of blood. Specifically, my extremities tingle when I sit a certain way for long periods of time, like when your foot falls asleep. It also could be that you're pressing the mouthpiece directly onto a nerve in the area. Either way, it sounds to me like you're using too much pressure. Try experimenting with playing while adjusting how hard you're holding your face against the mouthpiece. You might be surprised just how much pressure you're using. For me, I use just as little pressure as possible. Just enough to seal the mouthpiece to my face. Any more and I feel like it is detrimental.
Good luck!
My opinion for what it's worth...