Recently, I've noticed that the tone I'm making on my cornet isn't as clean as it used to be.
The notes sound almost 'fluffy', as though I've bruised my lip (but nothing hurts or anything)
I'm definately not out of practice, and was doing about 45 minutes to an hour every night until Monday when I found that I was unable to make a decent sound.

With a grade 8 exam in May, this is a little worrying, and we are making a CD in the band that I'm in in a couple of weeks, so I'm worried that it won't be back to normal..

Anyone else had anything like this?
Any advice?

You may just be doing too much, even if your lip doesn't feel sore. I think it is a bit like athletes overtraining. This has happened to me and I find a few days of not playing at all works wonders. The muscles need time to recover fully.

Just to rule out one possibility ... I assume you keep your mouthpiece and leadpipe really clean. I ask only because I can remember one pupil of mine, two weeks before his grade 4 exam, suddenly producing a really muffled sound. When I checked, his mouthpiece had almost blocked up with black gunk (eeeurghh!), and a thorough cleaning restored his tone!

Assuming that's not the case with you, I'd suggest some gentle mouthpiece buzzing round middle C to check if you can get a clear buzz, with no airy hiss. If you are getting airiness in your buzz, I'd suggest you ask your teacher for advice. Lots of practice isn't necessarily the answer ...

Brian

Yes its certainly clean, I did clean it yesterday just to make sure it wasnt that.
Well, I have band practice tomorrow night, so after that I will leave it for a couple of days and hope that it sorts itself out.

I can't wait to be able to practice again, seriously!!

Thanks for your advice

I thought it would be! But it's always worth ruling out possibilities, however unlikely (Sherlock Holmes).

Hope it gets sorted out - you're doing the right thing to ask for advice ... the best advice is probably going to come from someone experienced that can see & hear you if the problem persists ... but fingers crossed it'll resolve itself anyway!

Brian

I used to find my tone went a bit funny if the mouth piece was furred up..
it took a couple of days to get the tone back after cleaning, as the 'green stuff' does actually add to the tone .. just not furred up to the hilt though!!

i could tell when i needed to give my trumpet a clean.

Also if you have been doing too much practice that would make my tone a bit off.

Soo hope it sorts it self out.

To rule out another random thing - I find I get this problem after eating salted peanuts, as the salt makes my lips puff up slightly and my playing goes all fluffy

I find this happens to me on the tuba when I really need the loo. Or when I've just eaten. I think at these points my stomach/bladder feel too bloated for a diaphragm to operate above them, so my lips pack in too.

Thank you for the advice Have cleaned it again just to make sure it wasn't that.



Yeah as it happens I had cleaned my mouthpiece the day before my tone went funny, not sure whether its coicidence or not though.



I can't have salted peanuts; allergic



Haha, I can't play when I need the loo at all =P





Thanks for all the advice guys, I think it was probably just over blowing all week, so I've had a couple of days off and I'm going to have a blow later and I'll just hope its all ok
Thanks again