Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[up-fiddler]

Hey friends.

I have an issue. I can't seem to play any of my diatonics without moving my mouth. Never does it plague me more that when learning a new tune. It is as if both corners of my mouth are connected to my fingers and neither my mouth nor my fingers are connected to my brain.  My wife goes into hysterical fits laughing so loud that I can't hear the accordion. Even the cat gives me sidelong glances. I would try that magic elixir - duct tape - but ripping it off a heavy beard when I am done practicing seems extreme. Any advice given in whimsy or serious tones will be useful. 

Thanks in advance,

Dave

[John MacKenzie (Cugiok)]

Chewing gum.
My affectation, is holding my breath in, when the bellows are fully extended.

John

[arty]

Hahahaha! My mouth does exactly the same thing. I have thought of wearing a scarf around it, like in the old cowboy films!
I'll be interested to see if anyone comes up with a cure....

[syale]

Botox 

Stephen

[Chris Ryall]

More seriously (if you will forgive my little joke)  - this is a patterned movement like any other. So it can be learned, and more importantly - unlearned.

Patterned movements are "learned" in cerebellum, the "little" brain under our main one and it seems to be analogous to blowing the fuses in the old uncommitted logic arrays in 1990s computers, they get sort of hard wired. So instead of having to think - raise arm, grip knob, turn it left, pull, open door, go through door - it becomes a unit activity. Not to mention actually walking, which robots still can barely manage.

Music meanwhile is - even less well understood. Listening to it, or playing in test fMRI kit - virtually the whole cerebral cortex lights up (active brain cells) incuding speech areas. Beyond this, I'm speculating, but melodeon seems to be a special instrument with this mouth link. Very common. Is it a confusion because both expression, and "breathing" are involved? Do piano accordionists get the same symptom?

As for the "cure" - well I played in front of a mirror as a feedback loop. Now that I am more fluent as a player I try to be "mindful" of my face, try to smile. Progress has been made, but singing with box in particular has been a 20 year project, mainly because of whatever neural crossover in happening in there. Hope this helps, it's helped me. 

[Nick Collis Bird]

Chris is right of course, but I think it's just another manifestation of  "Melodeon Face"
Perhaps if any of us are brave enough we should have a gallery.....accompanied by a Limerick.? 

[Chris Ryall]

googling a bit (this is an evolving field)

  http://www.asrt.org/main/news-research/radiologic-technology-news/2014/03/18/fMRI_Shows_How_Brain_Processes_Music

Big overlap with language areas apparently, though I see flaws in the experiment

 1. These were jazzers, 'trading fours' in which you are expected to listen to the other guy's
    4 bars and respond to them when it's your turn. So perhaps more analagous to conversation
    than to playing one's box up in some lonely attic?

2. Wherever did they find '11 healthy male jazz musicians'? 

[strad]

Don't fret on it!! My breathing used to be synchronised with bellows direction, now I'm just happy to be breathing!
This synchronised breathing goes away after a couple of years, at least I'm not aware of it now.

Perhaps the medical research folk should investigate how Brandon McPhee's brain works - singing and playing chords
at the same  time on a 3 row Shand Marino box.

Nigel

 

[Nick Collis Bird]

I came to melodeon via mouth organ and had same breathing problems.
Don't worry it all goes away eventually 

[Bob Ellis]

I am not convinced that it does necessarily go away eventually. A friend of mine played like that for twenty years or more until infirmity ended his playing career in his early 80s. If anything, his 'gurning' grew worse as the years passed.

I agree with Chris, though, that it is something that can be corrected by determined effort.

[george garside]

with occasional relapses in my case!  The relapses usually occur when playing at home but can easily re form the 'tamed' habit.  Sucking a polo mint  , uncle jo's mint ball or similar  can distract or de-synchronise the breathing and the bellows action!

george

[rees]

When I first started playing, my nostrils used to flare in and out with the bellows movement. Audiences were highly amused.

[george garside]

I suppose its fortunate that those with a propensity for so doing can only brake wind on the push!

george

[arty]

I think you mean "break wind" George. Of course, if you "brake wind", nothing will happen! Ha ha ha, sorry....

[george garside]

 

[up-fiddler]

Great responses from both the seriousn add light-hearted sides. Just what I had hoped for. Thanks all.  Dave