Forced playing halt: advice?

[flutefry]

I have a freshly broken collarbone that will be keeping me from playing for a month or so. Suggestions, serious or not, for productive things to do with the downtime?

Hugh

[Aanvil]

Whistle?

[crookedtune]

Listen.

[greenspiderweb]

Ooh, ouch, Hugh! The rest of you OK, I hope? If so, stop that!!!

Maybe to keep your embouchure in shape, you could practice on a headjoint? How about getting a harmonica holder and adapting it for a headjoint so you can play without holding it? It might work, and you'd be giving your embouchure some exercise so it stays fit. Never heard of it, but...might be worth a try. It also could keep your headjoints from losing their seasoning too.

Good luck, and yes, listen to lots of music, it will help heal you faster!

Or maybe this would be a good time for you to start teaching?

Be well, Barry

[talasiga]

(advice was noted)

[MarkP]

Listen.

...and listen some more, then listen again, and enjoy the time doing it.

[I.D.10-t]

Tabor pipe? The Japanese have an oral note system that they practice tunes with to prepare for the shinobue without the flute, but their tunes are a bit different.

[Cathy Wilde]

I remember auditioning for a music scholarship resting my "wing in a sling" (torn ligaments in the right shoulder) on top of an upright piano. Didn't work half badly, though it was kind of embarrassing.

Seriously, Hugh, I'm so sorry. Like Aanvil said, it sounds like a grand time to work on your whistle playing. Get Brid O'Donohue's CD and start tootling along. You may be surprised at what it does for your flute playing when you get back to it.

Sorry again. I know how much you love playing the flute.

[flutefry]

Ooh, I like the idea of resting arm on an upright piano. It occurred to me that maybe i could play lying down as the mattress can support the R upper arm. A cat ran skittering from the room at my first attempt as he wasn't used to flute from the bed.

I am also playing whistle, which I can do for 5 min at a time. I find I need to be more precise, and that many things deemed "close enough" on the flute show up as "not there yet" on the whistle.

Thanks to those who wrote.

Hugh

[rama]

i don't know where you are in your own playing, but if it's any consolation to you i usually sound alot fresher after a brief period of rest from playing. underlying tension and inner frustration seems to subside, a bit of needed rejuvenation. works for me.
so...perhaps take this time to go for a walk and relax; or sit back and listen to some cd's- pipers, fiddlers, fluters etc, let some fresh air blow in...and see what happens.
wish you a speedy recovery...

[Loren]

Might be a good time to start learning mandolin.