Facial hair

[sirisobhakya]

Has facial hair (moustache to be more precise) ever get in the way of your playing?

I have to shave clean or nearly clean (at most shaved a day before) in order to play normally. For me playing with a moustache longer than that feels weird: I feel like the smoothness of the mouthpiece changes.

But many trombonist seems to be not bothered by it. What is your thought?

[Posaunus]

I played with a moustache and full beard for years without any noticeable effect.

[atopper333]

Yeah, due to work, I’ve kept clean shaven…as a result, playing with a mustache just feels, off. I’m in the same boat, two plus days of growth and the mouthpiece doesn’t feel the same in terms of seal? If the makes sense…

[sirisobhakya]

I played with a moustache and full beard for years without any noticeable effect.

If so, have you ever played clean-shaven? I think probably the same feeling but opposite.

Yeah, due to work, I’ve kept clean shaven…as a result, playing with a mustache just feels, off. I’m in the same boat, two plus days of growth and the mouthpiece doesn’t feel the same in terms of seal? If the makes sense…

I also feel that. Sealing is not the same.

[Posaunus]

I played with a moustache and full beard for years without any noticeable effect.

If so, have you ever played clean-shaven? I think probably the same feeling but opposite.

Yes,
I've now been clean-shaven for years. Not sure there's a big difference, but I undertook no systematic evaluation. Perhaps I should pay more attention to such things, but I tend to just pick up a trombone, insert a mouthpiece, and play!

[Doubler]

I find that my moustache interferes with my trumpet playing, but not with playing the trombone, so I shave the area to allow the trumpet mouthpiece to touch my upper lip. When the trumpet is not on my face, hair from the surrounding area covers the shaved spot, so it doesn't look too wierd. Since the trombone mouthpiece is (obviously) considerably larger, it rests on my moustache and seals just fine.

[Burgerbob]

The better my chops get, the less it interferes. However... I still play better clean shaven.

[Doug Elliott]

I have about as much facial hair as Aidan's cat

[Burgerbob]

[Pezza]

Never had a problem playing with facial hair. And I've played every part in a brass band!

[JohnL]

What really causes me trouble is playing with a day or two of beard. Once it's grown out enough to "lay down", it's not a problem, but when it's bristly? That's no fun.

[WilliamLang]

facial hair has never bothered me

[sirisobhakya]

I have about as much facial hair as Aidan's cat

So… that means no facial hair?

[EriKon]

I had a strong moustache in my early 20's. It felt okay back then. What was really tough was the change back. When I had it shaved off completely and played again it felt like I've never played trombone for a day or two because the feeling was so different. It doesn't bother me to not shave for 2-3 days but after that it's getting uncomfortable. I guess it's really just a matter of what you're used to.

[Crazy4Tbone86]

I had a beard back in college and it did not impact my playing. When I figured out that I was one of the many college deadbeats who really could not grow a decent thick beard and look presentable, I shaved it and never looked back.

I shave daily now and prefer a 60-90 minute grace period between shaving and playing. I can play immediately after shaving, but the mouthpiece sticks to my face.

[Doug Elliott]

I used to have that sticky feeling and I'd shave several hours before I had to play. It went away and now it doesn't make any difference. But I only need to shave about every 3 days.

[BrassSection]

With or without a mustache is no difference for me on any of my horns, had one for about 20 years. Hair under lower lip is a different story, found it very difficult to play anything. If I grow a beard, I gotta keep the area under my lower lip shaved to play. Never left it on long enough to see if I could adjust to it.

[nateaff]

Every time I shave my mustache it takes a couple days to get used to the mouthpiece sticking to my face more, but theres no adverse effects one way or another

[officermayo]

I find most folks object to my playing with their facial hair.

[BGuttman]

I find most folks object to my playing with their facial hair.

You just haven't found the right folks

[harrisonreed]

I think it depends on how much the mouthpiece run touches the area where your facial hair is growing. If you play bass it might bother you more than if you play a small horn (good job, Riker).

I do okay with a little stubble, but I did notice that playing regularly with bristley stubble touching the rim will chew that rim up over time. Better to just shave every day. Oh wait, I'm in the Army! Shaving now, drill sergeant!

[officermayo]

I discovered Jimmy Pankow and his 'stache when I was 13 and knew I had to emulate him. 20 years later I was finally able to grow one myself.

[Kbiggs]

In my late teens and early 20’s when my hair was thin, I had no problems playing on a mustache. I even had a soul patch on the bottom lip. When my hair started thickening, I started shaving the “play patch” on my upper and lower lips. I find I play better after I’ve shaved. An hour or so of recovery helps but isn’t necessary.

OTOH, earlier this year I was out of town for a week. I had my tenor, but I forgot my razor and kept forgetting to buy one. A friend had an electric hair trimmer, so I used that and some conditioner. It left some stubble, but it worked well enough. And I discovered that I can tolerate playing with stubble.

[BrassSection]

Update: Probably 15-20 years since I had a mustache, decided to try beard and mustache again. First few weeks no issues, as in the past kept hair well away from my lower lip. Sunday started on trumpet as usual, except used it for 2 songs. Switched to trombone, no sweat…until I went for the high Bb. Hit the D above it instead. That was during practice, messed around after practice, still not feeling right hitting the Bb. Yup, mustache seemed to be interfering on the higher notes. Highs ok on trumpet, didn’t need anything above the G above the staff on euph and it was good, for service I didn’t try the high Bb on trombone. (I play off a guitar chord sheet, so there are no “wrong notes” to play…maybe just the wrong time to play them) I was getting tired of the facial hair maintenance anyhow, that clinched losing the facial hair. Mechanical difference since the past was mouthpiece has been gold plated since last mustache. Facial structural changes, nothing obvious, but who would notice small changes thru the years?

[EOlson9]

I generally only can stand up to a few days of stubble before it annoys me. It's the worst at the corners of my lips if I let it grow out.

[tepposal]

I'm a lazy shaver and let the hair grow for days and maybe even weeks. Lately I've been having a full beard more often. None of it bothers me when playing bass professionally.

Except, when the moustache is at a certain length, not too long, it sometimes has pierced my upper lip up to the point of bleeding when playing some low pedals! I have quite straight and pointy facial hair and sometimes it just happens that a few or even only one stronger hair sticks out in a bad way in the correct spot in the upper lip. Doesn't happen always and it really depends on the length.

Shaving clean feels sticky, and I'm a wet player who likes the feel of gold plated MPs. I usually, however, shave off the little patch on the lower lip even when having a beard, because I find it somewhat obstructive when it's longer.

[NorthWoodsEngineer]

I've never thought too much about this. My efforts to develop my playing have paralleled my efforts to develop a lumberjcack-esq facial profile, so I've gradually adjusted and honestly don't remember what it was like before. Kind of like with braces - it's been long enough that I just don't remember.

One of the instructors at my college (who plays a lot of bass bone/tuba) says he tried it and didn't like it at all, so lot of personal preference here.