Lips are twitching... It gets really annoying... -.-

May 17, 2013 at 02:43 PM · I have the lip twitch, too. It's always in the same exact spots in the music. When I imagine myself playing the music in my head, I still twitch. It's a common thing, and it's annoying.

Here's how I get rid of them. First, I video tape myself playing and mark in the music wherever I twitch. Then, I play those parts very slowly, deciding not to twitch my face. Then speed up gradually, focusing on not twitching. The twitch is just a habit, and practicing not twitching will break the habit.

Alexander lessons or reading up on Alexander technique can also help you get control over your body.

As far as problems go, this one is just a habit, and easily fixable!

May 17, 2013 at 06:17 PM · Once you become famous, it will turn into an asset. LOL

Don't we hear Pablo Casals grunting a lot on recordings?

May 18, 2013 at 02:01 AM · Your "problem" is quite normal. What occurs with many of us is that our musical impulses go to the mouth which is the natural plsce for them to go. We call this singing:}

The way to make the "proper" connection to our fingers instead can be fairly easy. Simply practice with your mouth slightly open. This way you become aware of your tendancies. As Mr. Burgess mentions, in certain players like Casals, the musical impulses come out as grunts, or vocalising.

May 18, 2013 at 02:02 AM ·

May 18, 2013 at 05:47 AM · The sensory and motor parts of the face and hands are quite close to each other. There can be some leaking.

May 18, 2013 at 06:30 AM · Thank you very much, I will reply again later to tell you how it went! :)

May 18, 2013 at 10:41 PM · Perlman's got a lip twitch. I think he controls it by holding his lips a certain way. It would be presumptuous of me to say more than that. I think it's just that some of us have naturally or developed connections between certain nerve impulses and certain muscles that have nothing to do with the motion(s) we want to make.

I've definitely got connected nerve/muscle problems when playing violin or cello - and have for 75 years. Is it worth the effort needed to overcome the problem? Will this make your career as a world-class soloist? Will it get you a chair in the NYPhil? It wouldn't have worked for me! So I just let others worry about it when they see me, and I just have fun playing.

Andy

May 22, 2013 at 02:32 PM · Heck, then I'm just worrying WAAAYY too much...

May 22, 2013 at 03:24 PM · Grow a beard.

Nobody will know that your lip is twitching hidden beneath some deep facial underbrush.

May 22, 2013 at 09:50 PM · A twitching lip is better than a twitching tallywhacker.

Or maybe not. I'll need to give it a little more thought.