WHAT CHOP-STICKS™ CAN DO FOR YOU

• INCREASE ENDURANCE: CHOP-STICKS™ provide extra strengthening in addition to your practicing, like professional baseball players that train with heavy bats.
• INCREASE RANGE: The use of the smaller-sized CHOP-STICKS™ will "train" your muscles to use a smaller concentric force, needed for the upper register.
• INCREASE CONTROL: By increasing your strength and endurance, and by refining your ability to kinesthetically sense your muscles, you should experience improved control.
• REDUCE PLAYING PRESSURE: Less pressure is required when strength and control are increased.
• REDUCE SQUEAKS: Woodwind players with weak corners experience fatigue, which can result in less control. CHOP-STICKS can strengthen these corners quickly.
• INCREASE STRENGTH WITHOUT DAMAGING LIP TISSUE: Your lips can be injured when you over-practice. Tired players compensate by pressing more, which can result in sore/puffy chops. The CHOP-STICKS™ system does not apply pressure against the lips like a mouthpiece, it uses the muscles to support the weights; so when your muscles fail the weight is released.

OTHER BENEFITS THAT HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED

• EMBOUCHURE CHANGES: CHOP-STICKS™ has been shown to expedite embouchure changes because the weights used will strengthen those muscles faster. It also reinforces the proper alignment on the face, as far as placement is concerned. Students that had "off-center" embouchures had a difficult time strengthening the weaker side of their face when they made an embouchure change to the center...with CHOP-STICKS™, that change went a lot quicker and they didn't have to carry a mirror around with them to "find the center".
• AIR LEAKAGE: Sometimes air leakage occurs because of the positioning of the teeth. Other times, one side of the embouchure is stronger than the other. CHOP-STICKS™ has been shown to be helpful in reducing or eliminating that leakage. By strengthening using a concentric force around the 5 different-sized CHOP-STICKS™, one can "train" the embouchure to close off those gaps.

CONVENIENCE

• STRENGTHENING OUTSIDE THE PRACTICE ROOM: Great when you can't get to a practice room, or you wanted to get in one more hour that day but didn't get the chance.
• TRAVEL: It isn't noisy, and it is the size of a cell phone (we sell cell phone bags too).
• HANDS FREE: Easy to use while watching TV, studying, etc., you won't get spit all over your computer like with buzzing.
• THE DESIGNER BAG CLIPS ON TO YOUR BELT-LOOP OR BAG: You can have it with you all day to strengthen your embouchure for a few minutes whenever you think about it.

USE CHOP-STICKS™ IF YOU ARE INJURED OR ILL

• DON'T FEEL LIKE PRACTICING BECAUSE YOU ARE SICK? You can relax in front of the TV and still keep your chops in shape with CHOP-STICKS™ and some buzzing.
• SPLIT LIP/CANKER SORES/COLD SORES: Practicing and buzzing are painful or will reopen your injury, CHOP-STICK™ are used in a stationary position with very little friction.
• SORE THROAT: Using CHOP-STICKS™ does not employ the use of your throat like playing, or buzzing.

• EAR INFECTIONS
• SINUS INFECTIONS
• INJURED RIBCAGE
• INJURED LUNGS
• INJURED TONGUE
• AFTER SOME DENTAL PROCEDURES (Check with your doctor)
• WHEN YOU ARE FEELING DIZZY: From illness, medication or pregnant
• AFTER SOME SURGICAL PROCEDURES (Check with your doctor)
• DURING RECOVERY OF A MAJOR ILLNESS (Check with your doctor)