I get super hot when playing clarinet

[kurth83]

When playing a long piece that requires a lot or concentration I get hot, like I running on a treadmill.

No other mental exercise has ever done this to me, not even piano playing which I would have though was harder.  But just from feel, when I am semi-sight reading long etudes for fun, I get overheated just like I did an hour of aerobics.  Maybe it's the breathing though and I'm overestimating the brain part of it.  Buy I'm hoping it's a brain thing.

I find clarinet ppl on reddit commenting the same thing happens to them.

The closest I can find is that chess masters can burn an extra 350 calories an hour concentrating intensely on chess.

I admit one of the reasons I liked clarinet early on was I discovered it requires intense concentration.  I didn't realize until recently just how intense I was working.  All it took was a summer heatwave and finding I have to turn down the air when playing. :-)

As an older person I wanted an instrument that gives my brain a workout.  So happiness is clarinet playing. :-)

[LarryS]

I too get hot when playing, your diaphragm and face muscles are getting a work out, so that generates heat. I get warm playing piano but that's more because I get excited if I'm playing well- its more of a psychological thing.

[kurth83]

The piano bit adds weight to my (partial) brain workout theory. :-)

[DaveLeBlanc]

"I get super hot when playing clarinet..."

Had a girlfriend in high school who said the same thing.

[LarryS]

"I get super hot when playing clarinet..."

Had a girlfriend in high school who said the same thing.

Dave my man 😂