Question to Band directors and trumprt teachers

[T-Money]

What is your approach to teaching embouchers to students. I was reading and there's many embouchers for trumpets players; how do you pick out the best one's for beginners? I remember my band director teaching us the main textbook method (put your lips together and buzz without puffing your cheeks). Considering everyone doesnt have the same sized lips and teeth alignment how do people teach embouchers.I also rember as a begginer playing and my director telling me that I was playing to the side and needed to fix it. P.S I still do play to the side. About 2 years ago one of the lesson teachers was teaching me and another student our region music and there was a low E tounged to Bb above the staff and he made me play it and me having bad pitch played a D above that like it was nothing and I really thought that was a Bb♥. He sighed and told me that when I first started playing trumpet I taught myself an emboucher that really best for me and said I had a talent that couldn't be taught. His final advise was to keep practicing, practice till my face fell off then practice some more. So instructors how do you pick an emboucher that best suits a player.

[lmaraya]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvDMwxwNpEA&spfreload=10

[John Mohan]

It is not a matter of picking from a bin of various "embouchures".

It is best to have the student play with the mouthpiece a bit more on the upper lip than the lower (though many do play more on the lower with good results). If the player plays with the mouthpiece a bit off to one side or the other that is fine - his or her individual teeth formation will dictate this.

Once the above criteria are met, if the student practices correctly (by knowing what, how and when to practice) and sticks with it long enough for nature to take its course, any and all facets of the "embouchure" will develop just fine with no interference from outside factors.

Best wishes,

John Mohan
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Trumpet Player, Clinician & Teacher
1st Trpt for Cats, Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story, Evita, Hunchback of Notre Dame,
Grease, The Producers, Addams Family, In the Heights, etc.
Ex LA Studio Musician
16 Year Claude Gordon Student

[Craig Swartz]

Before I taught an embouchure I did some major "testing" on how well students could differentiate pitches high, low and the same, to see if they could match pitches with my voice or a piano, I checked out their teeth structure for the sort of anomalies that would bring them to a grinding halt later on, I gave a short, rhythmic aptitude test having students identify same and different rhythms, and also a harmonic quiz to differentiate between same and different triads (M,m,aug/dim, etc.) Kids with a decent teeth/jaw set scoring highly on all areas could pretty much be expected to be successful on any instrument. Could go into the rest, but too long to do here.

Once I had a student who could vocally match pitches and had a reasonably good facial/teeth structure, I'd get them breathing: blowing a half sheet of 8x11 against a wall through half a McDonald's straw from about 6" to emphasize what to expect. (Of course they won't have to blow that hard, but it gets muscles moving and kids thinking.)

After a minute or 2, I'd then demonstrate a "buzz" on the mouthpiece, having them concentrate on the sound, a constant, unwavering pitch and what my facial structure looks like. I'd also hold a smaller piece of paper a couple of inches in front of the mouthpiece to demonstrate that there must be a wind flow while buzzing. (It is pretty easy, BTW, to make a buzzing sound on the mouthpiece alone with almost no wind passing from the lips. We all recognize that sound on the trumpet or other brass instruments.) I'd then have them attempt the buzz, looking at themselves in a mirror as they do, moving around trying to encourage them to copy my facial set. (I know- it isn't the same for everyone, but for starters mine pretty normal, especially for someone who has never attempted the instrument before. They'd also hold a small piece of paper in front of the mouthpiece to verify that wind is coming out. If there was any correction to be made or no sound at all, I'd encourage them to check out themselves in the mirror, which I believe is essential at the earliest stages.

After a minute or two of this, we'd insert the mouthpiece into the horn, explain and demonstrate proper hand position and posture, take a deep breath and try the same thing on the trumpet. I'd sound a concert D (12, 1st line E) and attempt to get the student there. Most can do the E without a lot of work and it starts them off pressing down fingers, encouraging the proper hand position for both right and left. If I'd still have them using the mirror to verify that what they think they are doing is actually what they're doing. Usually to a student, those who are not sounding well are also those whose facial set is furthest from their normal face at rest. Those closest to normal usually sound pretty good provided the wind is moving and the center of the chops is together.

I'd feel I was successful if I could get the student up to the concert F (2nd line G) by the end of the half hour. In a group I found it important to spend more time pointing out the better attempts to those having problems for a while rather than start trying to fix it myself. Kids learn a lot of things by copying other kids and I believe they work harder to keep up with a kid, who is closer to where they are, than to try to match someone who's a hundred years old and was born playing the instrument. Sorry this is so long winded. It actually takes a lot less time to do than to type… Good luck with yours.

[T-Money]

[T-Money]

I'm in high school I was curious how teachers aid new students.

[Brad361]

[gbdeamer]

Good thread.
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1987 Bach Strad 37
2005 Bach Strad 43*
ACB Doubler's Flugel
1948 Holton Model 48