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upstream player playing in red of upper lip



 
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thadjones1213
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 9:06 am    Post subject: upstream player playing in red of upper lip Reply with quote

Hey all,

I have a really talented student that is an upstream player. The issue is that he plays right on the edge of the red in his upper lip and has a tendency to pull down as he ascends causing the mouthpiece to slip where he naturally will reset after a passage.

We are doing the routine and he understands the sound concept and is well on his way, but this is a hurtle that I must figure out (student and I are not dialoguing about this so he stays in the sound) to provide him exercises or concepts to find that engagement point that won't want to pull down when going into his upper register.

We are doing pitch bends.

When I was studying with Mr. Adam he once told me "you know it might seem like you are blowing down as you play this figure (ascending)." This helped me find the center going forward.

Any thoughts

Thanks

Mike
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Billy B
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 2:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

How long has the student been playing?
What is his age?
How long has he ben studying with you?
What are his practice habits?
Define up stream player.
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thadjones1213
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 3:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A year studying with me. He has been playing 5 years (eighth grader).

We meet and do the routine 3 times a week at 7am before school for a half hour. He practices daily.


Up stream: more bottom lip than upper (that is why he is in the red of upper lip). His air stream angle rises as he ascends.
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Billy B
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 3:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What does the horn angle do as he ascends?

Are you his only teacher?
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thadjones1213
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 3:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

He seems to want to raise the bell up as he ascends, usually in conjunction with extending his lower jaw forward. I feel as though this is due to old habits to get some compression in the past, but that motion of the horn angle puts all the weight onto his upper lip and the mouthpiece slides down where he loses the lip line pivot point and slips into the soft tissue.


Yes I am his only trumpet teacher (he plays piano as well).

we have some good sessions where this movement is minimal when ascending, but there are some strong old habits that kick in when he is fatigued or playing in a performance situation.
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Billy B
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 4:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ok
I would make sure his lips are together when forming the embouchure. Say emm. Blow the embouchure into place. Breathing through the nose during long tones is a good thing even for those who don't have this problem.

Make sure he is singing everything with a TU sound. You can explain right brain/left brain and how singing activates the right brain. The idea is to go back and forth between singing and playing until the mind/body doesn't know which is which. 8th grade is old enough to understand the Inner Game of Tennis so have him read that.

Trumpet playing is 90% mental, 9% air, and 1% all the physical stuff. But it can't be 0% physical so you need to find a way to make him AWARE but not FOCUSED on the embouchure. I find this is best done by talking about it while giving a physical cue such as the touching your lip, or making a spitting sound. (Adam did that one all the time) Then you stop talking about it and just give the cue when it becomes a problem. Subliminal direction.
Lastly, if this only happens in his high range, don't play high range until things settle in. It's 7:30 am!
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thadjones1213
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 12:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Billy B,
Great stuff,

thank you for your thoughts!

Mike
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