Embechoure development, I think?

[Notwhoyouthinkiam]

Hello all, this will be my second post on here. So I'm in a little situation here. During high school, I had the typical range of a high c and a good D and an okay E. anything after that, just forget it. Once I got into college (where I currently am now, I still struggled with range. I couldn't break my plateau. I practiced hours and hours for over a year and a half during college and my range was in the same exact place. But recently in the past month I've come across something new. I don't know what prompted it, but it happened. And I don't know if it is good or bad.... anyways. I started pushing my lower jaw forward and tucking my lips and my lips would also pucker a bit more. It also seemed to put equal pressure on both my bottom and top lip (probably from pushing my lower jaw more forward). Like I was keeping my teeth in line from top to bottom, but there was still space between. With this new embechoure developing, my range increased by literally an octave and beyond. And with a couple months of practice with the new embechoure, I was able to put some power behind the notes. I feel like this proves Wayne Bergeron's theory of not gaining range from year to year but rather, "discovering range". I only have one concern, as I'm going from the lower register to the upper register I start using my old embechoure for range and I have to "reset" to my new embechoure. Also, if I go from say a double g to a g above the staf, when I get closer to the lower register, the sound breaks up and starts sounding like a double buzz. Is this because I haven't developed the new one embechoure enough? Or am I totally ruining my embechoure and cheating with this new embechoure I've developed? The new high notes I've gained sound actually pretty good. I still maintain good flexibility as well. So I'm curious if I'm on the right track to developing my embechoure and range or I'm doing it wrong? Thank you!

[zaferis]

I hope you're having this discussion with your trumpet prof at school!

Very difficult to make fair diagnosis in this medium. Though you've described things very well, there can be and often is a difference between what we FEEL we're doing and what we're ACTUALLY doing. What feels drastic can really be a small adjustment, and quite often we feel only a portion of the entire process - that thing we key on, when we're doing so much more.

Your first concern is sound! Is it what you want? Does it blend? Can you control it?

As far as "loosing" the low range, remember to practice and hone all aspects of your instrument. In your endeavor to improve your upper register have you been neglecting the lower? Can you play low to high, and high to low without resetting your chops?

Could be that you've just made a small adjustment that has allowed things to work more efficiently.

But again, confer with someone that can see and hear you play.
_________________
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Adjunct Professor
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[trumpet.sanity]

Lots of guys play with a forward jaw. Often players with an overbite and are compensating to line up the top and bottom row of teeth.

Players who use this often play with a horn angle facing upwards, and head facing downwards a bit. Most notably in the lower register.

Please do not call this "cheating" it's just a different approach

You say you gained an octave and beyond in range? I find that suspect. If the note isn't a pure resonant note, with volume and control and a defined slot. Then it's not "cheating" ....it's just jive and a waste of time.

If you are getting a large, real sound and can play those notes, articulate them, sit on them, and move through the registers, then we are talking reality.

You might want to do a search in Roy Stevens, who taught the forward jaw/upstream way of playing. The pucker you mention, you might want to read about the Louis Magio system. Lots of good info on the TH from both of those systems.

Guys that can really play in the upper register will tell you it's not about strength, or building muscle, or a specific pedagogy, or amount of time doing exercises, but rather as you stated, "discovering" the feel or knack of the upper register. And I can tell you, it doesn't go away once you figure it out. Even after lengthy time off the horn.

[deleted_user_680e93b]

[Brad361]

[trumpet.sanity]

Here's a link with lots of good info about your forward jaw questions.

http://www.roystevens.org/?page_id=12

There are some good videos with Roy Roman, one of Stevens most prominent voices for his method. Full disclosure: I think Roy Roman has insane chops, almost limitless, but I don't particularly like the choices he makes musically

I think the "static" exercises, and "palm" exercises are a bit of voodoo, but the chop placement and jaw placement info is worth the read and very enlightening, as I've played this way naturally for years.