Hello,
I've been trying to work on my range, endurance, and efficiency this summer and I have found that I tend to pull my corners out which severely diminishes any range and endurance that I have. (The inside of my cheek is also irritated from what I assume is my corners pulling back and stretching my cheeks) I think I have a great tone until high G-A just above the staff, and that's where I start to feel my corners pulling.
I also think I am using too much pressure and tension, however I do feel the "burn" in my corners instead of my lips which is a good thing I guess?
Is there any tips or exercises that I can do to remedy this? (Or any tips in general?)
Last edited by Jeptrumpet on Mon Jul 17, 2017 6:51 pm; edited 1 time in total
Converting from a "smile" embouchure to a more efficient embouchure is so complicated that you would be well advised to work with a teacher who can observe you first hand and direct you. This is not a matter of "exercises" as much as it is a complete reconstruction of your embouchure and approach. _________________ HERMOKIWI
Joined: 01 May 2017 Posts: 10 Location: Houston, Texas
Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2017 6:21 pm Post subject:
HERMOKIWI wrote:
Converting from a "smile" embouchure to a more efficient embouchure is so complicated that you would be well advised to work with a teacher who can observe you first hand and direct you. This is not a matter of "exercises" as much as it is a complete reconstruction of your embouchure and approach.
Hmmm... I don't think it's my embouchure per se, it might be my approach at high register playing. My embouchure looks "normal" until I go up past high G-A and that when I notice my lips start to "roll in" or disappear, and also when I feel my corners push back towards my ears.
You described it as a "smiling" embouchure. From that description I'm assuming that as you ascend the scale you tighten and draw back the corners. If that's the case, you're going to have to make a major change if you want to develop an easy high register, endurance, etc. This is not a matter of "approach." It is a matter of physical mechanics. _________________ HERMOKIWI
Joined: 01 May 2017 Posts: 10 Location: Houston, Texas
Posted: Mon Jul 17, 2017 6:54 pm Post subject:
HERMOKIWI wrote:
You described it as a "smiling" embouchure. From that description I'm assuming that as you ascend the scale you tighten and draw back the corners. If that's the case, you're going to have to make a major change if you want to develop an easy high register, endurance, etc. This is not a matter of "approach." It is a matter of physical mechanics.
Sorry about that, just edited it.
And yes, that is correct, I tighten and draw back the corners.
By physical mechanics, what do you mean? And is working with my teacher going to be the only solution here?
It's a subtle balancing of various factors - it's not just about the lips. Other factors are the oral cavity/tongue position, horn angle, teeth opening, using enough air. As far as the lips it's more about the correct kind of tension, balance of mouthpiece pressure. Look at various high note players - none of them stretch their lips to go higher.
Here's a video that gives a reasonably good look at Doc's embouchure. Notice he doesn't stretch his lips - what you do see are the facial muscles engaged, lots of muscular tension.
You described it as a "smiling" embouchure. From that description I'm assuming that as you ascend the scale you tighten and draw back the corners. If that's the case, you're going to have to make a major change if you want to develop an easy high register, endurance, etc. This is not a matter of "approach." It is a matter of physical mechanics.
Sorry about that, just edited it.
And yes, that is correct, I tighten and draw back the corners.
By physical mechanics, what do you mean? And is working with my teacher going to be the only solution here?
There are a lot of physical mechanics involved in the creation of an embouchure. There are muscle groups, jaw and lip positioning, metrics and a long list of other considerations.
One of the areas trumpet players strive to improve is their range. I use a simple example to illustrate the problems the player with the "smile" embouchure encounters. If you pluck a violin string it produces a certain pitch. If you then tighten the string it will produce a slightly higher pitch. However, there's a limit to how much you can tighten the string and a limit to how high the pitch will be using that technique. So, if you want a higher pitch tightening the string isn't a very efficient solution. The efficient solution is to shorten the string by placing a finger on the string to reduce its vibrating length. Raising the pitch significantly is very easy by using that technique.
It's all an issue of mechanical advantage/efficiency. A "smile" embouchure is the equivalent to "tightening the string." You're looking to develop an embouchure that is the equivalent to "shortening the string." Embouchures are very complex. Comparatively speaking, the "smile" embouchure is very inefficient and limiting, particularly in terms of range development. You're going to be way ahead in both time and effort to work with a teacher who can guide you to the development of a mechanically efficient embouchure which involves moving the corners forward while keeping them firm instead of stretching the corners out in the "smile" pattern.
There are players who use the "smile" embouchure who reach a decent level of proficiency. However, they have to work awfully hard to make that happen and they will never reach their full potential with that embouchure.
There are no exercises which can fully overcome the inherent limitations of the "smile" embouchure. You are better off to invest your time and effort to develop a more efficient type of embouchure. The best advice I can give you is to find a teacher who understands these dynamics and who can guide you in the direction of developing the embouchure which most efficiently matches your unique physiology. _________________ HERMOKIWI
By physical mechanics, what do you mean? And is working with my teacher going to be the only solution here?
I think you could make progress on your own. Watch Charlie Porter's embouchure video. Look at Iron's lip flexibilities book. The idea is to setup an embouchure where you don't need to roll lips in and out or separate and push them together across note ranges. There is some pull in of the lips as you go higher and the aperture gets smaller as you go higher. The corners of your mouth should draw in toward the mouthpiece to make the small aperture but not so you pooch out your lips. Notes are controlled by tongue "height" ee or aw sound. When you get high the tip of the tongue will be on the bottom lip and it will be like whistling a high pitch. Once you hit it you will probably make a real screamer of a high note and may need ear protection. Then it is about fine tuning it from there for efficiency. Of course there is still more strain at the high notes and it takes more air pressure, but the throat and related upper body parts have to stay relaxed.
Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 7196 Location: Greenfield WI
Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2017 10:45 am Post subject:
Many lip slurs might contribute to you solving this on your own and are a decent idea anyways. Try to vary only the part of your upper lip inside the cup and keep everything else constant. You're trying to use as little movement as possible as you go up and down.
Joined: 01 May 2017 Posts: 10 Location: Houston, Texas
Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2017 1:11 pm Post subject:
Thank you all for the suggestions! I will surely be trying some of these out. I have the Irons book and Schlossberg and I have been looking to see what I can do with them.
Another question however, will an embouchure change be the only solution? Will this call for a major change, or a minor one?
While you're in transition keep a pocket mirror on your stand so you can double check that you don't slip into old habits. That's what I did in college when I had a similar switch in my embouchure.
The "feel" of the new embouchure only takes a week or so to feel normal but slipping into old habits when I would tire or get lazy was the hard thing to overcome.
Joined: 25 May 2013 Posts: 2123 Location: Atlanta GA
Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2017 2:18 pm Post subject:
I wouldn't do an embouchure change unless you're sure there's something messed up with your setup. I suggest you do exercises around the range where your embouchure starts to lose form and concentrate on preventing that.
Don't use too much mpc pressure. Maintain a feeling of cushion in your embouchure. You've been losing form in an attempt to reach and hold higher pitches. Work along and extend those boundaries gradually while keeping proper form. I like Clarke 1 for this kind of work, but pick your favorite. When you get tired or lose form, stop, rest, then go back to where you can play properly. _________________ Bb Yamaha Xeno 8335IIS
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Joined: 07 Nov 2006 Posts: 7196 Location: Greenfield WI
Posted: Tue Jul 18, 2017 7:33 pm Post subject:
Jeptrumpet wrote:
Thank you all for the suggestions! I will surely be trying some of these out. I have the Irons book and Schlossberg and I have been looking to see what I can do with them.
Another question however, will an embouchure change be the only solution? Will this call for a major change, or a minor one?
If you do the lip slurs in a dedicated fashion, your embouchure, if necessary, will change on its own. The mouthpiece eventually migrates to the most efficient position.
Again, you want to move NOTHING except the small part of your upper lip inside the cup... and of course, the breathing apparatus. However, move this as little as possible as well. Do not force the air, let it "fall out of your lungs".
The more efficient you can get, the better your playing will eventually be. I cannot tell you what a revelation it was to me when everything finally "clicked"... and it took 15 years of comeback playing to do it. Let's hope for you it can happen faster.
If you do the lip slurs in a dedicated fashion, your embouchure, if necessary, will change on its own. The mouthpiece eventually migrates to the most efficient position.
If this were true then embouchure issues would fix themselves.
A player can improve his or her results with any embouchure by practicing, even a disadvantageous/inefficient embouchure, but disadvantageous/inefficient embouchures don't become advantageous/efficient embouchures through practice. Practicing a disadvantageous/inefficient embouchure just makes the player a little better at playing a disadvantageous/inefficient embouchure. The difficulties and limitations are still there.
The OP is a high school student. Therefore, the OP has a lot of years left to work on fundamentals, practice and get better. The OP has a choice: Continue indefinitely to be limited by the "smile" embouchure or work with an experienced and knowledgeable teacher to change things now to an embouchure that is advantageous and efficient.
If the OP makes the change there will certainly be an adaptation period but with diligent practice and strict adherence to the new techniques one year from now the OP's positive results could be mind boggling.
One year from now the OP is going to be another year older regardless of the embouchure being employed. So why not make a change when we all know that the "smile" embouchure is inefficient and limiting? Things may get better just by practicing more but the OP will never reach maximum potential with a "smile" embouchure and the "smile" embouchure doesn't magically fix itself.
I don't mean to rain on the parade. I just hate to see players fool themselves into thinking that practicing the wrong thing will somehow translate into the right thing. Practicing the wrong thing just entrenches the player in doing the wrong thing in the misguided and unfounded hope that, with enough practice, the wrong thing will magically become the right thing. It just doesn't happen that way on the trumpet. _________________ HERMOKIWI
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