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Oliver Hix
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Joined: 04 Dec 2012
Posts: 82
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 Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 3:45 pm Post subject: Pinching |
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Does anyone have a problem or have students that have a problem with pinching as one goes higher? By that I mean pushing the lips tighter and tighter together until vibration is impossible.
Is there a solution? What should be done instead? Are there exercises to help more than just "don't do that"?
Thanks! |
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chuck in ny
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Joined: 23 Sep 2006
Posts: 3597
Location: New York
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| Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 3:49 pm Post subject: |
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it's actually good technique and fine intuition. i played with a loose setup for a long time and relied on the cheek muscles.
don't overdo it would be the advice. a judicious amount of tightening up will be a benefit.
funny how some have the inner knowledge of the correct way to blow right off the bat. i sure did not.
..chuck |
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crzytptman
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Joined: 03 Sep 2003
Posts: 10124
Location: Escondido California
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| Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2013 6:22 pm Post subject: |
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From Bobby Shew's website:
| Quote: | 3) APERTURE CONTROL
Easily the most misunderstood aspect of brass playing is what is "supposed to be happening" with the lips and embouchure in general when we play. For years we have been told that our lips are supposed to be buzzing at all times when we play any notes. In fact, the lips must vibrate but NOT in the close configurations as when we do lip buzzing. The air, once compressed, must have a pathway to be released in a controlled manner from the body.
The air actually initially aims at the surface of the top lip, hopefully as far forward as sensibly possible. When it moves at a high velocity, it causes the lip to vibrate from the impact of the air hitting it. The air doesn't just go past the lip, it "spins" into an eddy (a kind of whirlpool) which "bounces downward" as it spins out of the eddy and this downward movement activates a vibration on the surface of-the-bottom lip which also then spins into another eddy. These are called vortices (vortex is singular) and they are the basis of a "sympathetic vibration" occurring between the two lips...which IS WHAT PRODUCES SOUND.
The closer you put your lips together, the softer, smaller, thinner, or more "pinched" your sound will be. When you open up the size of the aperture, the first thing you will notice is the freedom of the movement of the air, then the opening up of the sound. Once the aperture is opened, the player must also increase the tension in the ab support to increase the air flow which in turn must fill the larger gap in the aperture opening. This forces the player to USE THEIR AIR which IS the more efficient way to play. All people ever taIk about is AIR but then the confusion hits when they try to explain how it works and what the player is "supposed to be doing". Soft, delicate playing requires that the player close the aperture down as the airflow is also diminished but understand enough to know that when you "shift gears or hats" as a player into a more demanding situation such as playing lead trumpet, the key is to balance the support and air flow with the aperture.
These aperture muscles need to be developed properly as well. The best exercise I know for this is lip buzzing as long as the player doesn't start to confuse the tightly pursed lips necessary in lip buzzing with what is necessary and different when actually playing. Lip buzzing also must not be done in long hard sessions. It is best done conservatively, usually 30 second sessions done around 10 times a day, alot less to NONE on busy playing days.
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There is also a great little book by Eddie Severn called "Trumpet Solutions" that addresses this topic. You can get it through Charles Colin Publishing.
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lotherro
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Joined: 16 Dec 2011
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| Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 7:11 pm Post subject: |
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| What does he mean, "as far forward as is sensibly possible?" |
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Shaft
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Joined: 19 Sep 2006
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| Posted: Sun Mar 31, 2013 7:45 pm Post subject: |
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You need to allow the sound to come out. You need compression but you may be using too much from various sources and cutting the sound out with too much. These are the types of things that I worked on with Pops. He was able to show me how to isolate and adjust abdominal compression, lip to lip compression and tongue arch and figure out what combination I need depending on register and function.
Mpc pressure is another factor as well or the type of embouchure that you play on, ie farkas, superchops, maggio, Stevens, and other variations.
Trumpetcollege and bbtrumpet.com is where I studied along with the University music program. It makes a big difference to study with someone that has the knowledge to help a student.
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Huggsy
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Joined: 21 Dec 2012
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| Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 11:16 am Post subject: |
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Hey, I've been dealing with the same problem.
Play these notes with legato and MF or piano ( down--->up) C-G-C-E-G
Now while going up ( around the second C) start gently pushing your jaw against the mouthpiece.
Pushing is a harsh word for this, do it gently, support the tone with your jaw.
Try that, if that doesnt feel good, don't do it.
Hope that helps:) |
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PW-Factor
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Location: Joliet, IL
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| Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2013 6:04 pm Post subject: |
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Charlie Porter's 3 Types of Compression video helped me a lot. Thinking of a narrower airstream helps to contract all of the muscles to the center. Smaller aperature = higher frequency buzz = faster airstream.
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Shipham_Player
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Location: Somerset, UK
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| Posted: Fri Apr 05, 2013 1:19 am Post subject: |
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| Huggsy wrote: | Hey, I've been dealing with the same problem.
Play these notes with legato and MF or piano ( down--->up) C-G-C-E-G
Now while going up ( around the second C) start gently pushing your jaw against the mouthpiece.
Pushing is a harsh word for this, do it gently, support the tone with your jaw.
Try that, if that doesnt feel good, don't do it.
Hope that helps:) |
+1 great advice. I also use Clarkes daily drills just doing chromatic scales from middle G to high G up and down four times in one breath. Then move up a half step and repeat until you can't comfortably go any higher. Pushing gently with the jaw as I ascend allows me to back off the mouthpiece pressure a lot but keep the sound going.
I find 20 minutes of this (10 minutes playing 10 minutes resting) really gives my chops a god workout and I can really feel it. Have to rest for a good 20 minutes after that otheriwse will be playing tired.
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