mustache and its affect on the embouchure?

camel lips · Heavyweight Member Joined: 24 Jan 2004 Posts: 687

What affect if any does a mustache or beard have with your embouchure?

_Clarino · Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2004 1:52 am Post subject:

Not much. I just grew a beard and have not noticed any difference. It may be that a moustache helps you with endurance. I have noticed a lot of the big name pros have beards or moustaches.
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boofredlay · Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2004 5:07 am Post subject:

I myself cannot play with a beard or mustache. If I want to grow facial hair, I must shave both the upper and lower lip regions where my MP makes contact. Otherwise I am in pain after 30 min or so of playing. I did stick it out one year and let my beard and 'stache grow in fully, no change. Pain and thus less endurance...
But that is just me.
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Larry Smithee · Heavyweight Member Joined: 11 Nov 2001 Posts: 4399

Personally prefer a mustache, or in my case a beard, to a smooth shaven face. I do find it helpful to carefully carve out a notch where my mouthpiece makes contact. But that’s no big deal. When I played clean shaven it seemed that the mouthpiece sort of found new areas to come to rest on and it seemed to affect my playing to at least a small extent. My face seems to like a little sandpaper area for the mouthpiece to rest on. Oh, and my wife like it tool J
Larry

Martin J. Rooney · Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2004 11:50 am Post subject:

Same here, I trim back both 'stache and beard to leave a clean area for the mpc to rest. I think it is very difficult to get the mpc back in the same position when it is resting on hair and not skin.
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da_roadrunner · Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2004 12:57 pm Post subject:

it seems weird that a beard and mustache would be popular. if you have one, it's never the same length each day, and you lose consistency. I prefer to control as many variables as I can, so that means i shave everyday to get my mouth as close to what it was the day before.

James B. Quick · Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2004 6:47 pm Post subject:

When I was at Berklee years ago there was a school of thought that said that a mustache would improve one's embouchure because each hair follicle had a muscle in it. It was bunk then, and it's bunk now.... jbqd

trumpetrmb · Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2004 9:20 am Post subject:

Its important for me to keep the mustache trimmed to just above the top lip. That pretty much keeps it out of my way. When it gets to long it gets annoying.

I never thought to blame it for my bad playing. Thats good, I have a new excuse. My new eyeglasses took away my last excuse, so I needed a new one. Thanks

HorneyMikey · Veteran Member Joined: 18 Jun 2003 Posts: 325

About 25 years ago, I saw Doc Severinsen on one of the talk shows, and he was asked if his mustache and soul patch helped him play better. His response: "No, but it sure helps after the gig".....

For me, I need to keep both top and bottom lip smooth. I had a mustache on and off for the past 30 years. Last week I shaved it off, since it was getting a little grey. The majority of women I am in contact with (including my wife) have said being clean shaven makes me look younger.

It is settled.

Mike

Welk · Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2004 11:23 am Post subject:

During a concert practice last years, me and the other 1st trumpeter realised that when we wasn't fresh shaved ( at least 2 day without any shaving) we where habing less difficulties to play and we had more endurance. I could probably relate that to the fact taht when you just shaved, your skin is sensitive...

In my oppinion, mustaches could help with endurance.... but that is almost it, you don't get a better sound because you didn't sahve for a week.