Mouthpiece Position...

[_dcstep]

JackD, that's right. An "open embouchure" gives a big, warm tone. It can work pretty well up to E above high-C if you're willing to use pressure and play/practice with great regularity. However, if you take a couple of days off you'll lose a month's worth of progress. Getting above E over high-C takes superhuman strength and can permanently injure your lip. Of course, endurance suffers greatly.

After 43-years of playing with an open embouchure, I used free buzzing, whisper-quiet middle-line G, the pencil excercise and other techniques to close my embouchure down, while losing no tone. My range went up to G over high-C and I now play 4-hour gigs the day after returning from 5-day business trips!! (Impossible to even consider before).

I've alway enjoyed playing trumpet, but it's become so much more joyous since I learned to play efficiently. I have much more fun and most of the worry about "hitting" notes has disappeared.

I now think that the "Balanced Embouchure" method is the best way to "find" an efficient embouchure. (I wasn't aware of BE when I made my transition away from an open embouchure). It doesn't require that you stop playing. It's an "indirect" approach that trains the chops to work in the extremes of rolled-in and rolled-out while the player naturally gravitates toward a natural, efficient "Balanced Embouchure" over time.

There are other approaches, but the BE documentation is exceptionally well presented and can be undertaken by an adult with the supervision of a "chops guru."

Dave
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Schilke '60 B1 -- 229 Bach-C/19-350 Blackburn -- Lawler TL Cornet -- Conn V1 Flugel -- Stomvi Master Bb/A/G picc -- GR mpcs
[url=http://www.pitpops.com] The PitPops[/url]
Rocky Mountain Trumpet Fest

[musicemt]

Thanks, Dave. Guess what? I play with an open embouchure. Looks like I've found the root of all my range/endurance/consistency problems. Free buzzing, Cat Anderson G's, pencil exercises....anymore advice for a poor starving student?

[Trumpet05]

Well.. My mouth piece placement is kinda lower on my bottom lip.. how do you change that after 5yrs of playing it lower on your lip.. I've been trying but its just too weird.. I mean I can hit some high notes above the staff sometimes with no problems its just my lips dont last as long sometimes.. and my director thinks its b/c of the placement of my mouth piece, and others think that way too.. I try but it just doesnt seem to work (Trying to place it higher..) Any help?

-Thanks-
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-BrittanyAnn-

[JackD]

No wonder my teacher told me I need to change asap.

Thanks Dave.

[_bugleboy]

Bottom line:

1. ANY place you can make a sound on your mouth, you can develop that setting into an efficient good playing embouchure with great sound, range and endurance.

2. ANY place you can make a sound on your mouth, you can develop that setting into an inefficient, manipulative, frustrating bad playing embouchure with limited range and endurance.

[_dcstep]

[musicemt]

Thanks, Dave. I'll be sure to check it out.