Embouchure High Range Questions

willBoland · New Member Joined: 30 Aug 2017 Posts: 2

Hi, I'm a current senior in high school. With my normal embouchure, I can play up to an A above staff. I used to be able to play a C above staff but not often. I have discovered if I move my mouthpiece lower onto my bottom lip, I can play, with good tone, up to a G above high C. It basically added an entire octave with good tone. Except then my low range sounds bad (but could be worked on over time). So should I adjust to use the new embouchure or keep my old one?

Lionel · Heavyweight Member Joined: 25 Jul 2016 Posts: 783

royjohn · Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2017 9:01 pm Post subject:

Do you know whether you are shifting from a downstream (air blows down) to an upstream (air blows up) embouchure? That would probably mean you were shifting from more than half the mpc on the upper lip to more than half the mpc on the lower lip. Is this the case? Or are you first with more mpc on the upper lip and still with more than half on the upper lip after the shift?
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royjohn
Trumpets: 1928 Holton Llewellyn Model, 1957 Holton 51LB, 2010 Custom C by Bill Jones, 2011 Custom D/Eb by Bill Jones
Flugels: 1975 Olds Superstar, 1970's Elkhardt, 1970's Getzen 4 valve
Cornet: 1970's Yamaha YCR-233S . . . and others . . .

take2 · Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 5:30 am Post subject:

Are you also moving the mp lower on the top lip? Or are you just rolling your bottom lip more over your bottom teeth so the mp is lower on the bottom lip?
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Jeff

willBoland · New Member Joined: 30 Aug 2017 Posts: 2

All I do is move the mouthpiece down farther onto my bottom lip so it is more on bottom than top lip. That is it.

take2 · Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2017 6:16 am Post subject:

So your lips are closer together and you are creating more compression. That will make the higher notes easier.

What does your teacher say about it?
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Jeff

HERMOKIWI · Heavyweight Member Joined: 24 Dec 2008 Posts: 2581

From your description the indication is that your "normal" mouthpiece placement facilitates lip vibration in the lower register but impedes lip vibration once you reach A above the staff and that your "new" mouthpiece placement impedes lip vibration in the lower register but facilitates lip vibration above A above the staff. So, your "new" mouthpiece placement adds something but subtracts something as well. Why is that?

Through most of the range of the trumpet the lower lip vibrating is not contributing to the sound. The lower lip vibrating contributes to the sound only in the lower register. From this we can surmise that your "new" mouthpiece placement facilitates upper lip vibration but compromises lower lip vibration.

One factor which could be involved is the balance of mouthpiece pressure between the upper and lower lip. If your "new" mouthpiece placement shifts more pressure to your lower lip this could be a factor.

Lionel mentioned the idea that your "new" mouthpiece placement could be re-positioning your upper lip so that more upper lip is positioned below the cutting edge of your upper teeth. The concept here is that with your "normal" mouthpiece positioning you're pinning your upper lip to your upper teeth, making it more difficult for your upper lip to vibrate to produce notes above A above the staff but with your "new" mouthpiece placement you're freeing up a portion of your upper lip so that more of your upper lip is clear of being pinned against your upper teeth. That's a valid consideration and consistent with an analysis of what's happening with your upper register. It has less validity to what's happening with your lower register.

You report that all you're doing is positioning the mouthpiece lower on your embouchure. This may be your impression but your impression is not necessarily accurate. Different things can happen with even a tiny change in the lip vs. teeth positioning and it can be very difficult to know for certain whether and to what extent such tiny changes have taken place.

Dave Hickman posts on this site. Dave is the moderator of the Rafael Mendez forum here. I met Dave when he was in high school. We attended a summer music program together and were in the same group of three taking a group lesson from Prof. Dennis Schneider (the other player was Don Gorder - Don teaches at Berklee today). I recall that at that time Dave had a problem with the lower register. He had a lot of problems below low C. Today, Dave is an unbelievable player and a recognized authority on the mechanics of playing trumpet.

Obviously, Dave fixed whatever was wrong with his lower register. I suggest that you PM Dave, explain what's going on, tell him what I've told you about my experience with him as a high school player and ask him how he fixed his lower register while still maintaining his upper register. Certainly he can shed some light on what's likely to be going on with you.
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HERMOKIWI