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"How can you play so high for so long?"



 
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solo soprano
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Joined: 26 Jan 2012
Posts: 856
Location: Point O' Woods / Old Lyme, Connecticut

PostPosted: Tue Aug 07, 2018 1:45 pm    Post subject: "How can you play so high for so long?" Reply with quote

Here's an embouchure that Bill Knevitt passed along to his students. Some of you may find parts useful in your own set-up.

Bill "Special Embouchure"

1. LIP ALIGNMENT: The lips vibrate best when they are in line vertically with each other. If the player has an overbite (as I have), this may require extending the jaw a bit, or angling of the horn.
In any event, the lower lip must never be tucked under the upper lip. If it is, the pressure of the mouthpiece will stop the vibration at once!

2. THE CORNERS: In my opinion it is not necessary to have tight corners as some maintain. Firming the corners excessively will only cause unnecessary tension in the lips, the sound, and the player.

3. THE PUCKERED EMBOUCHURE: The corners, rather, should in most cases be drawn toward each other, forming a semi-pucker. With more lip in the mouthpiece the player will experience a bigger sound and more endurance, for reasons discussed earlier.

4. MY SPECIAL EMBOUCHURE: It is called The Semi-Compression-Pursed-Pocket-Embouchure. This is a name I have coined to describe the type of embouchure I use when having to play for a length of time in the extreme upper register. For me it results in great endurance. Let me describe this embouchure in detail:

A. Semi-compression: This means that the lips are pressed firmly together, but not pinched.

B. Pursed: To counter the possible pinching effect of semi-compression the corners are drawn in, like you squeeze a plastic coin purse,creating a small pinhole aperture in the center.

C. Pocket: To increase endurance, I allow air pockets to form between my lips and my teeth. The mouthpiece, then, is not pushing the lips directly against the teeth, and this is what gives greater endurance.

I do not necessarily recommend this embouchure for every player, but rather I have described it as an answer to the many times I have been asked the question: How can you play so high for so long?
_________________
Bill Knevitt, who taught me the seven basic physical elements and the ten principles of physical trumpet playing and how to develop them.
https://qpress.ca/product-category/trumpet/?filter_publisher=la-torre-music
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LSOfanboy
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Joined: 08 Jul 2018
Posts: 347

PostPosted: Tue Aug 07, 2018 2:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi,

A very interesting post, and one I am sure many people can benefit from!

The last sentence ('...not necessarily recommend this embouchure for every player...') is very important as I must say that I don't agree with the dogmatic nature of the rest of the post (i.e. 'in any event, the lower lip must never be tucked under the upper lip..') as I think that there are many examples to disprove this.

The 'pucker' element is curious. It has similarities to the Maggio approach as well as other well respected pedagogy (Wayne Bergeron has often spoken of how this philosophy helped him). However, I would argue that there are many great players who do not display such a 'pucker' and play brilliantly with a more 'stretched' set-up. Immediate examples I would suggest: Chris Martin, Adam Rapa, Wynton, Hakan Hardenberger and Maurice Andre.

Thanks for the post and for starting a great discussion! As always, I am fascinated to hear other peoples' thoughts!
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