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Major embouchure change, 20th month report


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Rod Haney
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 11, 2021 5:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Shaft wrote:
You’re good. That makes sense.
I do recall the teeth opening being mentioned
and something that I worked on as well.
In my case the tendency was to have them too closed
due to concentrating on lip to lip.


Do you agree this is a basic tenant and must be followed to get all range you can achieve . After all the things I’d tried and worked on corners various exercises etc. this is the one thing that made a huge immediate improvement and gave me a foundation that allows me to coordinate the other pieces. For once ( in a while) range became easier and my effort decreased - mainly because my air was directed to my lip aperture and not almost totally blocked because the lip was blocked by the teeth. Suddenly the corners worked better and I began to understand how slight the jaw movements are to increase lower lip tension.

I wish I had understood OR been taught this in 1963 when I was first taught to make a sound on trumpet. No doubt in my mind I wouldn’t have quit music in 69 if my effective had gone to hi a instead of a hi e. My hopes were dashed when my band director got 4 transcribed tunes from the Basie band. My only dream in music at that time was to play lead for Herman Kenton, Rich etc. if I couldn’t do that I had other interests. I know that if I had been shown this that my dream would have come true! I hope teachers of young students will look into this and make it one of the 1st things students learn first.
All done -😜
Rod
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Lionel
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 12, 2021 5:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rod Haney wrote:
Shaft wrote:
You’re good. That makes sense.
I do recall the teeth opening being mentioned
and something that I worked on as well.
In my case the tendency was to have them too closed
due to concentrating on lip to lip.


Do you agree this is a basic tenant and must be followed to get all range you can achieve . After all the things I’d tried and worked on corners various exercises etc. this is the one thing that made a huge immediate improvement and gave me a foundation that allows me to coordinate the other pieces. For once ( in a while) range became easier and my effort decreased - mainly because my air was directed to my lip aperture and not almost totally blocked because the lip was blocked by the teeth. Suddenly the corners worked better and I began to understand how slight the jaw movements are to increase lower lip tension.

I wish I had understood OR been taught this in 1963 when I was first taught to make a sound on trumpet. No doubt in my mind I wouldn’t have quit music in 69 if my effective had gone to hi a instead of a hi e. My hopes were dashed when my band director got 4 transcribed tunes from the Basie band. My only dream in music at that time was to play lead for Herman Kenton, Rich etc. if I couldn’t do that I had other interests. I know that if I had been shown this that my dream would have come true! I hope teachers of young students will look into this and make it one of the 1st things students learn first.
All done -😜
Rod


Rod, Agreed. Closed teeth are a huge range killer. Probably at least as detrimental as not obeying the ''Two Aperture Theory''

Music educators are limited in what they can teach just due to time and financial constraints. The tendency to follow the same patterns of the past will continue to exist. Even if the Stevens System were to suddenly become universally approved. Which while this may happen isn't likely to occur any time soon.

The reason is that for most trumpet players, the production of the complete range on the instrument takes a lot of understanding and practice. More so than on all other wind instruments. Regardless of how helpful the instruction may be. Ours is the only musical instrument we find that regularly produces serious range limitations within those who study it. Lack of range is the norm among us. We just don't find other musical instrument families with similar, serious limitations in range. Or at least not to the extent that we find among our trumpet players. Although perhaps the voice may be close. In fact, not even the lower brass horns are seemingly plagued with such ceilings in sound. At least not such as are the trumpets.

However, as young instrumentalists, we still share the classroom and stage with those who play easier instruments. As such we will unintentionally find ourselves competing with those other easier to play instruments. It is an unfair situation and a problem that is largely unknown. As the average teacher does not realize that if a young trumpet player really wants to set out on the best path for his future musicianship? That what he really needs to do is to devote considerable time to both the study of embouchure AND the practice of the controversial but effective high note statics and squeaks etc.

Instead, the kid will probably be told to blow lots of fat, lower tones. Usually he'll find this way easier to produce such sounds if he both recedes and drops his jaw. Shyness and the lowered music stand is another contributor to this problem. These conditions expose the very vibrant, inner gum membrane of the upper lip and will make it fairly easy to blow the lower and middle register. However, once he finds this condition ingrained in his subconscious? It is probably too late for him. Unless very lucky, or perhaps if he has one of the more elastic chop settings that can easily navigate the upper reaches with or without much understanding of the physics. Sometimes pedal tones encourage a good register shift upwards, but oftentimes they don't. So in all likelihood, the kid will find himself stuck somewhere south of a Concert pitch high C. That's not me talking. That's statistics. This is our reality. I didn't invent this.

It would be a valiant, and brave thing for a music educator to set up a small, after-school program to teach the Stevens System. And yet at least from my experience, the tones required to pull the trick off are not initially conducive to the swift lower register development that we typically see in our receded jaw trumpet playing beginners Thus in order for the Stevens system kid to succeed? He may initially fall behind his peers during the early stages. Granted that if he does persevere the kid will eventually blow the roof off the school. Such a properly organized climate of motivated students + a knowledgeable and generous teacher could almost shake the ground under his hometown's feet. If given enough support and time to develop that is.

Of course at the age of nine, like when I first started, it may be hard to identify those candidates who are highly motivated. I was about as serious of a young kid as any of my peers. And yet still well remember that I once intentionally skipped my weekly trumpet lesson just so I could stay home and watch Batman. True fact! Mom forgot as well. My Bad! Sorry Mom!

These are the conditions that perhaps all teachers and students may find at one time or another. Playing high notes on the trumpet is a challenge. While it gets easier and is certainly worth the effort, it may be hard for the young kid to see the prize waiting for him down the road. Since I'm retired now, I like to donate my time to younger trumpet players, but with this caveat,

I only work on the Stevens system with them. Or if not? Only work on the physical approach. Blending the ''Two Aperture Theory'' in with their existing chop setting. As at least some trumpet players can modify their chops a little more in the direction of the Stevens approach. Instead of going all-in. As I was like this myself for decades.
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HackAmateur
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 12, 2021 7:07 pm    Post subject: Wow... Reply with quote

I must say it HAS TO BE humbling to play with a totally new embouchure due to a dental injury. I'm sorry to hear that happened to you, but you seem to have bounced back with a TON of resilience despite what happened. Good for you on that, my friend.

For me, I'm at the 'range break' and I certainly haven't conquered it. What I mean is that I'm sitting at a place where my High F# (Concert E) is bright and powerful on fresh chops, but the Double G (Concert F) is inconsistent in terms of how resonant it is for me.

I've played a couple of G#s here and there, but not once in my life have I played that 'Double C' that everybody seems to want or brag about.

Yet, if I encountered some kind of horrible dental injury, I too would need an embouchure change.

So, instead of being impatient about overcoming the 'range break', I need to appreciate what I have already accomplished. Your post here made that as clear as ever to me.

I own that High F# and, even though I haven't blasted through to the beloved 'Double C' yet, I need to appreciate the talent and hard work I've already put into this crazy horn of mine... this trumpet.

YOU know how fast that range that can be GONE, so you appreciate every semitone you recover using this new embouchure. Those of us who haven't or hopefully will never experience some kind of bad dental injury? We need to appreciate what we have and not complain so much that we're not Maynard yet. lol

Love this post. Keep at it, my friend.
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Shaft
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 12, 2021 8:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rod Haney wrote:
Shaft wrote:
You’re good. That makes sense.
I do recall the teeth opening being mentioned
and something that I worked on as well.
In my case the tendency was to have them too closed
due to concentrating on lip to lip.


Do you agree this is a basic tenant and must be followed to get all range you can achieve . After all the things I’d tried and worked on corners various exercises etc. this is the one thing that made a huge immediate improvement and gave me a foundation that allows me to coordinate the other pieces. For once ( in a while) range became easier and my effort decreased - mainly because my air was directed to my lip aperture and not almost totally blocked because the lip was blocked by the teeth. Suddenly the corners worked better and I began to understand how slight the jaw movements are to increase lower lip tension.



Last summer the first 2 clips were made and the third after Pops had said that opening the teeth should help. The shake clip is with more open teeth.

For me volume is the big gain visible in the videos.
The next videos were after going to a bigger throat hole #24
but that was once I could sense the mouthpiece holding back
Transferring some resonance into the sound I felt could come out.

The 2nd to last clip at the end of the thread shows an arpeggio
to dbl c on both the deeper 70C & a 70S. I feel as though the
balance is where I want it with the embouchure but just not
with a busy routine at the moment.

Long story short. Yes like Lionel and you both mentioned teeth
too close have been range killing and volume killing in my experience.

Too open may have other problems like forcing an open embouchure not allowing the lips to touch unless catching feedback from the rebound sound waves completing the buzz from the mouthpiece but that is another issue.

https://www.trumpetherald.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=156099&highlight=
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Shaft
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 12, 2021 8:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Lionel wrote:


It would be a valiant, and brave thing for a music educator to set up a small, after-school program to teach the Stevens System. And yet at least from my experience, the tones required to pull the trick off are not initially conducive to the swift lower register development that we typically see in our receded jaw trumpet playing beginners Thus in order for the Stevens system kid to succeed? He may initially fall behind his peers during the early stages. Granted that if he does persevere the kid will eventually blow the roof off the school. Such a properly organized climate of motivated students + a knowledgeable and generous teacher could almost shake the ground under his hometown's feet. If given enough support and time to develop that is.

Of course at the age of nine, like when I first started, it may be hard to identify those candidates who are highly motivated. I was about as serious of a young kid as any of my peers. And yet still well remember that I once intentionally skipped my weekly trumpet lesson just so I could stay home and watch Batman. True fact! Mom forgot as well. My Bad! Sorry Mom!

These are the conditions that perhaps all teachers and students may find at one time or another. Playing high notes on the trumpet is a challenge. While it gets easier and is certainly worth the effort, it may be hard for the young kid to see the prize waiting for him down the road. Since I'm retired now, I like to donate my time to younger trumpet players, but with this caveat,

I only work on the Stevens system with them. Or if not? Only work on the physical approach. Blending the ''Two Aperture Theory'' in with their existing chop setting. As at least some trumpet players can modify their chops a little more in the direction of the Stevens approach. Instead of going all-in. As I was like this myself for decades.



This idea is worth considering finishing a degree and teaching just that.
Driving OTR just pays so much better right now.
Nice to see that you are sharing this with the younger cats Lionel!
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Rod Haney
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 12, 2021 8:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Shaft wrote:
Rod Haney wrote:
Shaft wrote:
You’re good. That makes sense.
I do recall the teeth opening being mentioned
and something that I worked on as well.
In my case the tendency was to have them too closed
due to concentrating on lip to lip.


Do you agree this is a basic tenant and must be followed to get all range you can achieve . After all the things I’d tried and worked on corners various exercises etc. this is the one thing that made a huge immediate improvement and gave me a foundation that allows me to coordinate the other pieces. For once ( in a while) range became easier and my effort decreased - mainly because my air was directed to my lip aperture and not almost totally blocked because the lip was blocked by the teeth. Suddenly the corners worked better and I began to understand how slight the jaw movements are to increase lower lip tension.



Last summer the first 2 clips were made and the third after Pops had said that opening the teeth should help. The shake clip is with more open teeth.

For me volume is the big gain visible in the videos.
The next videos were after going to a bigger throat hole #24
but that was once I could sense the mouthpiece holding back
Transferring some resonance into the sound I felt could come out.

The 2nd to last clip at the end of the thread shows an arpeggio
to dbl c on both the deeper 70C & a 70S. I feel as though the
balance is where I want it with the embouchure but just not
with a busy routine at the moment.

Long story short. Yes like Lionel and you both mentioned teeth
too close have been range killing and volume killing in my experience.

Too open may have other problems like forcing an open embouchure not allowing the lips to touch unless catching feedback from the rebound sound waves completing the buzz from the mouthpiece but that is another issue.

https://www.trumpetherald.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=156099&highlight=


Our experience is similar even down to getting a 24 drill on my bobby shew lead piece. I also found I got much better resonance when I went to an adjustable gap piece screwed all way to bottom out for some reason I certainly don’t understand but. Yes the volume and resonance comes thru when you are set up right. I had my mp too much on upper lip and although my teeth set up even and tooth gap were pretty much as recommended my upper lip was never in a position to vibrate after my hi e. And I had to use too much pressure to get that. I’m not so sure that I’m a full advocate of all SC stuff as I haven’t even tried all the recommendations, but the 2 aperture system would seem to be a lot of cure from some common complaints. Keeping the air where you need it with proper control of air is a best case scenario, and properly using the 2 app. system seems to be the only way I’ve heard to achieve it.
Rod
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Shaft
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 12, 2021 8:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rod Haney wrote:
but the 2 aperture system would seem to be a lot of cure from some common complaints. Keeping the air where you need it with proper control of air is a best case scenario, and properly using the 2 app. system seems to be the only way I’ve heard to achieve it.
Rod


When I chose to leave behind the old way of playing permanently in ‘04
I went to making sure the mechanics looked the way that they needed.
Centered and then set about really allowing the lips to learn how they would touch each other in the new places that were lined up.

Soft playing in the staff with Clarke was a regular routine.
Playing soft translates into high as does low does to loud.

So I did plenty of soft playing and also plenty of quiet high notes
like the statics.

Pops taught a lip set point of G above the ataff and that was a nice middle ground to set the lips. This makes for one octave of compressing and two octaves of relaxing from the lip set point.

Leaving the horn on its stand in the living room (if I don’t do this I do not practice as much) there were many hours after school spent playing quiet and not so quiet statics (plenty of lip compression for me) from high c and above each day for a couple months. This was ok since playing in ensembles during the day was more conventional parts and notes. I focused on the feel. Sometimes I would play a few low notes to balance things and expirement with blood flow etc. At some point It translated into learning support for pedals a bit. Anyhow, the high notes with statics was allowing me to figure out the feel and then the step was adding volume decreasing compression and increasing support with more air flow and allowing the lips to figure out how to open the aperture a bit more. This was a big deal as I was an open lips not really touching player from 6th grade until age 23 or so.
A lot of this work was done on a 1c and a curry 70m

Pops was a fan of working with a players natural tendencies so
from 2000 until 2004 we tried to make the most of using what I had.

It was my choice to do an overhaul and dedicate myself to this new way of playing. A lot of the muscle strength was there it just wasn’t balanced appropriately and I had to go from an open setting to a closed setting.

This is how “less is more” became possible. Things became way more efficient and resonant. More projected and less diffused. Soft or loud.
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JayKosta
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PostPosted: Fri Aug 13, 2021 4:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Shaft wrote:
... Long story short. Yes like Lionel and you both mentioned teeth too close have been range killing and volume killing in my experience. ...

----------------------
Yes, the teeth provide the 'support' for the lips, and that is a huge factor in controlling what lip vibration is possible. The teeth opening is critical for enabling lip tissue to form the proper aperture, and for exposing the proper amount of lip tissue to the air flow.
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chapahi
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 14, 2021 3:20 am    Post subject: Re: Major embouchure change, 20th month report Reply with quote

Lionel wrote:
In late Nov of 2019 I began a radical embouchure change. A positioning and usage of facial and lip muscles completely foreign to my former way of play


Did you need to change to a forward jaw position or did you already play that way before? What system brought you success as a lead player before?
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Rod Haney
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 14, 2021 5:38 am    Post subject: Re: Major embouchure change, 20th month report Reply with quote

chapahi wrote:
Lionel wrote:
In late Nov of 2019 I began a radical embouchure change. A positioning and usage of facial and lip muscles completely foreign to my former way of play


Did you need to change to a forward jaw position or did you already play that way before? What system brought you success as a lead player before?


Not Lionel and forgive me for butting in, but although the book says he wouldn’t take students that could not conform to jaw forward - but you can be jaw neutral ( even ) or an underbite and still reap benefits from the 2 apertures. My teeth are even at setup so all I have to do is adjust the vertical movements as a conscious effort, I thought it best to changes as few things as possible and get them down before going farther. I certainly haven’t gained a playable octave above what I thought ( my mistaken perception ) were good playable notes. But I did get one more note to hi f that was just a weak attempt before, the big difference was in the full vibrant sound up to the limit. Now my weaker (much softer ) notes go above dbl’s not usable notes but good pitches I think can be better with more coordination.

I think jaw forward is kind of like a capstone to the method and listen to Bud B. To hear that!! You can play jaw forward but if the 2 apertures are not correct something will be mis aligned. Jaw forward make it easier to play upstream but it isn’t the only way.
Sorry if I butted in.
Rod
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Shaft
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PostPosted: Sat Aug 14, 2021 6:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Good morning. Speaking of “gaining octaves”
Not sure why I waited until 2016 to have Pops
work on tongue arch more with me but that
was what gave me a big endurance boost and
really made triples a possibility.

By compressing the air bring a forward arch
right behind the teeth and for me anchoring the
tip of the tongue behind the bottom teeth.

This was the final technique for compressing air
that I worked on with Pops.

We worked on syllables, lip to lip and ab compression
in 2000 so by spring of 06 when working on Stevens
Statics it was using those techniques.

A couple things that may help are

Setting the lips for a g above the staff before playing
Being sure to bring your abs in to help compression

I can always tell if I did not bring by abs in
if I did not feel confident that it could have
hit the back of the hall the way I want
and if I feel that the lips and embouchure
had to work too hard for a note in my opinion.


In an earlier post mouthpiece gap adjuster was mentioned
this is the next and maybe last mechanical adjustment that
i may check out for my Bb. The valval alignment really made the
horn easier to play and I wish manufacturers just did it before
selling their horn. Intonation and changing notes is easier now.
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Lionel
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 15, 2021 2:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

There have been a number of very thoughtful responses on this topic and esp on this second page. HackAmateur and Shaft seem to really get what I'm talking about. As are a few others. Sorry if I forgot your names. So I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART;u

Part of the reason why I posted this topic, and the others of mine that also describe the efforts I'm making during this embouchure change of mine from 20 months ago, is to share the psychological stress and joys that come with such an ordeal. The point is that all or at least much of these experiences are now documented in print. So assuming that this embouchure change becomes a success? There will remain a detailed account of the process that I went through.

The biggest challenge of course is the psychological one. The main questions in my mind being

A. ''Will this thing work''? And,
B. ''How doggone long is it gonna take''?

I also wonder if the main reason for my persistence in this described course is that I really have no other acceptable alternative. Some of my best decisions in life have happened soon after I realized that there was really only one other acceptable direction for me to take. Such as when I quit college in '75 and became a road-traveling musician. Or perhaps after I got off the road several years later and then moved clear across the country to the West Coast.

And another area of concern is how other trumpet players may respond to their own personal embouchure changes. WIll they have the incentive and ''stick-to-it-tiveness'' to stay the course? Or will they, like a a few other candidates trying out the Stevens model, eventually give up and return to their former limited embouchure?

Presently I have one student who I'm coaching through the process who is doing well with it and one who just began working on it. The first fellow, while improving at a steady clip, isn't exactly a guy who wants to play lots of high notes. This may be both a plus and a minus for his success. Despite this, he certainly is catching on. In a way I feel like the ''one-eyed man guiding the blind''. As I can't exactly qualify myself as a complete success on the system. At least not yet. However there certainly are a number of impressive qualities to what comes out of both my horn and the others whom I mentor.

Since the first fellow isn't exactly as motivated as I'd like him to be? Perhaps this actually is an advantage for him. Because the Stevens System, (with the embouchure change often required in order to pull it off) is very sensitive to overtraining. Like a ''redline'' that exists. Overtraining being a sometimes serious nemesis to the less-than-confident beginner to the program. One V important thing that I've learned throughout this endeavor is that regardless of how hard and how much that I practice? There still remains a limit to the rate of my improvement. Overtrained chops are simply my body's warning system. Allowing me to observe and lay back whenever overtraining becomes a nuisance.

Simply put, I'm going to improve by practicing at a slightly variable rate. If I play more and continue concentrating on the guidelines found in the Stevens book? I will continue to improve but only at the maximum rate. Nor is this an overnight cure. ''Patience and persistence'', as Calvin Coolidge was noted to have said,

''Are omnipotent''
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steve0930
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 15, 2021 1:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hello fellow Trumpet payers

Lionel: wrote
Quote:
'There still remains a limit to the rate of my improvement..............Patience and persistence'', as Calvin Coolidge was noted to have said,


I am possibly in the bottom 5% of trumpet playing ability in this forum but in terms of persistence I 'm, I guess, top 5%.

I have never been a fan of long tones. I decided to change that. 2 days ago, in multiple sittings, I played 54 minutes of long tones g on top of the staff or higher. (I had a phone recording app on which cut out in silence) G on top of the staff was the highest note in my comfort zone. Yesterday I played 64 minutes of G top of staff or higher long tones. Today my Chromatic scales up to C above the staff were coming out for the first time with an easy and resonant sound.

This long tone obsession over the last two days gave me a pronounced awarenens of my very forward tongue position - my whole set up is now feeling more locked in, secure, and relaxed.

As I said to my Number 1 supporter tonight - the best thing about learning the Trumpet? It keeps on giving.
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Rod Haney
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2021 7:27 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Great, but be careful. 60 minutes continuously at the top of your range could bring out some issues in a bad way. I fully believe in experimentation to help address issues, but make sure you follow fundamentals, and rest as much as you play when possible. It just seems you are jumping into this very rigorously. I don’t mean that 60 minutes or many more isn’t a very desirable goal only that it’s usually a little slower process to minimize potential bad habits?? Or maybe that’s just me?
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Lionel
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2021 7:04 pm    Post subject: Re: Major embouchure change, 20th month report Reply with quote

chapahi wrote:
Lionel wrote:
In late Nov of 2019 I began a radical embouchure change. A positioning and usage of facial and lip muscles completely foreign to my former way of play


Did you need to change to a forward jaw position or did you already play that way before? What system brought you success as a lead player before?


I played on a receded jaw embouchure my whole career both amateur and professional. Age nine to 63. or roughy 54 years. I had a very big G above High C but hardly a note more. Basically I could cut anything played by TOP or BS & T. Like ''Still A Young Man''. or ''God BLess The Child'' Although I did occasionally fluff some notes in the middle of the tune? I never once missed even one note in the intro or ending (on 'still a young man').

Although I had experimented from time to time with a more forward jaw? These sessions happened only in the practice room. For some reason, I just can't get a big sound on the forward jaw position UNLESS I USE A MOUTHPIECE RIM SOME with an inner rim dimension of some 20% to 30% wider than conventional mouthpieces.

I had to make these pieces myself. That was kinda fun actually. As I discovered that certain factory order brass washers can be custom cut and soldered onto a regular mouthpiece. It was from this enlargement of the mouthpiece inner rim dimension when I began to make real progress. By the way, the tone is no different than what I once produced on my receded jaw chops.

Previous to building a totally brass mouthpiece I had expanded the rim size using solid epoxy filler. A useful product but made for a poor texture against the lip. Even after sanding it I could never articulate on it very well. Today the only time I use epoxy filler is on the inner deeper parts of the mouthpiece cup. Where it doesn't touch the chops so much.
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Lionel
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2021 7:06 pm    Post subject: Re: Major embouchure change, 20th month report Reply with quote

chapahi wrote:
Lionel wrote:
In late Nov of 2019 I began a radical embouchure change. A positioning and usage of facial and lip muscles completely foreign to my former way of play


Did you need to change to a forward jaw position or did you already play that way before? What system brought you success as a lead player before?


I played on a receded jaw embouchure my whole career both amateur and professional. Age nine to 63. or roughy 54 years. I had a very big G above High C but hardly a note more. Basically I could cut anything played by TOP or BS & T. Like ''Still A Young Man''. or ''God BLess The Child'' Although I did occasionally fluff some notes in the middle of the tune? I never once missed even one note in the intro or ending (on 'still a young man').

Although I had experimented from time to time with a more forward jaw? These sessions happened only in the practice room. For some reason, I just can't get a big sound on the forward jaw position UNLESS I USE A MOUTHPIECE RIM SOME with an inner rim dimension of some 20% to 30% wider than conventional mouthpieces.

I had to make these pieces myself. That was kinda fun actually. As I discovered that certain factory order brass washers can be custom cut and soldered onto a regular mouthpiece. It was from this enlargement of the mouthpiece inner rim dimension when I began to make real progress. By the way, the tone is no different than what I once produced on my receded jaw chops.

Previous to building a totally brass mouthpiece I had expanded the rim size using solid epoxy filler. A useful product but made for a poor texture against the lip. Even after sanding it I could never articulate on it very well. Today the only time I use epoxy filler is on the inner deeper parts of the mouthpiece cup. Where it doesn't touch the chops so much.
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Lionel
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 16, 2021 8:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Steve 9030 and Rod Haney,

Nice posts fellas. Thanks for the discussion. I normally don't post back-to-back essays but doggone something GREAT just happened! While warming up and after reminding myself to put a little more upper lip into the mouthpiece?

I totally roared the whole two octaves from the tuning note up to Double C and even a few notes higher WITHOUT EXCESSIVE ARM PRESSURE!!

I believe that this was the first time that I was ever able to sustain a double forte volume from High C on up to DHC. Here's the point I'd like to emphasize as much as possible.

Our chops grow in RESONANCE! This is an extremely important concept esp with beginners and those learning the upper register. I know this is so because I've had to develop my upper register twice in my lifetime. Hell, folks. Once is enough! Give me a break Dear Lord. Because trumpet playing ain't exactly easy. Esp when you have to throw out everything that you've learned after 54 years, start over and then learn the high notes (AGAIN!)

But? It is definitely worth it. All that I've ever wanted to do in life since I was fifteen years old was to be a good high note player with all the strong musical skills of a professional trumpet player. That's it! Every job I've taken whether in music or outside of it has just been to pay the bills so that I could work on my technique on the trumpet. And even though I started out well over fifty years ago, and I'm not quite there even yet? I finally feel like I'm really getting it.

Heck, my early days learning the high notes on the ''downstream'' position were even tougher. Because way back then (fifty years ago!) I was sadly using a ''Limited Embouchure''. Having said that? There is still some crossover embouchure usage going on inside my chops. I intuitively understand what my new embouchure is going through as it learns the notes well above the staff. Because I've learned these notes before. Except back then I was employing another method (albeit a limited one).

Today I think that the reason why my progress is rapid is that I'm employing an unlimited embouchure. It has no ceiling in sound. Hey, if anyone else is on a similar path as mine? HANG IN THERE DUDE! That and keep the following thought ever-present;

''Our chops grow in RESONANCE''

Say this ten times to yourself. My theory is that our upper lip develops both in coordination and RESONANCE. As well as strength of course. However, I am of the firm belief that the capillaries that feed our upper (vibrating) lip also grow in size and maybe number. I would bet that most doctors would even agree with me on this.

There was a Sixty Minutes program some thirty years ago that documented professional athletes. One of them was a famous lefty who pitched for the San Diego Padres. A closer, this cat threw faster than 90 MPH. All I can remember was that X-Rays of the humerus on his left (throwing arm) showed that this bone was over double the diameter of his right (catching) arm. A fantastic discovery? And what does this tell us?

Well, it tells me that our body responds to stress by protecting itself in a curious way. No doubt but our famous relief pitcher had exposed his throwing arm to plenty of physical stress from a very young age on up through puberty and adulthood. And in response, his humerus grew well out of proportion to his non-throwing arm. From the outside you couldn't tell, but inside of an X-Ray? OMG he had a beast of an arm.

Conclusion? It takes time for my upper lip to respond to the stresses that I've put on it. While I no longer jam the horn against my lips* like I used to? I do put a goodly amount of effort into those muscles related to the blow. That and the actual vibrating surface of my upper lip, an area barely the size of half a US dime?

Grows in resonance. This is the reasoning behind the famous statement,

''Todays squeak is tomorrow's note''.

Just as the described professional major league pitcher didn't grow his humungous left arm so large and strong overnight? I shouldn't expect my own upper lip to instantly play high notes as Maynard could. Because my upper lip needs time TO ADJUST to the stress of playing high notes. The brain sends signals down to the flesh and capillaries to grow grow grow. And in time they respond. Attempting to equalize the continual stress of playing the trumpet. My guess is that the vocal cords of singers go through the same process as well.


*: It was arm pressure, in part that led to my dental injury in 2018. August 12 of that year. I remember it well.
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