Multiple Embouchure integration

[mcamilleri]

Gee, that sounds like a real buzz-word. Let me explain. With BE I have tended to run 2 or 3 different embouchure settings at the same time. It used to be my old normal embouchure, and a rolled out setting, and also 'false-embouchure' rolled in setting, but now the old embouchure is gone and I am left with a rolled out setting, and a true rolled in setting, which are starting to overlap in the middle.

Recently, through dedicated work on tongue-on-lips, my rolled out setting has become far more useful, as I can play from low G to G on the staff and a little higher in this setting. It is a forward, inward focused pucker, wide open jaw, air-pockets, and a small cheek puff. Playing is effortless, with HUGE tone, and I can play VERY loudly like this without the tone breaking up with no perceived effort. It is basically the rolled-out setting brought into the normal playing range.

My rolled in setting is starting to generate real range, when I can keep it together. There is still the tendency to flatten and stretch corners, or at best be neutral, rather than focus inwards as it should. The tone is bright, perhaps too bright, as I can’t control the aperture shape properly yet. The tonal difference between the two settings amazes me.

What I am trying to do at the moment is integrate the two. If I can keep the inward focussed corners and aperture shape of the rolled out setting, whilst rolling in a little, I know for certain that my range and tone will go through the roof.

The Holy Grail is within my grasp – I can feel it in my bones…

Michael

PS: Over the last 1-2 months I have done hardly any practice at all - playing maybe twice a week for about an hour. At this stage, less practice seems to be more effective than more.
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Alpha Angles
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[Bruce Lee]

Before anyone looks at Michael's "PS", and thinks that he is less than dedicated, please be sure to look at one of his earlier threads, titled "Success At Last".:

[mcamilleri]

Thanks, Bruce.

At this stage of transition, it seems that my embouchure needs to 'forget' some things. It seems I have done the hard BE work already, and this is where I get to reap the rewards. The 'indirect' part of BE at the moment is just leaving things alone and not trying too hard. There will be a time again soon when serious practice will be needed, I am sure.

The really new thing for me is the high degree of inward focus - I thought I had it in the past, but now I find that inward focus is replacing a lot of lip tension and compression, and this is very unfamiliar territory for me. It sometimes takes a while to find the setting, and tongue-on-lips is key to getting the top lip down far enough. You should have heard me in church last Sunday - once I got the forward, inward focus going, this HUGE tone emerged from the horn. I can now understand how you SuperChops guys get a big sound on small mouthpieces.

Michael