Cheating

MaryAnn · Veteran Member Joined: 27 May 2008 Posts: 135

I was just reading over on the high range forum. There seems to be a general opinion that "changing your embouchure to play high" is a form of cheating that will eventually catch up to you. Huh? To me it's all about being ABLE to change your embouchure for whatever you need to do, not being locked in to one setting.

Takes all kinds.....if I used the exact same embouchure setting for everything I'd have a range of about an octave. Sheesh.

abontrumpet · Heavyweight Member Joined: 08 May 2009 Posts: 1767

If you have to stop playing the trumpet to play a discrete part of your range...you are being less than 100 percent efficient.

You should be able to go from any note to any note on the trumpet without having to take the horn of your face and "change your embouchure."

trpthrld · Heavyweight Member Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 4806

The person writing the check for your services does not care one bit what you have to do to play the right notes.

The people in the audience do not care one bit what you have to do to play the right notes.

The others in your band do not care one bit what you have to do to play the right notes.

However...don't play all the notes that you are supposed to, and everyone will care.
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silverhorn · Heavyweight Member Joined: 08 Jan 2003 Posts: 681

I used to have a separate embouchure set for high range but The Balanced Embouchure book and exercises helped me to connect it all so that I now use one embouchure set for the entire range of playing. It makes playing alot easier and more secure for me in my opinion because you don't have to think about resetting your setup at a certain point but there are others who do just fine with high gear and low gear setups too.

Btw, I don't consider high gear and low gear setups any more cheating than playing on small and shallow mouthpieces for a brighter upper register or big and deep mouthpieces for a darker sound in the lower register. If you can get the job done and sound good within the style of music you are playing, most people would not care what embouchure you use or what equipment you use.

MaryAnn · Veteran Member Joined: 27 May 2008 Posts: 135

I'm not sure why someone thought that to change the embouchure one has to remove the instrument from the face.....not at all. BE teaches you to do what you need to in order to have a smooth transition no matter what the position of the lips.

abontrumpet · Heavyweight Member Joined: 08 May 2009 Posts: 1767

MaryAnn · Veteran Member Joined: 27 May 2008 Posts: 135

maybe that was what they were referring to over in High Range Development. I would agree that if you have to take it off your face that the entire endeavor is useless.

cheiden · Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 10:11 am Post subject:

Embouchures are not supposed to be static. They adjust with volume and register. It's ideal to have one setup that works for every playing demand but not everyone can do that. A lot of folks talk about high gear/lower setting. Thomas Gansch of Mnozil Brass talks about having 3 distinct embouchures. I think Jens Lindemann (ex-Canadian Brass) also talks about three settings. But I think for these players the different settings are more like optimizations that facilitate their playing, not define it.

All of the above is in contrast to the "wig" embouchure. Which I understand to be kind of a trick setup that does allow a player to play considerably higher but really doesn't work in the lower register. Some may consider this a "cheater" setup.
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MaryAnn · Veteran Member Joined: 27 May 2008 Posts: 135

So how does "wig" differ from "extreme rolled in?" I can get incredible squeaks with "extreme rolled in" but would not try to use it as "an embouchure."

cheiden · Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2014 1:20 pm Post subject:

I've seen wigs that are extreme roll-in and others that are extreme roll-out. Others have been strange taking one lip mostly out of the mouthpiece. There's no shortage of tricks that work for certain people.
_________________
"I'm an engineer, which means I think I know a whole bunch of stuff I really don't."
Charles J Heiden/So Cal
Bach Strad 180ML43*/43 Bb/Yamaha 731 Flugel/Benge 1X C/Kanstul 920 Picc/Conn 80A Cornet
Bach 3C rim on 1.5C underpart