Embouchure change comeback

cperret · Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2003 8:45 am Post subject:

How many players out there are making a comeback, not from a long period off, but something like an embouchure change, injury, etc? I'm a professional trumpet player who's spent the last three months relearning his embouchure (and I have at least another four or five months before I can actually play again, I think,) and I am curious to hear from others who are going through a similar change. Thanks!

histrumpet · Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2003 9:58 am Post subject:

I have been working on an embouchure change also and am finally seeing some positive results. It has been a long process.

TBone · Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2003 4:48 am Post subject:

I apologize if this doesn't fit your topic criteria, but I'm always eager to throw in my story

:

I'm not a professional, but I am in the middle of a change, too. I "quit" about 8 years ago when I realized that my embouchure was so terrible that I wouldn't be seeing any forward progress. Unwilling to spend the time necessary to fix it (this includes dropping out of several bands so I could go "back to the drawing board"), I just gave up.

It was a horrible mistake, and I've since started playing again - this time with a much more "textbook" embouchure. It feels great and natural, but as you can imaging, between the 8 year break and the new embouchure, I can't play well at all. I can't hit anything above a tuning C (though it was only a G a week ago), and my endurance is about 45 minutes. Tone is okay - it comes and goes - but my flexibility is great... something I never had before.

I'm trying to be realistic about this. My expectations consist of playing in my church in a year, and maybe other community bands in 2 years. I'd hope that in 5 years, I'd be able to run circles around my previous 'self'.

We'll see.
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I picked the trumpet back up after an 8 year "break", and boy does it feel good to have the rest of my left arm back.

drKmod · Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2003 7:01 pm Post subject:

I laid off playing for about 15 years. When I began to read this forum I realized my major problem was my emb. I read and reread to understand what I missed the first time around and did I miss a lot. My band director may have known alot about embs but he didn't pass the info on to me. I purchased Pops Clint McLaughlin books on embs and they have really helped me. Others may do the same for you. I play easier, longer and with the range I want. Just think what a career I could've had if only I'd known this stuff earlier. Good luck.

Don
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Don

"Puff and magic happens"
1960 K Modified .458 Selmer Paris Trumpet
1950 Buffet Crampon American Model .470 Cornet

MoonBoy · Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2003 9:49 pm Post subject:

Wow, it's spooky how similar my story is to TBone's except my range is a little better, G above the staff with the occasional high Bb or C. I wish I hadn't sold my Strad LR180-37GP . . .

[ This Message was edited by: MoonBoy on 2003-12-24 00:49 ]

[ This Message was edited by: MoonBoy on 2003-12-24 00:50 ]

BeboppinFool · Posted: Wed Dec 24, 2003 1:46 pm Post subject:

TBone · Posted: Mon Dec 29, 2003 11:03 am Post subject:

Thanks for the tip BeBopp; unfortunately, I can hardly make a sound if I go any less than 1/2 top.

But, I do have good news (well, at least to me it's good news!). I'm progressing quite rapidly (relatively speaking, of course). Endurance is better - I can play about an hour and a half now. Range is a G above the staff (an octave higher from where I started), flexibility is good, tone is great, etc.

I've been doing Eddie Lewis' Daily Routines, the Caruso book, and some Irons excersises.
_________________
I picked the trumpet back up after an 8 year "break", and boy does it feel good to have the rest of my left arm back.