Ultimate TOL feeling

[Adalon]

Hi fellow trumpeters!

It's been almost two weeks since I got my own copy of BE from Ko.
I have to admit that the method is slowly doing wonders. I've been playing the trumpet for 13 years and I've been always strugling with endurance and high register.. as most of us I guess. The notes like G above the stuff come out like it's nothing after some time spent on practicing RI. It's not consistent yet and the quality of it varies but I know that this needs time since my current embouchure (after two weeks of BE) feels like total abstraction, it's totally different world when it comes to feeling of the chops and mouthpiece placement. I know that you're not supposed to totally switch embouchure at the beginning but I really don't want to go back to the old setup (middle G on old embouchure feels like 2 or 3 times harder work than G above the staff while RI setup).

However, my question is regarding TOL. It helped me to bring the lips down and place the aperture somwhere between the teeth. The feeling of it day after day starts to be more familiar. But what is the ulitmate feeling of TOL? Right now while TOLing I can feel just slight part of the top lip and some upper teeth especially going higher. The higher I go the more teeth I feel while TOLing instead of top lip. Is it someting that requires more muscle strength or am I doing something wrong? Thanks for all the answers!

And to end this post for all the guys who struggle with BE or wonder whether this method is for them: GIVE IT A TRY! I' ve been playing 13 years sometimes up to 6 hours a day (more harm than good) and it led me to nowhere. It's not about ultra powerful strenght in your corners or tons of air as some state. It's about efficiency and this book gives you tools to find it. I can totally see potential in this and chances for succes! In my opinion, the better you understand the book and its concepts the faster your result will be. It took me 4 days to scroll through all the topics that bother me from the beginning of the forum and honestly, the forum should work as DLC to the book! Tons of helpful knowledge that can safe lots of time while working with BE!

All the best guys!

[trumpetteacher1]

The requirement of TOL is to be able to touch the top lip all the way up to G on top of the staff. If you can't do this, it is likely because you are pushing up the bottom lip while ascending (either over or under the teeth), and the top lip is going along for the ride.

The bottom lip is very important, but it is kind of a bully. Doing TOL properly will help your top lip from getting pushed around.

Strive to strike the top lip squarely with the tongue all the way to G. This keeps it in the airstream. Depending on the player, it may take some focused practice. I've had pro players and educators in lessons here who (initially) couldn't do it past a D in the staff. When the issue is resolved, it lifts unnecessary limits on your playing.

Hope this helps. Thanks for the good words about BE!

Jeff

[Adalon]

Thank you very much for the answer Jeff! Will give TOL more precise look and strive to keep top lip in place! All the best!