Breaking THE worst habit

[screamertrumpet]

Guys,
I've made a goal for myself. I want to be able to play with the most relaxed sound in all registers when I get back to school. Right now, I've got great sound in the middle register (I'm pretty much known in my school for the best sound). However, my teacher keeps telling me that I'm using way too much chops and not enough air. He says that he would like to see me use more air instead of chops and in return, that'll give me a way better sound. He hasn't offered any suggestions on how I can relax my chops except for doing the Stamp exercises. I've been doing them pretty much everyday with the context in practice too and I still haven't seen any improvement. I would really like to be able to go back to school and show everybody that my range has increased to a double g or c (I had pretty good range on my 1D, I could HIT [not play] a double c, until I switched back to my 1.5C). Right now, all I can play are really flat high C's because of the tension that's going on with my chest and my chops. Do you guys have any advice? You see, I've been playing this way for about 2.5 years (ever since I started playing lead) and no one ever showed me how to play high and I learned myself, just the wrong way.
Any ideas on how I can improve? Thanks.
Trevor

[Quadruple C]

[ This Message was edited by: Quadruple C on 2003-10-01 18:31 ]

[screamertrumpet]

David,
I was hoping you would respond.
I requested the Science of Breath book you were talking about from the library and it should be arriving soon. I just got a Monette mouthpiece and it's ever so crucial that I start relaxing and playing in the center of the pitch. However, I've learned to tense up so much that the B3 just feels awful. I know I can hit high notes. I used be able to hit double c's with my 1D. Now I'm restricted to really uncomfortable high c's on the B3. I'm just finding it almost impossible to break this habit of tensing up.
Thanks for replying so fast.
Have a good afternoon.
Trevor

[Goldenchops55]

Science of Breath......heard a lot about it. WHere can I pick up a copy of it? THanks.

[mafields627]

See my post on the "Depressed Trumpeter" Topic in the Fundamentals forum. I think I meant it to be here but posted it in the wrong topic when I came back to post. Oh well, it'll help both of you. Long day at work.
_________________
--Matt--

No representation is made that the quality of this post is greater than the quality of that of any other poster. Oh, and get a teacher!

[Halfnote]

Trevor,
Try working on the Clarke's Technical exercises that lay below the staff. Study #3 is a good one. After you've got the first few exercises down, go back through them and repeat the last measure (after the repeat sign) up an octave. Focus on your sound and air, let the chops take care of themselves. Hope this helps.

[screamertrumpet]

Guys,
After a long day of practice, here is what I think I'm doing (feel free to comment). I was practicing in front of a mirror some licks from Mr. Anthony's Boogie (which ends on a high Eb). Okay, I noticed that when I played the last note, I smile greatly (believe me, when my ears move up, you know I'm smiling). I immediatley took the mouthpiece off the chops and noticed that my chops "crimped" in. This is what my teacher has been telling me NOT to do because it will give me that bad sound. Should I try maybe pushing in towards the mouthpiece instead of out towards my ears? Maybe this what is creating the tension, I'm over compensating because the notes want to come because I'm crimping in.
Thanks for your advice (I really mean it. Thanks)
Trevor

[Quadruple C]

[ This Message was edited by: Quadruple C on 2003-10-01 18:32 ]

[Quadruple C]

[ This Message was edited by: Quadruple C on 2003-10-01 18:32 ]

[screamertrumpet]

Guys,

Another day down. Here's an update:
Okay, the book I requested was lost so I will end up buying it from Amazon (the Rama one). I played some lip slurs similar to the ones in clarke 3 and realized that with just air alone and let the chops doing the work, I can't even play an E in the staff, is this right? I've been playing for 6 years, have the strongest CHOPS at my school, and with just trying to focus the air and letting the air do the work instead of the chops I can't even play an E in the staff. That tells me something. If this is wrong, please correct me and I'll try again.
Thanks,
Trevor

[Zaphod]

Trevor,
your problem sounds similar to what I had two years ago: I was using only chops and no air, and also couldn't find air pressure as helpful as my teacher always insisted. (nice coincidence: his name is "Luft", wich means "air" in german.)
But then, two years ago, my new trumpet (VERY large bore) opened my eyes - from one week to the other I understood, what my teacher tried to explain for years! Mainly as a result of this large bore, where I can blow through all air I need, I assume.
(my previous, a Getzen, was really tight.)
Maybe you have the opportunity to borrow a larger horn for some weeks? Maybe it could be helpful for you, too, to FEEL (unconsciously)the air moving, more than understanding (consciously) how it SHOULD be?

The second point is: Do you understand the meaning of "using air" correctly? I mean parameters like air speed, air pressure, breathing, tongue levels, etc. ?
(even after my "enlightening" I'm still trying and learning on this...)

Hope this helps (so far)!

[screamertrumpet]

Hey Zaphod,
My bore right now is pretty big. I'm playing on a large bore Bach (.462) with a 72G bell (which is what I believe one of the biggest bells Bach makes). I don't know, my teacher plays a horn from Germany that has a .470 bore.
I think I understand some of the terminology. I know that bad range = air volume and good range = air velocity. I know that you should try to keep the air pressurized in the abs and keep the throat nice and relaxed. I know about tongue levels (low, middle, high, Ah, Oo, Ee). I know that the sound should remain focused instead of "foggy". If there's any I've missed, be sure to bring it up.
I think my only problem is not usuing the air efficiently enough and letting the chops do all the work.
Thanks for your help,
Trevor

[Pedro]

Hey Trevor. Mind you, I'm no expert but have been "at it" a good many years and experienced pretty much what you've been experiencing. Especially, trying to adjust to air vs. chops. In my own experience, it WAS an "adjustment period" where I realized a decrease in range. I kept at it and in a couple of months, it was SO MUCH easier and my sound improved as well as range and control. I'm certain that this adjustment differs from player to player but I can guarantee that the net result is the same for EVERYBODY!!! Keep at it buddy and try not to be too critical this early in stages. It WILL happen for you!!!

[screamertrumpet]

Pedro,
Hey, thanks man. It sure feels good to know that I'm actually on the right path and am not destined for failure because of the habit. Thanks for the words of encouragement.
Trevor

[Pedro]

Anytime Trevor!! I'm sure I echo everyone's sentiment here in wanting to see you succeed! Take your time and keep going for that "pretty sound"! The rest works right along eventually...sometimes before you know it!!! Best of luck to you!!!

[tom turner]

Hi,

If I were you I'd run--not walk and order Jeff Smiley's new breakthrough book, "The Balanced Embouchere."

Jeff has many high school students in Texas and maintains, with this book, that a player can develop a full range on the trumpet.

There is a wonderful review on what Jeff's book did personally, FOR A HIGH SCHOOL BAND DIRECTOR/TRUMPET PLAYER, under a thread called, "A big Thank You to Jeff Smiley!" in the High Note forum. Read what this director had to say, as well as others that Jeff's book has helped in the single year it has been out!!!!!!!!!

Jeff's book actually shows you how to play properly to achieve a full, easy sound from the petal notes through the stratoshere. You don't have to be a "freak" with great "natural" chops to have great range . . . it IS possible for almost everyone . . . if they can get rid of their bad habits!

If you won't order his book, I will make this observation that will help greatly . . . if you can tough it out and thus reap the benefits . . .

STOP SMILIN'
In your original post you mentioned having a definate "smile" when you looked in the mirror. This is all wrong.

Imagine you were sitting at a table (with your forearm resting on the table) and were going to lift a dumbbell from the table until it touched your shoulder (while keeping your elbow on the table.

Would you relax your forearm muscles and just use your upper arm and wrist muscles to curl the weight up? Of course not. The forearm muscles are the ones that should have been doing the work!

Its the same on your chops! So many people strain every muscle in their body (literally) EXCEPT for the WORKING muscles INSIDE the mouthpiece that actually do the work when they play. Additionally, they also sometimes even RELAX those inner mouthpiece WORKING muscles that are needed to produce a sterling upper register and tone.

Instead, relax the NON-WORKING corners of your mouth and begin to use your CENTER chop muscles isometrically to push AGAINST each other to a greater degree as you ascend. When you begin doing this you'll be winded for sure, for the airstream will have to blow the chops apart at their center in order to ascend. The results will be awesome for you if you will perservere.

ISOMETRIC VS. ARM PRESSURE
When one relaxes the lip muscles outside of the mouthpiece area and re-focus the two lip muscles to push directly against each other inside the mouthpiece area this produces isometric pressure between the lips. As the pressure of muscle pushing against muscle increases the range goes up.

What almost everyone learns to do instead is to use some ARM pressure to mash the relaxed embouchere lips AGAINST the teeth . . . causing an ever expanding lip from swelling that eventually kills your endurance . . . and even sometimes causing sore, loose or crooked teeth in many individuals!

Eliminating the terrible ARM pressure entirely and instead developing a lip pushing against lip type of pressure keeps the chops from swelling and thus greatly extends one's endurance!

A wonderful additional benefit is that, since the lips aren't swelling as before, the chops stay basically the same size . . . thus giving the player the same feeling and flexibility one had when his lip was (AND NOW STILL IS) fresh!

Yet another WONDERFUL side benefit of having chops that aren't swelling anymore is that one can throw away those bucket-sized mouthpieces once needed to provide room for those relaxed-center, arm-pressured chops to swell into. Folks using the center compression methods are able to do the same things on much smaller and efficient mouthpieces.

MAKE AN "M"
Actually, some folks say that imagining they are making an "M" with their chops also helps break the "smile" habit. Making an "M" forces you to relax the corners and this, in turn, forces you to focus your muscles to the center of the WORKING part of the chops.

In conclusion, I'd recommend beginning to focus your chop development on the muscles INSIDE, not outside, your mouthpiece. Of course, the part of the chops against the mouthpiece will also benefit from this practice.

I played "with a smile" for my first 40 years as a player . . . all through college as a music major, as a Army Band solo trumpeter and as a very active performer.

Since switching to a center-compression embouchere 15 months ago I am a totally different level player. My dependable, working range on gigs has risen from a high G (the one above high C) to the next G. Additionally, I feel I can play all night long and don't get tired at all on a lead gig of four hours and more!

Hope this helps!

Sincerely,

Tom Turner

PS: Jeff Smiley can be contacted at: Trumpetteacher1@aol.com

I STRONGLY recommend this book! Soon you too can be soaring effortlessly and with gorgeous tone! Good luck!!!

[ This Message was edited by: tom turner on 2002-06-24 09:32 ]

[Nicholas Dyson]

Hey Tom,
I've noticed you have reference 'Superchops' in a number of previous posts. I have not been exposed to any embouchure schools of thought, as I taught myself how to play and didn't get a lesson until Uni.

So, in your experience, would it be safe to say that SC and Jeff's book are related on some level? Again, I know nothing of SC, and my copy of Jeff's book hasn't arrived yet.

Your last post made a lot of sense to me, and I'm interested in applying it, although a little nervous about what an embouchure change, or at least mindset change will do to my gigs in the near future.
_________________
Nicholas Dyson
Ottawa, Canada

[screamertrumpet]

Mr. Turner,

My tone in the middle and lower register are great. A little while ago, my friend was playing along with me and said, "[your tone] is like Wynton on steroids". I realize this is an extreme hyperbole (1. Because Wynton will never do steroids and 2. Not many people have as good as sound as Wynton), but if that gives you a general idea. I can a great amount of pedal notes (I can go somewhere around triple pedal c with EVERY note in between).
My previous band director used to have a problem with me starting and stopping my air very frequently (especially when I was tonguing). This might have lead to the development of me using too much embouchure emphasis and not enough air speed. See, no one has (both of my teachers have not yet) sat me down and told me "Playing the trumpet becomes natural when you increase the speed of the air going into the trumpet and rely on that air to control the chops." My teacher who is going to be leaving soon to Nevada said something a little similar, but allowed me to assume: "Air is your best friend." I never knew the AMOUNT of air speed needed inorder to play the trumpet easily. In fact, once last year, I thought I should give up trumpet after the failure of hitting some high notes (D's and E's) because it had become "too hard."
Now I'm realizing the amount of air speed and proper energy usage inorder to actually enjoy the trumpet. Sure, someone can enjoy the trumpet even when it is hard (sometimes it can be), but when one should worry in performance about if their chops are going to make it through because of lack of proper energy usage and air speed, that has become ridiculous and tougher than it should be.
Sorry for going on and on about what I've learned (or atleast some of it )
Thanks for your replies,
Trevor

[_Don Herman]

Trevor,

I fight the tongue devil myself... A visual my teacher and cooked up is to treat the airstream like water out of a faucet. Now, when you tongue, it should be like your finger flicking through the water stream, not like your hand turning on and off the faucet!

FWIW - Don
_________________
Don Herman/Monument, CO
"After silence, that which best expresses the inexpressible, is music." - Aldous Huxley

[tom turner]