Allow me to introduce myself I'm Clint Pops McLaughlin an American trumpet player, trumpet teacher and author of brass music and brass instruction manuals. My specialty is brass embouchure and embouchure development.
I was born October 21, 1957 in Tyler, Texas. I attended Texas Tech and The University of Texas System and have 2 degrees in music. My main trumpet teacher was Don 'Jake' Jacoby.
I studied under two instrument designers, one of Mr. H.L. Clarke's students, one of Dr. Stevens students and finally under Don "JAKE" Jacoby (Listed as one of the top 5 trumpet players of the 50's & 60's & a graduate of the E.S. Williams School of Music).
I've had written correspondence with 41 Trumpet & 38 Mouthpiece Manufacturers. (By this I mean ongoing discussions and not just asking for a suggestion or an opinion.)
I have had conversations with people who did big research projects about trumpet playing. These have been in writing and in person so I could ask questions that were not obvious from reading the papers that they published. John Haynie (fluoroscopic study of tongue arch and trumpet playing) and Robert Weast (extensive embouchure studies using rubber lips) both wrote sections for one of my books.
I've also gone over hundreds of method books as well as over 1,000 articles. These studies covered all major trumpet embouchure's & more than 700 stock mouthpieces. They were written in a 400 year time period from the 1600's to the year 2014.
Even now I look for new Dissertations every year and read them. This consistent study has actually caused me to rewrite sections of a couple of my books, so that I could stay current and accurate.
Through High School and College I took lessons from the school professor and took outside of school too. Many semesters I took lessons from 3 outside sources weekly, meaning I was taking 4 lessons a week.
The experiences that most influenced my books center around the following people:
My first teacher was Arthur Ford. He was an elderly retired college band director. He was also an engineer and had designed some instruments for Conn in the 40's and 50's. He had 2 trumpet teachers J.P. Sousa and H.L. Clarke. I learned about Lip Buzzing from him. To this day I experience things that I realize he had told me about.
I had a friend (David Wright) who spent a great deal of time in NYC and took 65-70 lessons from Roy Stevens. He is the person who showed me how things that were poorly described in the Stevens book were really done. I also learned that some of the absolutes in the Stevens book were NOT so absolute in person.
Dr. Ken Muckelroy (who had studied under Ghitalla) and Dr. Richard Tolley worked with me on the Farkas embouchure. I realized that some of what Farkas wrote about in his book (about aperture control) actually was taught by Stevens. I was introduced to the Pivot System (by Dr. Reinhardt) and how it was utilized.
Jack Smith was the band director and trumpet teacher at a local college. He had learned the Maggio method and wanted to see how it compared to the Stevens that I played. I did something very few trumpet players would do. I did an unneeded embouchure change for the sake of an experiment. (I was a double major in college and the Physics side of me loved to experiment.) I spent 1 semester playing only the Maggio and the next playing both the Maggio and my old Stevens. It was here that I added a pucker to MY version of the Stevens Embouchure. That not only helped the endurance but it also rounded out the aperture giving a more pleasing sound than is normally associated with those 2 embouchures.
I had a friend (Mike Johnston) who started taking lessons from Don 'Jake' Jacoby. He made more improvement in his first 2 or 3 lessons than he made in the 7 years I had known him. This interested me so I started taking lessons from Jake. I learned the proper way to use air and the value of playing relaxed. I wanted to be a teacher instead of a player. So I asked lots of questions about problems I didn't have, but I had seen in members of my college band. Jake even let me sit in on some other lessons so I could see how he fixed different problems.
Lastly When I finally decided to turn my notes into the book A-Z (I started in 75 and finished in 95) There was yet another embouchure out there that I had not yet played. This is when I studied and learned the Super chops embouchure. I had some phone conservations and written correspondence with Jerry Callet as well as his book. Again I did this for the experience and NOT out of a need to change embouchures.
A great deal of what I know came from the people I just mentioned. However some of it I acquired as a result of having gone through so many different embouchures. It is this experience that makes me different from so many other teachers. And I think it shows in my teaching and writing.
After teaching for 20+ years I started writing books about how to develop embouchure on brass instruments. I have written 18 brass books and video courses and I still teach in Grand Prairie, Texas. I also has a brass news magazine on-line BbTrumpet News
The significant difference between me and other brass teachers is that I include info from all 7 main brass embouchures that are taught today. [7] My view is that since all players have physical differences; it is logical that no "one" embouchure can be effective for all players. [8] Each player should find the embouchure that best fits them and work from there.
My books and videos go to great detail when explaining how a brass embouchure works. As an example; I was the first teacher to explain and discuss the "Aperture Tunnel" (TM) in print and explain how this helps to create resonance on a brass instrument. [9] [10] I was also instrumental in writing about the 3-D nature of the brass embouchure in my 2002 book "How the Chops Work". I explained in text, pictures and diagrams how the vibrations differ in thickness (front to back); in height (up and down); and in length (side to side). This was a great contrast to the concept of just the length of the vibration affecting pitch.
I have also documented and written about the adverse effects of tension and mouthpiece pressure, In doing this I showed how working with a didgeridoo or tuba mouthpiece is a good way to overcome these problems because of the size of the vibrations they create. I also wrote about how tongue levels aide in playing and I described a hiss register that is a big benefit for high note playing. [11] I have been credited with helping to explain differences in breathing techniques for high note playing. [12] [13] [14] [15]
One work that made a great impact for brass teachers was "The Pros Talk Embouchure" which interviews 70 Pros about embouchure. [16] [17] The book "How the Chops Work" used pictures, diagrams and in depth discussion to teach the differences in several different trumpet embouchures. [18] Five of my books and my web site have been heavily referenced in other books like "Trumpet Pedagogy" by David Hickman a Regents' Professor of trumpet at Arizona State University and past President of the International Trumpet Guild. [19] I have also been included in The book "Trumpet Greats" By David Hickman. [20] This book talks about the most influential people in the trumpet world from 1600 to today.
Books available for purchase
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I met "POPS" on the Internet and he helped me through some frustrating problems that I was struggling with on the horn.
Pops is one cool trumpet teacher. Here I am, a long time student of Claude Gordon and what's my problem?? Tongue levels!! Pops diagnosed me right away and helped me out tremendously in a short time.Thanks!!~
Hey Pops, keep up the good work. Even us "old pros" need a little help every now and then. I check in with your site regularly. Thanks.
Pops: I'm so glad I got your books - some great stuff in there for every trumpet player!!! Keep up the great work!!!
Many, many thanks to you and your knowledge of the trumpet and the embouchure. It has helped me immeasurably since my lesson with you!
Pops: You have single-handedly given me the confidence and the ability to meet - EXCEED my wildest dreams. When I first came to you I never would have believed I would tour with Maynard Ferguson!!!
"Clint McLaughlin is one of the leading experts on embouchure. His books discuss many of the embouchures used by leading trumpet players. I consider his publications excellent resources!"
It was only after reading/playing your books, did I get the range thing!
Check out Pop's trumpet books. This guy knows what he is talking about and can write it!!!! Thanks for all your intelligent advice.
I think you're doing a great service for the brass community. I once heard that the art of teaching is in finding out how to explain the same thing in different ways to have it hit home for each individual student.
You have said two things which have really helped me and have brought about an instant improvement in my trumpet playing. It's all 20% easier! So thanks again for your positive contribution to the brass world.